Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has accepted an invitation by his Somali counterpart Hassan Sheikh Hassan Mohamud to visit Mogadishu.
Hassan Sheikh Hassan extended the invitation during his working visit to Kampala on Saturday where the two leaders discussed a wide range of issues.
According to a communique, President Museveni accepted the invitation which will happen after dates have been set through diplomatic channels.
It will not be the first time President Museveni is visiting the horn of Africa nation.
On his Saturday visit, President Hassan Sheikh was accompanied by Somalia’s Minister of Defence and other senior government officials. The two Heads of State held bilateral talks at State House Nakasero, where they reviewed the strong ties between their countries and discussed various areas of mutual interest.
Among the key issues addressed was the security situation in Somalia and the broader Horn of Africa. Both leaders acknowledged the sacrifices made by the Troop and Police Contributing Countries (T/PCCs) to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and its successor, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), as well as Somali Security Forces (SSFs), in the fight against Al-Shabaab.
They welcomed the commencement of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), emphasizing the need for sustainable, predictable, and adequate funding. They also stressed the importance of international support in building the capacity of Somali forces to take full responsibility for national security following the eventual exit of AUSSOM.
President Museveni and President Mohamud reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to regional integration through bodies such as the East African Community (EAC), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the African Union (AU), with a focus on economic growth and socio-political transformation.
