by Timothy Cerullo
Saturday September 7, 2024
President William Ruto on Thursday, September 5, met with Somalia President Hassan Mohamud on the sidelines of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing, China.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed several issues on regional security, including the surge in the threats of terrorism, particularly by extremist groups such as Al-Shabab.
The Heads of State also deliberated on the successes achieved by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in which Kenya is a participant.
ATMIS is a multidimensional military group consisting of troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda and is currently on a peacekeeping mission in Somalia.
The mission is set to end in December this year; however, Kenya and Uganda will remain part of the new African Union mission that will replace ATMIS to continue stabilising Somalia.
In the meeting, President Ruto reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to restoring regional stability, with the Head of State emphasising continued cooperation.
Ruto also reiterated the need to uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the Horn of Africa even as Somalia accuses Ethiopia of violating sovereignty.
Mohamud's meeting with Ruto took place amidst ongoing confrontations between Ethiopia and Somalia concerning a dispute over the latter's breakaway territory.
Ethiopia's attempt to construct a naval base on Somalia's Red Sea coast via a memorandum of understanding was met with opposition. Somalia declared the MoU null and void, prompting the present struggles.
Ruto and Mohamud further discussed pressing climate-related challenges which they noted had worsened food insecurity leading to the displacement of people.
Both leaders came up with strategies for enhancing climate resilience and sustainable development to tackle these challenges more effectively.
Kenya's president also took advantage of the opportunity to rally Somalia's President to support former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's quest for the African Union Commission Chairperson role.