Mohamud meets Arab leaders, UN chief on margins of Arab summit

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has met with Arab leaders on the margins of the 31^st Arab Summit in Algeria on Wednesday.

Mohamud met separately with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria.

In a Twitter post, the Somali leader described his meeting with his Egyptian couterpart as “fruitful” noting that they discussed the further strengthening of “bilateral ties in all areas of mutual benefit, as well as the ongoing war against international terrorism in Somalia.”

For his part, El-Sisi hailed Egypt’s “historical ties with Somalia and its keenness on maintaining the interests of the Somali people within a unified, stable and strong state,” according to a statement by the Egyptian Presidency.

The statement said the meeting also “followed-up on the outcome of the Somali president’s visit to Cairo last July with hopes of strengthening various aspects of bilateral relations. This is in addition to exchanging views on regional developments of mutual interests related to the security of the Red Sea.”

Somali president’s visit to Cairo in July irked Ethiopia, a regional rival of Egypt, following a joint statement that appeared to take a swipe at Addis Ababa over its Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) project, which remains a bone of contention between the two countries.

President Mohamud also held talks with the Algerian President Tebboune, whose country is hosting the summit.

Somalia’s Presidential Palace (Villa Somalia) said the two leaders “discussed various issues, including strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries.”

President Mohamud also met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the margins of the summit. According to the Villa Somalia, the two discussed “the Somali government’s efforts in fighting international terrorism and responding to the humanitarian crisis, drought, and climate change impacts.”