Saturday April 15, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed attended a tripartite meeting on Saturday with the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, in Addis Ababa.
The leaders of the three countries discussed cooperation in security, economy, trade, and investment. They analyzed their mutual interests to ensure important plans for their people, infrastructure development, and specific Italian private-sector investments in Ethiopia and Somalia.
President Mohamud shared with the conference leaders the federal government's achievements in liberating the country from terrorism. He pointed out that the Somali people are committed to making Somalia free from al Shabab, which is a tribute to the development and stability of the region.
The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, praised the practical achievements of the first phase of the anti-al Shabab operation to free the country from terrorism. They noted the importance of cooperation between the countries of the region to eliminate terrorism, especially in the frontline countries neighbouring Somalia.
A month ago, the Somali government confirmed that Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya would be sending troops in addition to the soldiers they already have serving as part of the African Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). The new troops will not be part of the ATMIS mission.
"Their role is to jointly plan and jointly operate under the command of the Somali security forces," he said. "So, they will be fighting against al-Shabab alongside Somali forces. That is the plan," the national security adviser for the Somali President, Hussein Sheikh-Ali, said.
In January, the adviser stated that the Somali government wants to complete making 15,000 soldiers ready within 2023. The government has already sent 3,000 soldiers each to Eritrea and Uganda, with an additional 6,000 recruits to be sent to Ethiopia and Egypt.
Earlier this month, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced the initiation of the second phase of military operations against the extremist group Al-Shabab. This new phase aims to eradicate the militant group from the remaining parts of the country.