“President Mohamud leaves audience in bewildered awe with address at Arab League Summit on Somalia’s progress and priorities”

The day is Saturday May 20, 2023, and something monumental is happening. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud from Somalia attended the 32nd Arab League summit in Jeddah on Friday, leaving many to question what will come next.

Representing 22 member countries and five observer nations, this pan-Arab summit is no small feat. But President Mohamud didn’t shy away from the spotlight; instead, he used the platform to discuss the Somali government’s new anti-terror operations and the readiness of the Somali Army to assume security responsibility from African Union troops.

But that’s not all. Mohamud also highlighted Somalia’s debt relief goals and political stability – two issues that have been plaguing the country for years.

“We must enhance and strengthen cooperation at the Arab level. Somalia is currently recovering from challenging circumstances, and we hope for increased brotherly support from all of you. A stable and peaceful Somalia is a victory for all Arab countries,” he proclaimed.

The President didn’t stop there. He warmly welcomed the Syrian Republic’s return to the Arab League Forum, expressing Somalia’s support for the move. But, in typical political fashion, he also reiterated the country’s call for the people in Sudan to cease war and engage in negotiations to resolve the situation.

The summit wasn’t without controversy, though. Bashar al-Assad, the President of war-torn Syria, has been readmitted to the Arab League after more than a decade of isolation. He attended the regional bloc’s 32nd summit in Jeddah on Friday, marking his first attendance since Syria’s suspension following the outbreak of war in 2011.

In his speech, al-Assad described the summit as a “historic opportunity” to address regional crises. Meanwhile, hundreds of people protested in rebel-held northern Syria against his presence at the event.