Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held a meeting with key military figures, including Somali army chief Brigadier General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin, along with the commanders of the Navy and Air Force and the Deputy Commander of the Somali Land Forces at the Ministry of Defense in Mogadishu on Wednesday.
According to state-owned media reports, the army commanders briefed the President on the ongoing military operations against al-Shabab. Notably, the President’s visit to the Ministry took place a day after his return from Eritrea, coinciding with a meeting between the army chiefs of Ethiopia and Somaliland in Addis Ababa.
The landlocked and self-declared Republic of Somaliland army chiefs discussed military cooperation as concern grows over a deal that could give Ethiopia a naval base on the Gulf of Aden.
Somalia, which considers Somaliland part of its territory, labelled the agreement an act of aggression. In response, Somalia summoned its ambassador to Ethiopia for deliberations regarding the deal signed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi on January 1.
The international community, including the US, Turkey, Djibouti, European Union, and African Union, have all called for respect for the territorial integrity of the Federal Government of Somalia. On Tuesday, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said that his Eritrean counterpart Isaias Afwerki has supported Mogadishu’s unity and territorial integrity as tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia over a port deal continue.
