Somalia president to embark on 3-country Africa visit

According to the Keydmedia Online sources, President Hassan Sheikh will also visit Ethiopia and Djibouti after the Kenya trip. He expected to meet with Abiy Ahmed and Ismail Omar Guelleh.

News Keydmedia Online
14 July 2022

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The newly elected Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud plans to travel to several East African countries and meet with their leaders to discuss relations and the Horn of Africa crisis, sources within Villa Somalia said.

Mohamud will begin his trip in Nairobi today, where he will meet with his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta and senior officials at the Presidential Palace to mend bilateral ties between the two nations.

Kenya's agriculture minister said last month that the Somali President will arrive in Nairobi to sign an agreement with Uhuru on the resumption of Miraa export to Somalia following two years ban.

According to the Keydmedia Online sources, President Hassan Sheikh will also visit Ethiopia and Djibouti after the Kenya trip. He expected to meet with Abiy Ahmed and Ismail Omar Guelleh.

The trip to Nairobi will be the fourth overseas trip by the President since he was elected on May 15th, with the cabinet yet to be named by Somali Prime Minister Hamze Abdi Barre.

Relations between Somalia and Kenya have soured since 2020 with the two countries closing embassies twice during the term of former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo.

Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia are the main troop-contributing countries to the African Union Mission in Somalia [ATMIS], a force that protects the weak UN-backed government from Al-Shabaab.

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