Former President Mbeki arrives in Somalia to consult on regional integration

The President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ‘Farmajo,’ and members of his cabinet in a meeting with the former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki at Villa Somalia in Mogadishu, Somalia. President Mbeki led the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel which also comprised of IGAD and UN officials, on a consultation mission to Somalia.

Ambassador Francisco Madeira, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, receives the former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki at Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia on 20 July 2019. President Mbeki led the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel which also comprised of IGAD and UN officials, on a consultation mission to Somalia.

Mogadishu - On 20 July, the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) led by former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, visited Somalia and held talks with President, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo on regional integration in the Horn of Africa.

The visit was in fulfillment of the mandate given to the panel by the AU, to ensure that countries in the region address issues of peace, security and economic integration in a holistic manner, in order to enjoy the benefits accruing from regional integration.

The panel, comprising officials from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the United Nations, interacted with the leadership of AMISOM, UNSOM, diplomats and civil society.

In discussions with President Farmajo and officials of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), Mbeki said that it was important that in discussing integration in the region, the first point of contact is the countries making up the Horn of Africa.

“One of the matters which the continent needed to look at was the issue of addressing, in a holistic way, the challenges facing the Horn of Africa. A decision (of the AU) said that it would help the Horn of Africa region, but also have a positive impact on the continent as a whole, if the Horn of Africa moved towards integration,” Mr. Mbeki stated in his remarks in the meeting held at Villa Somalia, which was attended by top AMISOM and UN officials.

The planned integration of the Horn of Africa countries, Mr. Mbeki said, would hing on three pillars, which would include the development of a common security architecture for the region.

“We need to focus on three matters; first, what needs to be done to ensure that the Horn of Africa region develops a common security architecture. The other one would be about economic integration and what needs to be done with regard to that particular matter and the third would be relating to the political matters that are relevant to this issue of regional cooperation and integration,” Mr. Mbeki explained.

The visit was part of a wider tour of countries in the region, seeking their views on integration. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, Mahad Mohamed Guled; Somalia’s minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ahmed Isse Awad; HE Lamamra Ramtane, the AU Special Envoy for Silencing the Guns and Dr. Mohamed Guyo, the IGAD Special Envoy for the Red Sea.