Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at Doha Forum. Photo: Egyptian Foreign Ministry
Speaking at a Doha Forum session titled State-building in Somalia: Coordinated Strategies to Sustain Progress, Abdelatty said the challenges confronting Somalia demand coordinated international support. He cautioned against “attempts by some parties to turn the region into an arena for regional competition,” arguing that such moves endanger Somalia’s unity and fuel instability across the Red Sea.
Abdelatty said Egypt’s policy toward Somalia rests on supporting its territorial integrity and rejecting unilateral actions that impose new faits accomplis. He added that Cairo has long worked to build Somali state capacity, including through scholarships, training programmes, and support to civil and security institutions.
He underlined Egypt’s continued backing for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), calling the mission the main pillar of efforts to restore stability. He warned that persistent funding gaps threaten its ability to support Somali forces during the transition phase and urged international partners to provide reliable financing.
Meeting with Somali president
According to Egypt’s foreign ministry, Abdelatty also met Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on the sidelines of the forum. He reiterated Egypt’s commitment to Somalia’s security and to broader stability in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, calling both essential to development and regional peace.
The two sides discussed expanding cooperation, with Abdelatty highlighting the recent uptick in high-level visits and joint projects. Both agreed to move forward with programmes under the existing strategic partnership.
Diplomatic outreach in Doha
Separately, Abdelatty held meetings with a series of officials attending the forum, including Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkish FM Hakan Fidan, Cypriot FM Constantinos Kombos, Norwegian FM Espen Barth Eide, Canadian Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai, and several Qatari ministers.
He also met US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, European Union (EU) Special Representative for the Horn of Africa Annette Weber, former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, World Economic Forum (WEF) president Børge Brende, and Digital Cooperation Organisation Secretary-General Deemah Al-Yahya.
The discussions focused on regional developments and ways to expand cooperation, with particular attention to conflict stability, humanitarian pressures, and support for development and peacebuilding in the Horn of Africa.
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