MADRID, SPAIN (SONNA) — The Federal Republic of Somalia has consolidated its position within international security architectures during the global summit on “Counter-Terrorism Cooperation in Africa,” part of the prestigious Madrid Dialogue series. Representing the administration, the Presidential Special Envoy for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, Honorable MP Aweys Mohamed Omar, joined senior global diplomats and intelligence architects to negotiate multilateral frameworks designed to dismantle extremist networks across the African continent.
The high-level discussions focused directly on the geopolitical implications of emerging tech, specifically exploring how modern digital platforms and Artificial Intelligence (AI) shape contemporary asymmetric warfare. In his address to the plenary assembly, Special Envoy Aweys Mohamed Omar clarified that for Somalia, mitigating these digital threats is not an abstract academic exercise but an immediate national security necessity. He outlined how insurgent groups have systematically exploited advanced digital technologies and social media ecosystems to deploy sophisticated propaganda matrices and target vulnerable youth demographics across the region.
The Special Envoy held high-level consultations along the main plenary table with counterparts from participating states, including Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Togo, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States. During these bilateral exchanges, the Somali delegation emphasized that countering localized violent extremism requires robust international intelligence fusion and synchronized state-level regulation of digital networks. The Federal Government’s active engagement in Madrid ensures that Somalia’s domestic combat successes and strategic perspective are directly integrated into the upcoming global governance frameworks regulating artificial intelligence and digital security on the continent.
