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Somalia President Hassan Sheikh attends key security meeting in Abu Dhabi

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during a meeting in Abu Dhabi, the UAE on January 31, 2024, with members of the Somalia Quint Group. (Photo: X/ Villa Somalia)

By Hassan Mohamed | 01 Feb 2024

Hassan met representatives from the UAE, Qatar, Turkiye, the UN, UK and the US, countries which form the Somalia Quint Group.

Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday attended a critical security meeting in Abu Dhabi, which brought together representatives from countries in the Somalia Quint Group, which supports stabilisation efforts in that country.

Hassan met representatives from the UAE, Qatar, Turkiye, the UN, UK and the US, following a meeting with his UAE counterpart, Emir Moḥammad bin Zayid Al Nahyan.

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“The meeting centred on supporting Somalia's stability and prosperity,” his office, the Villa Somalia, said via social media.

During the meeting, the Somali leader urged countries to respect each other's sovereignty, a message he has reiterated since Ethiopia and Somaliland entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that has sparked much controversy.

Ethiopia is seeking to lease a 20 km marine base from Somaliland for its navy, in exchange for recognition and a stake in the national Ethiopian Airways, but Somalia says this move violates its territorial integrity.

Villa Somalia said, "The President emphasised the significance of preserving regional stability, safeguarding hard-won achievements against terrorism, and upholding Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

A meeting of the Somalia Quint Group in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, on January 31, 2014. (Photo: X/ Villa Somalia)

The Quint focused on planned approaches for a much leaner peacekeeping mission in 2025 when the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) is expected to withdraw from Somalia. Stakeholder discussions are ongoing in Somalia to ensure security gains, in the fight against terror group Al-Shabaab, are not lost when the peacekeepers withdraw.

Still, one opinion is that some peacekeepers should remain in Somalia to protect key government installations including the airport, seaport and key federal agencies.

An AU delegation from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, led by AU Director of Conflict Management Directorate Sarjoh Bah, has been in Mogadishu to meet with key stakeholders including Somalia leaders, to discuss the post-ATMIS security posture and plans.