Somalia’s president meets with Burundi foreign minister to discuss ways of countering terrorism

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Monday with Burundi’s Foreign Minister Albert Shingiro in Mogadishu to discuss ways to counter al-Shabaab and other terrorist groups in the region.

Shingiro arrived in the capital late Sunday for a two-day official visit.

The discussions between the two men centered on “bolstering bilateral ties, counter-terrorism endeavors and regional cooperation,” according to a statement by the Somali presidency.

Shingiro lauded the progress made by the Somali National Army in the first phase of their offensive against al-Shabaab which has been going on since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an “all-out war” against the terror group last year.

Burundi is one of the countries contributing troops to the African Union Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti also have soldiers deployed to the mission, which has been operating in Somalia since 2007.

Earlier in the day, Somalia dismissed media reports that the country is seeking an extended stay of the African Union troops.

Hussein Sheikh-Ali, the national security adviser for Somalia’s president, described the reports as “false” and said the country is focused on the handover of security responsibilities from the African Union troops to the national army.

“This is false reporting. The Federal Government of Somalia is committed to taking responsibility for security in Somalia from ATMIS as it mandated UNSC resolutions 2628 and 2670 by the 31st of December 2024,” he said on Twitter.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the al-Shabaab and Daesh/ISIS terror groups being the main threats.

Al-Shabaab has been fighting against the Somali government and the African Union mission since 2007.

The African Union mission is supposed to transition Somalia from peacekeeping troops to domestic forces taking full responsibility for security, with its mandate due to expire at the end of 2024.