The President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, has on Sunday received his Somali counterpart, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, at the Presidential Palace.
President Mohamud arrived in Djibouti yesterday, leading a high-level delegation that included the Somali Minister of Defense.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations, particularly the substantial and multifaceted support that Djibouti can offer Somalia as it increasingly asserts its government’s authority over its entire territory.
The visit of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to Djibouti comes at a time when the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) is approaching the end of its mandate. The discussions between the two heads of state focused on the final configuration of the replacement force, the Somali Support and Stabilization Mission (AUSSOM), which is set to be deployed starting January 1, 2025.
A statement from the Djibouti State House said that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s one day working visit to Djibouti is part of ongoing high-level consultations and contacts between the two nations and their peoples.
Djibouti and Somalia share long-standing ties, forged by their geographical, cultural, and linguistic proximity. The special nature of their relations reflects Djibouti’s consistent commitment to the stabilization and economic reconstruction of Somalia.
In addition to the Somali Minister of Defense, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Somalia to the Republic of Djibouti, Salad Ali Jeleh, also attended the meeting.
On the Djiboutian side, notable attendees included the Minister of Defense and Minister for Relations with Parliament, Mr. Hassan Omar Mohamed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the Head of National Security, Mr. Hassan Said Kaireh, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti to the Federal Republic of Somalia, Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim Youssouf.
