Somalia Signs Military Cooperation Agreement with Saudi Arabia After Qatar Deal

Riyadh. Somalia has signed an agreement on military cooperation with Saudi Arabia. This new understanding with Riyadh aims to strengthen regional support, coming just weeks after a similar defense agreement was signed with Qatar.

The agreement was signed on Monday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, by Somalia's Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fikri and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Somalia's Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying that this agreement will strengthen the framework for defense and military cooperation between the two countries and advance the strategic interests of both parties. Prince Khalid also confirmed the agreement via the social media platform X, though further details were not provided.

Last month, Somalia also signed a defense agreement with Qatar. This included military training, exchange of experience, defense capacity building, and expansion of security cooperation. Somalia's diplomatic move comes amidst growing tensions in the 'Horn of Africa' region.

Somalia has expressed dissatisfaction since Israel officially recognized Somaliland, which seceded from it last December. Somalia has also issued a warning that Israel is planning to establish a military base in Somaliland.