MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Security Adviser, Hagi Awes Ahmed, met with the acting European Union’s representative in Somalia, Karin Gatt-Rutter, to discuss security developments, the country’s transition toward greater national responsibility for security and maritime threats.
The meeting, held on Aug. 23, also covered Somalia’s counterterrorism efforts and other shared security priorities, according to Somalia’s National Security Adviser.
The talks come as Somalia continues to strengthen its security institutions while gradually assuming greater responsibility for operations previously supported by international forces.
Maritime security was also on the agenda, an increasingly important issue for Somalia as piracy and other threats have resurfaced along parts of the country’s coastline and in the wider Gulf of Aden.
Somalia’s government has been working with international partners to strengthen its ability to secure its territory and waters, while continuing military operations against Al-Shabaab, the Islamist militant group that remains the country’s most significant security threat.
The meeting also underscored the European Union’s continuing role as a security partner for Somalia. EU-backed programmes have supported Somali security institutions through training, institutional development and broader efforts to strengthen the country’s capacity to take responsibility for its own security.
Ahmed expressed appreciation for the EU’s longstanding partnership with Somalia, while the discussions focused on areas where cooperation between Mogadishu and Brussels could continue.
The talks reflect the increasingly broad nature of Somalia’s security agenda, spanning counterterrorism, maritime security, institutional reform and the transition toward greater national ownership of security operations.
