Somalia’s President Mohamud joins Ugandans at Mogadishu embassy for independence celebrations

What the report says

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud joined Ugandans in Mogadishu on Friday as chief guest at Uganda’s 64th independence anniversary celebrations at the Ugandan embassy, according to Watchdog Uganda. The event brought together Somali officials, diplomats, Ugandan business people and members of the Ugandan diaspora, and was held under the theme “Enhancing Our Sovereignty with Hope and Visionary Leadership.”

Uganda’s ambassador to Somalia, Prof. Sam Turyamuhika, hosted the gathering and said Mohamud’s presence reflected the close relationship between the two countries. In his remarks, Mohamud congratulated President Yoweri Museveni and Ugandans on the anniversary and thanked Uganda for its role in supporting peace and stability in Somalia. He also referred to Museveni’s 1992 visit to Mogadishu and praised Ugandan troops who have served there since Uganda became the first country to deploy under AMISOM in 2007.

Mohamud said Somalia wanted to expand cooperation with Uganda in trade, investment and economic development, and he told Ugandan business people that Somali institutions would support their interests. The embassy said more than 20,000 Ugandans are employed in Somalia, underscoring the size of the community present in the country.

The celebrations capped three days of bilateral engagements in Mogadishu, including a Joint Permanent Commission mid-term review, a business forum and a joint exhibition. Watchdog Uganda reported that the meetings covered labour, aviation, trade, tourism and investment, and that officials on both sides said they wanted to deepen ties and build on improvements in Somalia’s security.