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President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visits Kismayo for security, development talks

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia and Jubaland State President Ahmed Mohamed Islam "Madoobe". (Villa Somalia)

By Hassan Mohamed | Thursday, February 15, 2024

Both leaders held a joint conference to reinvigorate the war on Al-Shabaab.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia is on a working visit to Kismayo, with security and the war on Al-Shabaab at centre of discussions.

President Hassan and his delegation were warmly received in Kismayo on Wednesday by Jubaland State President Ahmed Mohamed Islam "Madoobe" and other top officials.

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On Thursday, both leaders held a joint conference to reinvigorate the war on Al-Shabaab. They also discussed the state of affairs in Somalia and Jubaland, and in particular, on development and social conditions of the people of Jubaland badly affected by the El Nino floods that washed away their homes and farms.

Jubaland State is the furthest state in southern Somalia that borders Kenya. This is where the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), who are part of the African Union Peacekeeping forces, are based. It was not clear whether President Hassan met with the KDF commanders in Kismayo.

"We held several important and key meetings to discuss how our country can move forward and also how we continue to defend the country from terrorists. We also discussed ongoing state-building initiatives as well as the dangers our country is facing and how we can safeguard ourselves from those dangers," said President Hassan, flanked by the Jubaland leader Ahmed Madoobe.

"The Federal Government will stand and support Jubaland to recover from the challenges it faces to improve the well-being of the people here and also to help ease the ongoing offensives against Al-Shabaab terrorists," he added.

President Madoobe of Jubaland said the visit by the Head of State came at a time when Jubaland faces huge challenges like the effects of the El-Nino rains that displaced thousands of farmers.

He requested the national government to extend support to those affected as well as to help his administration fight Al-Shabaab.

"The President has put a lot of effort and work into the fight against Al-Shabaab and we thank him."

President Mohamud said he will attend the upcoming AU Heads of State summit as well as other key regional meetings on the sidelines and promised to continue pushing for support for Somalia as well as to continue to defend the country's sovereignty.