Tuesday 24,June ,2025  {HMC} Former Somali presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed have condemned Iran’s missile strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar, warning it violates international law and risks further destabilizing the Gulf region.

The Iranian strike late Monday targeted Al Udeid Air Base, home to the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East. The attack has drawn sharp condemnation from Washington and its Gulf allies, with Somalia’s government and former leaders among those denouncing the escalation.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Farmaajo called the strike “a blatant violation of international law,” saying it endangers regional and global peace.

“I strongly condemn the Iranian aggression against Qatar that took place today. Launching missiles at the peaceful State of Qatar is a violation of international law. It also risks further escalating existing regional and global tensions. Iran must refrain from these illegal acts,” said Farmaajo, who led Somalia from 2017 to 2022.

Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, president from 2009 to 2012, echoed that sentiment in a separate statement on X, formerly Twitter.

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the aggression launched by Iran against Somalia’s sisterly State of Qatar, which constitutes a blatant violation of international law and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

This attack is unacceptable and unjustifiable. The people of my country (Somalia) were gravely alarmed by the use of force.

Time for diplomacy is now to end the dangerous escalation in the volatile region of the Middle East and I urge all sides involved in the conflict to show restraint and to return to the negotiating table.”

The remarks from the former presidents underscore Qatar’s long-standing ties with successive Somali administrations.

During his presidency, Farmaajo strengthened his alliance with Doha, a relationship that extended beyond diplomacy into the heart of Somalia’s political power structure. His 2017 rise to the presidency was closely linked to Qatar-backed campaign efforts orchestrated by his chief strategist, Fahad Yasin, who later became a dominant figure within Villa Somalia and the country’s national security apparatus. The deepened strategic ties were best illustrated during the 2017 Gulf diplomatic crisis when Somalia declined to cut ties with Qatar despite pressure from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Farmaajo now resides in Qatar, where he maintains close ties with the Gulf state as he positions himself for a potential political comeback.

Sharif, currently a key opposition figure, has longstanding historical ties to Qatari leadership dating back to his emergence from the Islamic Courts Union, during which Qatar played a quiet diplomatic role.

The Somali federal government also issued a strong statement hours after the incident, labelling Iran’s strike “a blatant violation of international law and a serious threat to regional peace and stability.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed full solidarity with the government and people of Qatar, reaffirming Somalia’s support for the Gulf nation’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.

“Somalia remains firmly committed to a rules-based international order, founded on respect for national sovereignty, the inviolability of borders, and the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and mutual understanding,” the statement read.

Somalia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in January 2016, accusing Tehran of meddling in its internal affairs and using religious and cultural outreach programs to promote sectarian agendas. At the time, Somali officials warned that Iranian diplomats and affiliated organizations were seeking to spread Shia ideology in a country with deep Sunni traditions, an effort they viewed as a threat to national unity and internal stability. The move placed Mogadishu firmly in line with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies following the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran, reinforcing Somalia’s alignment with the Gulf Cooperation Council bloc.

Though formal diplomatic relations remain suspended, there have been subtle signs of re-engagement. Somali officials met with Iranian counterparts at multilateral forums, including the 2024 Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Jeddah. That meeting, which focused on regional de-escalation, marked the first high-level OIC session attended by both Somalia and Iran since the rupture.

Tensions in the Gulf have intensified in recent months amid disputes over maritime security and regional influence, particularly involving Iran’s role in conflicts across Yemen, Syria, and Iraq.

Qatar, a key U.S. ally and diplomatic intermediary, has played a prominent role in recent negotiations involving Hamas, the Taliban, and others. No casualties were reported from the latest strike, but the incident has raised fears of further escalation in the region.

Source Hiiraan online

Tuesday 24,June ,2025  {HMC} Turkey and Somalia reaffirmed their growing maritime and security partnership on Monday during high-level talks in Ankara between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Somali Minister of Ports and Maritime Transport Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur.

The ministers reviewed ongoing initiatives and discussed expanding cooperation in port infrastructure development, maritime security, and technical training. According to Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides underscored their commitment to strengthening trade routes, protecting Somalia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and enhancing the operational capacity of Somalia’s maritime institutions.

Monday’s meeting builds on a series of landmark agreements signed over the past year. In February 2024, the Somali cabinet approved a 10-year defence and economic cooperation pact with Turkey that includes naval training, joint patrols, and revenue-sharing from offshore resource development. That agreement formalized a strategic alliance aimed at safeguarding Somalia’s coastline from piracy, illegal fishing, and regional encroachment.

In June 2024, Turkey and Somalia signed a revenue-sharing agreement granting Ankara 30% of future income from hydrocarbon extraction in Somalia’s EEZ in exchange for technical support and naval defence. The move was widely seen as a counterbalance to Ethiopia’s controversial Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland, which Somalia declared a violation of its territorial integrity.

Turkey has been a consistent partner in Somalia’s reconstruction since reopening its Mogadishu embassy in 2011. Its development agency, TIKA, has contributed to port upgrades and fisheries development in coastal communities, while Turkish firms—such as Albayrak—have managed Mogadishu’s port and airport for over a decade.

Turkey’s defence footprint in Somalia also includes a major military training base in Mogadishu, known as Camp TURKSOM, where Somali cadets are trained in naval, infantry, and counterinsurgency operations. The base is part of Ankara’s broader effort to expand its influence across the Horn of Africa through a mix of security partnerships, infrastructure investment, and diplomatic mediation.

The Ankara meeting comes amid rising geopolitical competition in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, with Somalia seeking to leverage its strategic coastline through formalized bilateral security arrangements. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has emerged as the driving force behind the mediation between Somalia and Ethiopia, culminating in the signing of the Ankara Declaration on December 12, 2024, which brought Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed together under Turkish mediation.

Source Hiiraan online