President Ruto and his Somalia counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at State House, Nairobi on May 18, 2024. They held talks that centered on regional peace and security.
Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is in Nairobi to hold talks with President William Ruto, in what completes his shuttle diplomacy over the future of his country’s security.
The trip, which has so far taken him to Burundi Djibouti, Uganda and now Kenya, is part of his efforts to discuss with troop-contributing countries to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis), whose mandate ends in December.
The visit is also meant to ensure a buy-in of these troop contributors to the next mission: The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (Aussom), which is expected to take over in January 2025.
“We shall be focusing on the post-Atmis compensation process, since the troops will be leaving Somalia by December. The President is coming here to discuss issues of compensation and the exit plan,” Jabril Abdulle, Somalia’s Ambassador to Kenya, told The EastAfrican last week.
President William Ruto and his Somalia counterpart are expected to hold talks on trade as well, but the topic of security and the post-Atmis process is expected to dominate the agenda, officials said.
“We shall have issues of mutual interests between the two countries discussed,” the diplomat said.
But President Mohamud has also used the trip to popularise his disillusionment with Ethiopia, the other troop contributor to Atmis, but which now has a quarrel with Mogadishu over a controversial MoU Addis signed with Somaliland back in January for a naval base.
Mogadishu considers Somaliland part of Somalia territory.
President Mohamud is not expected to visit Addis Ababa, having already considered Ethiopia not part of its plans in Aussom.
Farhan Jimale, Somalia Government Spokesman, said on Monday that with Somalia turning the corner and having achieved key milestones, it is now charting a path toward a stable and prosperous future.
“The discussions focused on advancing shared regional strategic interests and strengthening the vital partnerships between Somalia and the TCCs at this significant juncture,” he said.
One key issue on the security agenda is the funding model for the new mission. As Somalia transits to Aussom, leaders have called for “adequate and predictable funding,” to depart from the donor-dependent model used to sustain Atmis and Amisom before it.
In December, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2719, which allows African-led peace missions to utilise funds from the UN’s assessed contributions kitty on a case-by-case basis – as long as the African Union Peace and Security Council seeks authorisation for those missions from the UN Security Council.
The Resolution meant that Africa-led support operations could get cost reimbursement of all categories of support as negotiated between the troop or police-contributing country, the AU and the UN.
But that support is to be only provided in accordance with the UN’s Human Rights Due Diligence Policy for non-UN security forces and within the regulatory and administrative framework established by the UN.
The actual troop contributors to Aussom, its budget and funding for the mission, are yet to be agreed on, although current troop contributors in Atmis had pledged to remain in Somalia if a predictable funding is secured.
In Djibouti, Mohamud and President Omar Ismail Guelleh “reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to peace, security, and prosperity in the Horn of Africa,” a dispatch said, indicating they had also pledged to respect each other’s territorial integrity.
“President Hassan Sheikh expressed his deep gratitude to Djibouti for its enduring support and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, contributing to Somalia’s journey toward lasting peace and stability.”
In Uganda, he discussed with President Yoweri Museveni the security situation in Somalia, the Horn of Africa, and Africa at large, according to a statement that listed strengthened cooperation on security, trade, and development, support for Somali Security Forces and the new mission and commitment to increasing bilateral trade and investments.
In Burundi he and host Evariste Ndayishimiye reaffirmed “their commitment to fostering peace, security, and prosperity across the region.”
