Historic Visit – First head of State to visit Somalia for 20 Years

[Thierry.]

Uganda president makes historic visit to Somali capital

 

 

 

MOGADISHU — Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday made a surprise visit to the Somali capital Mogadishu, becoming the first foreign head of state to set foot there in almost 20 years, officials said.

Museveni spent several hours in Mogadishu, arriving in the morning and leaving in the afternoon, officials with the African Union force AMISOM said.

The veteran Ugandan leader was accompanied by a group of army officers and visited Ugandan troops, who form the bulk of the 7,500-strong peacekeeping force.

Museveni met with Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, new Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and other officials, AMISON officials said.

Somalia is widely seen as one of the world's most dangerous countries and is almost entirely in the hands of Islamist insurgents fighting to overthrow the UN-backed transitional government. The insurgents also control most of the capital itself.

"President Yoweri Museveni arrived in Mogadishu today and met with government officials including the president, prime minister and the speaker, ... and he discussed with them the achievements so far attained in terms of security," Major Ba-Hoku Barigye, spokesman of the AU force in Mogadishu, said.

"He was also carrying a message of solidarity for the people of Somalia who were affected by the violence and, of course, as a commander-in-chief he visited his forces," he added.

Museveni also visited injured civilians receiving treatment in an AMISOM field hospital.

Somalia's transitional government owes its survival to the backing it receives from the some 7,500 Ugandan and Burundian troops that make up the AU force.

Radical Shebab Islamists, linked to Al-Qaeda, have vowed to overthrow the transitional government and its foreign backers, whom they frequently target.

The AU force regularly comes in for criticism for its presumed role in civilian casualties when it retaliates against Shebab attacks.

A Somali government statement thanked Museveni for the visit, saying it was the first by a foreign head of state in almost 20 years.

Museveni's visit comes the day after Somali lawmakers overcame differences over the new prime minister Mohamed, a relative newcomer to Somali politics, and approved the cabinet he appointed.

"The two presidents discussed ways of ... cooperating in marshalling the support necessary for the new Somali government to fulfill its duties," a government statement said.

Parliament took more than two weeks to endorse Mohamed, eventually doing so on October 31. The vote to endorse the 18-member cabinet that the new prime minister unveiled on November 12 was also delayed several time as lawmakers argued over how voting should be carried out.

President Sharif's appointment of Mohamed led to a bitter dispute with the parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, revealing continuing rifts within the transitional administration's key players.

Since its formation in Kenya in 2004, the transitional government has failed to assert its authority on the Somali territory, 80 percent of which is currently controlled by the Shebab.

The new cabinet only has a few months to break the back of the insurgency and reclaim the capital and other key cities before the transitional government's mandate expires in August next year.

Somalia has been without a credible central authority since the 1991 ouster of president Mohamed Siad Barre.

[Thierry.]

President Museveni meets Somali leaders

 

President Yoweri Museveni has today met and held talks with the Somali President, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the Prime Minister, Mohamed Abdullahi Muhamed and the Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Omar Dalk. The leaders discussed various issues relating to peace and humanitarian efforts in Somalia and in the region.

 

The President whose surprise visit excited and boosted the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops, later addressed them and hailed their work, saying their presence is to help the country build its own capacity to ensure security and stability. He later met and held discussions with their commanders at base camp. Uganda has already offered to send up to 20,000 troops to Somalia to fend off Al-Shabab militants who have wrecked havoc in Somalia and threaten security in the region.

 

The President is the first such leader to visit troubled Somali in the last twenty four years and since the fall of government in that country. Museveni whose visit lasted close to five hours is at the forefront of promoting peace keeping and humanitarian efforts in Somalia.

 

He later toured a local hospital where the UPDF is vital in delivering medical support and talked to some patients in the civilian section.

President Museveni emphasized that Somalia needs to be supported to rebuild its state pillars to ensure security and stability especially the army.

END

[Thierry.]

A big coup by Pres. Sh Sharif and his team

[Thierry.]

Ugandan President Makes suprise visit to Mugadishu

 

President Museveni yesterday made a surprise visit to the Somali capital Mogadishu. Museveni becomes the first foreign Head of State to visit war-torn Somalia in over 21 years. He last visited Somalia in 1992 when he held talks with warlord Mohammed Farrah Aideed.

His visit came less than 24 hours after the Somali Parliament approved a new cabinet led by the newly-appointed Somali Prime Minister Mohammed Abdulahi Mohammed.

During the three-hour-visit, Museveni held closed-door talks with the Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Somali Parliament and the Information Minister at Halane base camp, the Amisom Uganda Contingent Headquarters, south of Mogadishu.

He congratulated his Somali counterparts on the approval of a new cabinet and conveyed a message of solidarity to the people of Somalia.

Museveni pledged to continue assisting Somalia in every way possible to foster stability and peace in the country.

Asked about how many peacekeepers Uganda was ready to provide in addition to those on the ground, Museveni said he was ready to provide whatever number is needed if asked to do so.“

Uganda is a country of 33 million people. If there was a war we would be able to mobilise three million people. Raising troops for Somalia would not be a problem at all,” he said.

He also expressed joy over the newly approved cabinet. “I am very happy that the people of Somalia now have a new cabinet and are united,” Museveni said.

He expressed disappointment at what he called lack of seriousness by the international community over the Somali problem.

“They don’t take the Somali problem seriously. They are busy enjoying themselves

in the ocean, having a nice time in the ocean. (Referring to the numerous warships that patrol the Somali coastline on the Indian Ocean) Do you know how much money they send in the ocean?

The pirates who go to the ocean to steal from ships come from land. Have you heard that Somalis have become aquatic?” Mr Museveni asked.

He called upon the international community to help the Somali transitional government and support the countries playing supportive roles to achieve stability in Somalia.

Sheikh Sharif and his government expressed gratitude to President Museveni and the people of Uganda for the assistance it has accorded Somalia since 2007. “This is a great honour and opportunity for us. We are honoured by your visit,” Sheikh Sharif said.

Asked about Museveni’s surprise visit to the Uganda contingent in Somalia, the UPDF contingent spokesperson, Cpt. Chris Magezi, described it as a miracle.

“No body here in their wildest dreams could have imagined what has just happened. The President’s visit is a massive show of solidarity with the people of Somalia and the work the peacekeepers are doing in Mogadishu. It has not been easy,” Capt. Magezi said.

He also described it as a powerful and historical event in the history of the mission and said it was extremely good for the morale of the Amisom troops.

[Qodax Qorax]

Suprise visit of 4 hrs at the airport in a military uniform visiting his troops AMISOM.

[NGONGE]

Originally posted by Thierry.:

A big coup by Pres. Sh Sharif and his team

Sharif will need to milk it for all he's worth. But you know and I know that he'll just sit back and expect Museveni to do all the running.

[London2010]

Welcome President of Uganda. Thank you for all your help. The great people of Uganda.

[Thankful]

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday made a surprise visit to the Somali capital Mogadishu, becoming the first foreign head of state to set foot there in almost 20 years, officials said.

This is incorrect a few years ago Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi went to Mogadishu.

 

Unless they don't consider him foreign??

[Thierry.]

Ngonge the good news from his camp have been coming steadily for a while now Chandlers release, the selection of a competent and educated cabinet (Albeit in paper) and now a visit by Head of State. If anyone is to blame it is the likes of me and other resident SOL Sharif propagandist who have taken the foot of the pedal and let his haters (Al Shabaab, Hizb Islam, PL & SL supporters to run riot)

 

Thankful I don’t recall Meles visiting Mogadishu, I do however recall Mesfin and General Gabre spending time in the capital

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

Thiery, Thankful is correct. Meles visited the capital in 2007. Bad journalism on the news articles.

 

Ethiopia's prime minister has pledged to withdraw his troops from Somalia once peace takes hold in the capital. Meles Zenawi, who made a surprise visit to Mogadishu, also held talks with influential clan elders whose militia are opposed to Ethiopian troops there. his was Mr Meles first visit to Somalia since Ethiopian troops helped to oust the Islamists from Mogadishu six months ago.

SOURCE: BBC

[Abwaan]

Originally posted by Thankful:

quote: Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday made a surprise visit to the Somali capital Mogadishu, becoming the first foreign head of state to set foot there in almost 20 years, officials said.

This is incorrect a few years ago Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi went to Mogadishu.

 

Unless they don't consider him foreign??

Not only that but Museveni himself went to Mogadishu back in 1992 a day before the Former Irish president Mary Robinson came to Mogadishu.

Are we also forgetting that Bush Sr. visited Mogadishu during US troops involvement (Dec 1992)?

[Che -Guevara]

Shiekh Sharif is man tasked with responsibility that's beyond capabilities-don't see him milking this visit for any political advantage.

[Qodax Qorax]

Che -Guevara, are you an Al Shabaab supporter or Sheick Shariif supporter?

 

Do you support the black flag, the blue flag or the Somali region in Ethiopia flag with the camel?

 

One day you have to choose, I know its difficult to make up your mind. But you have to become logic, sensible and rational.

 

How many times can you burn down your own house? it has been burning for 20 years, isnt that enough?

[Jacaylbaro]

Next please .........

[Polanyi]

I bet the relatives of the thousands of Somalis his forces killed and those they severely injured are welcoming him with roses. A historic day inedeed!