Thursday October 24, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) — The Somali Council of Ministers approved a defence cooperation memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tanzania on Wednesday night.
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, who chaired the meeting, highlighted the importance of the agreement, though details of the MoU were not disclosed.
In recent months, Somalia has signed similar agreements with Egypt, Turkey, and Azerbaijan to enhance defence cooperation with regional and international partners.
The latest defence pact comes as relations between Somalia and Ethiopia have soured following Ethiopia's MoU with Somaliland, signed in January 2024. That agreement granted Ethiopia access to the Red Sea and included establishing a military base in Somaliland, a move Somalia views as violating its territorial integrity.
Somali officials expressed concern over the Ethiopia-Somaliland deal, which has led to increased diplomatic friction. Prime Minister Barre's government has ramped up efforts to secure strategic military alliances in response to what it sees as encroachments on its sovereignty.
During Wednesday's meeting, Somalia's Ministers of Defense and Security also provided updates on the country's security situation and the ongoing fight against the extremist group Al-Shabaab. The government continues to seek international support to bolster its national security and protect its territorial integrity in the face of regional challenges.