Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia and Pakistan are moving to deepen defence ties, with Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre meeting a senior Pakistan Air Force delegation in Mogadishu on Tuesday to discuss rebuilding and strengthening the Somali Air Force.
The delegation was headed by Air Marshal Muhammad Sarfraz, Commander of Air Defence and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.
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Talks centred on expanding bilateral defence cooperation, with particular attention to developing the Somali Air Force, upgrading its operational capabilities and providing training for its personnel.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Somali government underscored the need to build, train and equip its armed forces as part of wider efforts to reinforce the country’s security and defence institutions.
Hamza welcomed the Pakistani delegation to Mogadishu and said the visit demonstrated the expanding relationship between Somalia and Pakistan, particularly in the defence field.
The Pakistani officials also held talks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Monday, focusing on the Somali Air Force’s development and broader defence cooperation between the two countries.
The visit follows a memorandum of understanding signed in August 2026 by Somalia’s and Pakistan’s defence ministries.
The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation on counterterrorism, military training, exchanges of military expertise, defence capability development and wider security matters.
The discussions come as Somalia works to reinforce its security and defence institutions, including its air force, while government forces and allied troops continue military operations against al-Shabab.
