Somali President leaves for Uganda on State visit

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has on Monday left for Kampala on a State visit following an official invitation from his Ugandan counterpart Kaguta Yoweri Museveni.

The head of Somalia will have bilateral discussions with his host about security, investments, trade, and regional cooperation, according to sources in Uganda’s Foreign Affairs ministry.

The two presidents are expected to preside at a joint Uganda-Somalia investment and business summit in Kampala on August 9 and 10. 

Ugandan ambassador to Somalia, Professor Sam Tulya-Muhika, said the summit would provide a platform for public and private sector players from the two countries to engage on how to ease the cost of doing business and harness existing and future opportunities.

“The summit will strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade and investment between the two fraternal countries and support potential investors and the respective business communities with the required conducive business environment,” said the Ugandan Ambassador to Somalia.

Ambassador Tulya-Muhika also said that a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) ranging from defence to trade are expected to be signed by both countries.

Uganda, which is one of the five nations contributing troops to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), is essential to Mogadishu’s internal security. The country was among the first countries to deploy troops in Somalia in 2007 and still has the largest in the contingent.