Somalia Neighbouring States Summit concludes in Mogadishu
The Somalia-Frontline States Summit in Mogadishu concludes as regional leaders express support for Somalia in the fight against Al-Shabaab.
Hosted and chaired by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday, the summit was attended by President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and the President of Kenya William Ruto.
The aim of the summit was to discuss strengthening partnerships in the fight against Al-Shabaab terror group.
Knowns as ‘frontline states’ for bordering Somalia, the epicentre of Al-Shabaab, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya are also among troop contributing countries in Somalia under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) whose mandate is set to end in December 2024.
A joint statement issued following the conclusion of the summit stated that the leaders recognised the need for “new partnerships and enhancing solidarity among Somalia’s neighbouring states to stand by Somalia in a united fight against a common terrorist threat to demonstrate a unified stance on confronting Al-Shabaab.”
The summit hailed Mohamud’s “vision of a comprehensive, all-government approach with a multi-dimensional focus on defeating terrorists through military, finance, and ideology.”
Most importantly, the summit “agreed to jointly plan and organise a robust operational campaign at the frontline states level, of search and destroy Al-Shabaab on multiple frontlines aiming at the key strategic Al-Shabaab strongholds across south and central Somalia.”
The leaders also called on the international partners to “support Somalia’s stabilisation efforts in the newly liberated areas” and endorsed “Somalia’s quest to completely lift the arms embargo by the end of 2023.”
In a Twitter post earlier, Mohamud hailed the frontline states as “integral to our (Somalia’s) counterterrorism efforts”, adding that the “summit reaffirms our resolve to rid our region of terrorism permanently.”
Security was bolstered in the city ahead of the summit while commercial flights have also been suspended.
Following his election in May last year, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced an “all-out war” against Al-Shabaab militants which saw the Somali army leading offensives against Al-Shabaab that have led to the liberation of vast territories from the group in south and central Somalia.
According to government sources, hundreds of Al-Shabaab militants have been killed in the ongoing offensive.
The government has also closed at least 250 bank accounts and 70 mobile phone firms over links to Al-Shabaab militants.
Last week, the government sponsored a convention of Somali Muslim scholars to support the government in the fight against the terror group.
