Saturday April 26, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari arrived in Mogadishu this week for a high-level visit to strengthen security cooperation between Iraq and Somalia.
Somali Security Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail and Police Commander Brigadier General Asad Osman Abdullahi welcomed the Iraqi delegation during a formal ceremony at the General Kaahiye Police Academy in Mogadishu.
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The event featured an exchange of commemorative gifts, including medals of honor and traditional Somali cultural items, symbolizing deepening ties between the two nations.During the bilateral talks, the ministers discussed expanding cooperation in key security sectors, particularly police training, counterterrorism strategies, migration management, and institutional capacity building.
Security Minister Ismail highlighted the significance of Iraq’s experience in post-conflict security sector reform as a valuable model for Somalia’s ongoing stabilization efforts.
Minister Al-Shammari praised the progress made by Somali security forces and reaffirmed Baghdad’s commitment to supporting Somalia’s modernization of its law enforcement institutions.
The visit underscores Somalia’s broader strategy of building international security partnerships as it continues to combat extremist threats and professionalize its security sector.
Iraq and Somalia have recently expanded diplomatic and security ties, pledging closer collaboration on shared challenges, even as Somalia’s military faces renewed setbacks in its campaign against Al-Shabaab militants in the Lower and Middle Shabelle regions.