The President of the Republic arrives in the Ugandan capital

The President of the Republic arrives in the Ugandan capital

 The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, arrived in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, on Wednesday evening, to attend two important regional meetings.

The first meeting, which is an extraordinary summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, will discuss recent developments in relations between Ethiopia and Somalia, which have deteriorated due to Ethiopia's controversial agreement with Somaliland.

On January 1, 2024, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland under which it would lease a maritime area to be used as a military base, but the Somali government considered this a blatant violation of international law, its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The IGAD summit is expected to mediate between the two countries and find a peaceful solution to the conflict that has raised tensions in the region and drawn the attention of the international community. The summit will also address other issues of common interest, such as trade, infrastructure, climate change, peace and security.

President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud will attend the second meeting of the Alliance of Neutral States, a group of 12 countries that have declared their neutrality or non-alignment in international conflicts and alliances.

The group includes Austria, Costa Rica, Finland, Ireland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, San Marino, Sweden and Switzerland. This meeting will focus on the role of neutral and non-aligned countries in promoting dialogue, cooperation and peace in the world.