Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the president of Somalia, highlighted at the 14th IGAD Ordinary Summit the security and political gains made by his nation against the extremist insurgency group Al-Shabaab. Mohamud spoke about the comprehensive counterterrorism operations against Al-Shabaab that resulted in the liberation of substantial territories in the Shabelle, Hiraan, Galgaduud, and Mudug regions. The offensive marked a turning point and ended 15 years of extremist repression.
The liberation, has spurred development initiatives aimed at enhancing public services in these areas. Security has also been significantly improved to thwart any potential extremist resurgence in those regions .
President Mohamud informed his fellow IGAD leaders of his administration’s commitment to enhancing the region’s governance system during the numerous National Consultative Council meetings that have been held since his administration returned to Villa Somalia.
Plans for direct democratic elections were decided upon during a council meeting that took place from May 24-27. Mohamud informed the IGAD leaders that government councils are industriously working to put these agreements into effect.Â
In an act of regional solidarity, President Mohamud urged his IGAD counterparts to actively support efforts to bring about peace in Sudan and other troubled areas.
The regional peace, security, and development are the main topics of the IGAD summit, which got underway on Monday in Djibouti.
The leaders of the IGAD member states will discuss ways to end the ongoing war in Sudan. The summit also seeks to coordinate regional efforts to end terrorism, promote regional integration, and advance peace, economic success, and social advancement among member states.
President Mohamud and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia met on the sidelines of the IGAD summit. The two leaders engaged in fruitful discussions on bilateral and regional issues of shared interest, according to an official tweet from Villa Somalia .