The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, held talks with the UK Defense Minister James Heappey in London during his recent visit, ahead of the upcoming Somali security conference in New York.
The two leaders discussed the security situation in Somalia and the ongoing efforts to defeat the militant group Al-Shabaab, which has been waging a violent insurgency in the country for over a decade.
The UK Defense Minister reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting the Somali National Army with training, equipment and logistics, as well as providing humanitarian and development assistance to the Somali people.
The Somali President thanked the UK for its continued partnership and expressed his appreciation for the UK’s role in hosting the global leaders’ conference on combating famine and the causes of suffering.
The conference, which was co-hosted by the UK, the UN, the EU and the African Union, aimed to raise awareness and funds for the humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people in Somalia and other countries in the Horn of Africa, as well as in Yemen and Nigeria.
The Somali President also spoke at the conference about how his government is giving priority to the implementation of the emergency aid projects for development, which are designed to address the root causes of the crisis and create long-term solutions for peace and stability.
The Somali President and his delegation are expected to travel to New York soon, where they will participate in the Somali security conference, which will bring together representatives from the Somali government, the regional states, the international community and the civil society.
The conference, which is scheduled to take place in late November, will review the progress and challenges of the Somali security sector reform and the transition plan, which aims to transfer the security responsibility from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to the Somali security forces by 2024.
