Somalia Suspends Flights for Crucial Anti-Al-Shabab Forum

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is hosting a summit of leaders from several neighbouring countries - Kenya's William Ruto, Djibouti's Ismail Omar Guelleh and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed - to discuss the regional fight against islamist insurgents Al-Shabaab.

Somalia has suspended all flights both local and international to and from Mogadishu on Tuesday.

The government said the flight suspension was made for security reasons as the capital hosts a key meeting on the war against Al-Shabaab.

The defense ministers and army chiefs of the neighbouring countries - Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti are expected to arrive in the city for the summit.

The frontline states are part of the AU mission in Somalia that helps the government in the fight against Al-Shabaab militants.

Somalia president Hassan Sheikh is set to open the conference which will focus on ways to cooperate in averting Al-Shabaab threat after the militants were defeated in ongoing offensive launched last year.

AU troops are now preparing to exit Somalia as their mandate expires next year following 15 years mission.

The troop contributing countries are Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. The EU-FUNDED mission failed to remove Al-Shabaab from entire Somalia since 2007.

February 02, 2023