The Somali leader was among five heads of state attending the summit in person at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), alongside Kenya's William Ruto (current EAC chair), Tanzania's Samia Suluhu Hassan, Uganda's Yoweri Museveni, and Burundi's Évariste Ndayishimiye. Rwanda's Paul Kagame, Democratic Republic of Congo's Félix Tshisekedi, and South Sudan's Salva Kiir delegated ministers to represent them.