Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to travel to Egypt on Friday, where he will attend a quadrilateral summit bringing together the leaders of Somalia, Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea.
President Hassan Sheikh, who is currently in Addis Ababa, met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The meeting comes as the Somali president is expected to attend a summit in Cairo involving countries whose political relations are sensitive in light of developments in the region.
Somalia’s state news agency confirmed that the Addis Ababa meeting focused on bilateral relations and regional security.
The President will also travel through Djibouti, where he is expected to hold talks with President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh.
Prior to his Addis Ababa visit, President Hassan Sheikh spoke by telephone with President Guelleh and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
President Hassan Sheikh’s diplomatic activities in the region come as Somalia seeks to strengthen relations with regional countries and secure diplomatic support for its domestic priorities, particularly developments in Baidoa and Beledweyne.
The Cairo summit is also being closely watched, with the leaders of Somalia, Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea expected to discuss political and security developments in the region and ways to strengthen cooperation among the countries of the Horn of Africa.
