Tuesday March 14, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, on Monday for an official visit. This marks President Mohamud's third visit to Eritrea since taking office in May 2022. President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea welcomed President Mohamud, and they are expected to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments of mutual interest.
President Mohamud's visit is part of Somalia's new diplomatic strategy, prioritizing establishing friendly and cooperative relationships with neighbouring countries and the wider region. In July 2022, President Mohamud visited Eritrea to strengthen the political, economic, and security cooperation between the two nations. During this visit, the leaders signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining areas of collaboration in trade, investment, infrastructure development, security, and defence. As part of the visit, President Mohamud visited a Somali Navy brigade receiving training in Eritrea. The training program is part of a broader initiative to rebuild Somalia's naval capacity and combat piracy in the region.
President Mohamud made a subsequent visit in November 2022 to attend the graduation of Somali air force trainees in Eritrea, further strengthening defence and security cooperation between the two nations. During this visit, he expressed his desire to secure the release of Somali troops in Eritrea. In December 2022, Somalia repatriated troops who had been training in Eritrea.