Somali Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdirizak Mohamud Abubakar, on Wednesday, received in the capital Mogadishu, the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Somalia, Ms. Kate Foster.
In a statement, Somali foreign ministry said the two officials discussed the historical friendship between the two countries and the path of bilateral cooperation and ways to develop it in various fields.
During the meeting, a number of political and security files were discussed, as well as issues on the regional and international arenas of common interest.
The meeting comes a day after UK has called on the international community to help Somalia end the recurrent political crisis.
Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN warned that the ongoing political instability risks exacerbating Somalia’s already dire humanitarian outlook.
“The 25 April clashes alone displaced tens of thousands of Somalis and we are deeply concerned about the risk of further violence, especially if the talks fail. Respect for International Humanitarian Law and the protection of civilians is paramount for Somali state legitimacy,” she said. “Political violence only compounds the impact of the existing threats of COVID-19, flooding, drought, food insecurity, and locust swarms, which all pose a substantial risk to the long-term stability of Somalia. Somali leaders should continue to work to address the impacts of these issues.”
The UK has encouraged all parties, in spite of current challenges, to continue to deliver the Somali Transition Plan and to work constructively to determine the nature of a new mission from 2022.
