Somalia took a fresh step in its return to the international fold Wednesday with a high-profile EU visit by its leader that comes days after finally winning US recognition.
Months after his election, new Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was to meet the European Union’s top officials, marking what a senior diplomat said was the African nation’s “move from hopelessness to hope.”
“This visit symbolises a highly significant shift in the way the world sees Somalia and Somalis see the world,” said the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We want to encourage Somalia, say we are with them, that we take them seriously,” the source added.
At the 27-nation bloc’s headquarters in Brussels, Mohamud is to meet successively EU president Herman Van Rompuy, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and the head of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso.
Mohamud, a university lecturer, was elected in September after eight years of transitional rule by a corruption-riddled government, bringing hope of an effective central government after more than two decades of chaos and war.
Recent months have seen a 17,000-strong African Union force, fighting alongside government forces — many of them EU-trained — and Ethiopian soldiers remove Islamist Shehab insurgents from the capital and from key towns.
EU support to Somalia in the last years has focused on three fronts, defence, diplomacy and development, a formula that the bloc is likely to try on beleaguered West African state Mali in the coming weeks, as it likewise has been under attack from Islamist fighters.
Last week, EU ministers agreed to extend an EU mission to train soldiers in Somalia for another two years at a cost of around 11 million euros.
Launched in 2010 it has trained some 3,000 Somali troops.
The EU’s anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast, EUNAVFOR, has also been extended until December 2014.
Elections in Somalia have been set for 2016 “but in the meantime we cannot be complacent,” an EU official said.
He said next steps for Somalia will necessitate a new deal with its global partners to clear its huge financial arrears and put in place international aid programmes to help establish the government’s legitimacy.
An international meeting of players involved with he Horn of Africa nation may be held soon.
Mohamud’s administration too will need to continue extending control over the territory and improving security while easing testy relations with its neighbours.
Less than two weeks ago Mogadishu took a crucial step on launching a new era in its ties with the United States, which recognised its government for the first time since 1991.
“Today is a milestone. It is not the end of the journey, but it is an important milestone towards that end,” said US Secretary of States Hillary Clinton after meeting Mohamud.
Source: AFP

1 COMMENT

  1. This guy has gone crazy loool he is outside in dusty streets insulting the british!!

    I hope they take his passport away 😛 Ceeebtaaaa

    • You the unpaid lawyer you needn't say things pretending you are spokesman for Britain bring a form of analysis and expertise that can be listened to that clearly show how ignorant you are ,you thought that you are in walaweyn and SIAD BARE is ruling alive so would have tried to take a passport of Somalia-Italia away ,
      warmonger ,go and kill you brothers in Walaweyn as you do for business you imitate like person who has nationality you have nothing bunch gangsters fighting over shanty villages ………shame on you

  2. Big improvement in Somalia but the government is still very weak and can't provide basic things like policing. Only Somalis alone can get out of this mess if they choose to do so but as long as they depend on others, the will always go back to fighting each other

  3. Legitimacy is WON in the hearts and Minds of the starving Idps that are hovering the once Capital of a Somali nation in numbers of 1.5million and soon to exceed double that. The Scene is shear destitution in dilapidated infrastructure and amid mountain high cocktails of excrement and other wastes that have simply been accumulated as though retained for sentimental attachment to the filth.

    Sheik Sharif Flew the world and collected $Billions in Aid non of which had even reached the starving who are served expired food aid. Hassan the man that was SELECTED by the Warlord elite, Extremists, Diaspora failures and corrupt officials of former TFG members.

    The international community has an expectation of this man and they will invest $Billions however they must expect no returns as there is neither the INTENTION nor the CAPACITY in this Road-
    Map Government to reach-out to all the power brokers of the Horn of Africa. This government that does not have the capacity to travel outside Vila-Muuqdishu's will never in a 100years:

    1. Put even a dent on Potential threat of piracy.
    2. Extremists who have merely entered a sleep phase and have done so when threatened since 1993.
    3. Tends of Economic Migration of the Horn of Africans to the middle-East and beyond to Europe.

    The Road-Map Government much like every other Fake government since 1991 have all failed simply because of the fatal error of ignoring the 18-May-1991 Re-independence of 1 of the states that made us the Somali-Republic.

    1. Ali Mahdi [Hawiye]
    2. Caydiid [Hawiye]
    3. Qasim Salad [Hawiye]
    4. Abdullahi Yusuf [ Darood]
    5. Shrif ahmed [Hawiye]
    6. Hassan Mahamoud[Hawiye]
    7. Recognition assures the HAWIYE-Clan 21-years of uninterrupted Dictatorship just as DAROOD held power 1969-1991… While everyone else is expected to single this in praise… Democracy aborted at the fetal stage in some 17-International conferences held for Somalia-Italia.

    Road-Map will follow a similar faith as all those prior Foreign-backed Transitional governments. It is from the attitudes being projected by the Road-Map government one is given clear indication that they will soon hit that awaited pump in the road that will cripple it and in yet another DEAD-END.

    This will be the 18th Conference held for Somalia-Italia-territory since 1991. There will be an air of putrefying sense of macabre as the world promises "limits of the sky" and delivers yet another violation of Democratic aspiration of the people and welcomes the Road-map government of little legitimacy as an EQUAL and are Representative of a Sovereign Nation that ceased to exist in 1991.

    That which one builds on brittle foundation one surely expects and anticipates it's eventual collapse?

    Road-Map president Hassan Mahamoud will never have legitimacy beyond the 190people he paid to achieve the Victory of the Road-Map process of Somalia-Italia-Federation.

    190People who were paid $10,000 each voted for Hassan Mahamoud and his whole government is expected to address the concerns:

    1. Piracy
    2. Terrorism
    3. Migration

    🙂 Expect a bumpy ROAD on this MAP which is headed for a DEAD-END.

    • long comment doesn't meant you're right. example caydiid never held the post of Somalia presidency officially. So what do we make about your everyday inaccurate and always wrong analysis.

      • All of them have something in common:

        They were never ELECTED by the people and such they are all the same to me 🙂

        • Buuxiye, what so ever you list, you will not be able to stop this strong wind, if you try if will take you away!!

          • Dude what is worse is that PEOPLE believe this Road-Map Gang will have the power to change anything!!!

            You need a Nationwide consensus and participation to effect real change.

            Hassan Mahamoud should focus on closing DOWN Dadaab & Dolo Ado… simply task right???

            Draw a Road-Map of how to reclaim 1.27Million people starving in filthy camps in four neighboring states for 22years.

    • buxiy.

      kk, writing long unfound Essay will not make any difference at all.

      >> All the Idps will be relocated back their original territory, AU,EU,US will led the relocation
      .
      >> Your math not upto date know the difference between BILLION and MILLION sharif he was TFG no one gave him billions, even current goverment will not get billions.

      >>One thing is for sure hawiye will not remain presidence for long somalia is different today. your SCHIZOPHRENIA prediction were wrong. in your word " Puntland 6th jan 2013 problem will start", already pass that date NOTHING happen. this shows how mentally unstable your, don't embarrass yourself. let's say hypocritically hawiye remains presidence unknown years, it will not effect anyone because Somalia will become soon FEDERAL SYSTEM which means every semi- autonomous state will run own local affairs with no any interference from central goverment.

      >> Who ever come against the Road map will face strong powerful resistance from the local and the IC.
      ———————————————————————————————————————————————-
      Today somaliland condition.

      >> It looks somaliland is tired lost confused.

      >> It's coming to END twenty years of lies and deception.

      >> NO more fake british borders, Uk Ambassador to somalia mr Matt Baugh said today we recognize ONLY one somalia.so, this fake unknow border is gone with the DUST.

      >> UK announce few days ago all westrens to leave s/land region encalve, this shows UK and the westren countries as a whole have no interest that region. this FINAL BLOW to secessionist fairly tale dream and keeping hostage own ppl.

      >> What a dramatic END somaliland region unknown destination journey. this will go down somalis history

  4. I will not believe in hassan sheikh mohamud till he takes action against the Ethiopian stooge (SNM) aggressor in SSC.

      • co sign kaboon

        This should of been dealt with by Puntland sins they are the closest but instead they're actually working with Silanyo maybe not fully but to the extent to keep the Khatumo weak don't believe me then ask any genuine Dhulbahante because deep down they know what i'am talking about

        You might ask yourself but why ? simple the MJ's like to play the matriarchy and patriarchy of the Darood family while the rest disagree so if that means in order to defeat the challenger they have to work with their own enemy then so be it

        • so, samale in other word MJ are superior. look first, Dhuloz have to have ONE leader instead of seven.MJ they been telling somaliland folks your project will not work.so,no need to waste time.

  5. Lets wait and see if this so called government survives when AU troops withdraw … it will be back to square one. The best option for Hassan Sheikh is to recognize Somaliland so that he can have a friend to rely on when things get complicated. Because the truth is he is just a president by name but does not control most of the south let alone somaliland. Somaliland and Somalia can share so many things but not governments for historical reasons …… end of the story …….. We know that and the world knows that…. So where shall we go from here? Well ….. only time will tell.
    Somaliland 4ever

  6. We don't care if he meets Obama, EU VPs… Somaliland is no longer in a union with Somalia. We are gone and we can survive without anyone help. Somaliland has donated more than 9 millions to the south during the starvation. So you guys better watch what you say about Somaliland (best kept secret), otherwise we will not help you next time you starve.

  7. Masha Allah all momentums are back in Somalia's favors once again as we all knew it. It is slowly overcoming that hardship and troubled chapter…it is not over but a good start.

    Separatists still think EU or the US will visit them in Somalia's second town….they didn't for two decades and won't any time….

    New stable Somalia with new army, weapons, money and unity will expel separatists and terrorists who are working together…however let me tell you this, unlike before, this time an Isaaq-Somali will lead the SNA into north Somalia…

    The days of tribalism, terrorism, piracy and division are slowly fading and the IC has new confidence in Somalia and needs Somalia for its own interests whether be security or economy….North Somalia has little benefits for anyone.

    • Kayse

      Everything you said was on point except North Somalia has little benefit. on contrary if north Somalia assets are use the correct way, it will make Somali one of the riches nation in the world. that's how important it's to us and to them.don't let them fool you the actions the western nation are taking right now. because there's reason behind and the president Somalia stated on one the interview the first question both the U.S.A and Britain ask was would you honor the contracts that former regime sign which he said yes. So this was attempt to block turkey which was making a lot of moves and they knew if that continuous. china wouldn't be further behind and the last thing they want to is repeat of south Sudan and how they lost to chin' and all this quit sudden moves was to put stop everything that was taking place and upsetting people who relying on couple ports and NGO which they control and the Diaspora that live there country which they could manipulate anytime. so be it.

  8. Ironically the Daarood are now supporting this Hawiye president, i wonder if the reason is to isolate Habargidir? I am just curious? Some of us are just playing wait and see game, because this guy can smile all he wants' but he really does not contron an inch in the South except the Abgaal area in Mogadishu. The Kenyans told him to shut up when he tried to interfere in Kismayo adminstration, even his envoy was refused entry into Kismayo. We will just wait and see. If when the Bantus leave Hawiye and Daarood start killing each other we the Somalilanders will ask for recognitin since we cannot join unstable government.

  9. Oh how the secessionist are at loss of word, when forced to confront the growing recognition and attention of Somalia is receiving, insult the Federal Republic Somalia and it's people will not bring you recognition. Twenty two yrs of so called peace and stability has gotten you nothing, face the walls are closing in more and more everyday. Your Al shabab is coming home to roost, your white step farther has abandoned you, he even went as far as to forbade others to not come visit you, truly he has turned his back on you. Yet on other hand, there he is planning to Co-host an IC affair for Somalia. What a shame.

  10. No Somali leader but rigth mention is SomaliA leader. President of Somaliland and Djibouti are both Somali.HSM represent only somali of Xamar.

  11. This guy (Hassan Sheikh Mohamud) should stop begging for handouts around the world and make peace in Mugadisho first and foremost.

  12. We wish peace and stability for the South because civil war is destructive and will not benefit anybody. We, Somalilanders, are happy to see the South thriving peacefully and economically so that all refutgees come back, settle and begin normal life. If things calm down, Somaliland is ready for a serious negotiation with Mogadishu to make sure its soveignty is real and irrevocable.

  13. hassan guur guurte culuusow, finally doing something…
    Darood and Hawiya are united in Keeping the sovereignty of Somalia intact, all u !!doorlanders need to wake up from this dream and get back to reality..

    • NO Darood iyo Hawiye, they are not united under hassan NGO gurgurte. you have not seen anything yet. the party is just starting who ever arouses Darood will pay heavy price. BUT they have one thing common including Digil mirifle somalia should not be divided.