Museveni, Hassan engage in talks on regional security and support for Somali forces
A joint communique issued after their meeting at Nakasero State House in Kampala said the two leaders discussed various issues of importance to both countries, including reviewing a defence pact between the two nations.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday met with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Kampala to discuss regional security.
During the meeting, Hassan called for international support for Somalia's security forces to underline the need to maintain peace and stability in the volatile Horn of Africa.
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A joint communique issued after their meeting at Nakasero State House in Kampala said the two leaders discussed various issues of importance to both countries, including reviewing a defence pact between the two nations, deepening integration through the East African Community (EAC), IGAD and the AU as well as calls for support to peace and stability in Somalia.
The supplementary defence pact was signed by both nations last year in Mogadishu, aiming to strengthen their commitment to shared security goals and strategic partnerships.
“The heads of state emphasised the need to adequately support the implementation of the Somali Security Development Plan and building the capabilities of the Somali security forces and called upon the international community to support in building capacities to ensure smooth exit of AUSSOM and pave way for Somalia to assume her security responsibilities,” the communique read.
The two leaders also noted regional efforts to ensure the threat posed by terrorism in Somalia is eliminated and called for adequate funding to both Somalia and the AUSSOM to help in fighting Al-Shabaab threat as well as in supporting humanitarian needs.
“The heads of states welcomed the commencement of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and build up on the achievements made by its predecessor ATMIS. They called [for] adequate, predictable and sustainable funding for AUSSOM,” said the communique.
Somalia and Uganda have strong diplomatic relations.
In August 2022, a Somalia-Uganda investment and business summit in Kampala was held to promote investment, trade, and tourism opportunities between both countries.
Uganda is also the leading contributor to peacekeepers in Somalia under AUSSOM, with 4,500 troops stationed in Somalia. Uganda was also the first country to deploy its forces in Somalia when the AU peace mission in Somalia, AMISOM, was first approved by the UN Security Council in 2007.
Liberation of Mogadishu
Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF), together with Burundi National Defence Forces (BNDF), played a big role in the liberation of the Somali capital Mogadishu in 2009 from Al-Shabaab’s control. This helped the Somali government to gain a strong foothold in the country and to slowly assert its authority following years of anarchy and chaos that weakened state powers.
The two leaders urged the world to continue to help Somalia put its house in order.
“Their Excellencies called upon the international community to continue supporting the government of the Federal Republic of Somalia in building its institutions, especially Somali Security Forces, to ensure that the progress and gains made are consolidated as well as support for climate action and humanitarian assistance,” the communique said.
The two leaders also welcomed an upcoming meeting of AUSSOM troop contributing countries later in April to discuss operation plans with Somalia, the AU and the UN. The countries with troops in Somalia are Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.
Somalia is slowly emerging from its past ruins of war.
The Somali army, which continues to be rebuilt, is now able to sustain operations and put pressure on Al-Shabaab and has liberated large swathes of land from the terrorists.
However, to show how volatile the situation on the ground is, on Saturday evening, several mortar shells were fired by unknown assailants into several neighbourhoods in Mogadishu, causing civilian casualties. Al-Shabaab has previously claimed similar mortar attacks.
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