President Mohamud Hails Somalia’s Election to African Union Peace and Security Council

MOGADISHU — Somalia has won a seat on the African Union Peace and Security Council for the 2026–2028 term, a diplomatic milestone that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday cast as proof of the country’s renewed standing on the continent and beyond.

In a national address, Hassan Sheikh said the election reflects Somalia’s growing credibility and the reemergence of its voice in regional affairs after years of rebuilding state institutions.

“This victory demonstrates the significant progress of Somalia’s diplomacy and our country’s return to a meaningful leadership position on the African continent and internationally,” he said.

The president credited coordinated work across government, led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, for securing support among African Union member states for the bid.

“The trust and support Somalia has received from African Union member states is evidence of the positive changes underway in the country and the strengthening of cooperative relations,” he said. “We are already members of the United Nations Security Council, and today we sit on the African Peace and Security Council.”

He thanked the AU countries that backed Somalia’s candidacy, calling the vote a statement of solidarity and a shared commitment to a more peaceful and prosperous Africa.

The African Union Peace and Security Council is the bloc’s central body for conflict prevention, crisis management and peacebuilding. The 15-member council authorizes and oversees peace support operations, recommends sanctions in grave situations and promotes political dialogue among member states.

Somalia said it will use its term to prioritize areas where it believes its experience can add value:

• Conflict prevention and early warning across the Horn of Africa and beyond
• National and community reconciliation initiatives
• Counterterrorism cooperation among AU members and partners
• Post-conflict recovery and institution building

The election comes as Somalia seeks to amplify its diplomatic footprint. Officials say holding a seat on the AU Peace and Security Council while also serving as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council positions the country to contribute more actively to both continental and global security debates.

Somali leaders argue that the country’s trajectory—reconstituting national institutions and confronting an entrenched insurgency—offers practical lessons for the council’s agenda, from stabilizing liberated areas to advancing dialogue and reintegration programs that reduce cycles of violence.

With the 2026–2028 term ahead, Mogadishu is expected to engage closely with regional counterparts and AU organs on mandates for peace operations, sanctions policy and political transitions in fragile states, aligning its advocacy with ongoing reforms to make African peace and security responses more sustainable and locally driven.

Somalia’s government framed the council seat as both recognition and responsibility: recognition of progress made, and responsibility to help shape the AU’s responses to conflicts that continue to test the continent’s stability.

By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.