Somalia’s newly appointed Minister of Defense, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, held a strategic phone conversation with his Yemeni counterpart, Lt. Gen. Mohsen Al-Daeri, on Sunday, according to multiple sources within Somalia’s Ministry of Defense. The high-level dialogue focused on enhancing bilateral military cooperation and exploring joint initiatives to counter shared security threats across the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
The ministers discussed strengthening intelligence sharing, coordinating counter-terrorism operations, and providing mutual support in tackling transnational extremist groups. A particular point of concern raised during the call was the potential for emerging links between Somalia’s Al-Shabaab militants and Yemen’s Houthi movement, a development that could pose a broader threat to regional stability.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering defense collaboration and maintaining open channels of communication as part of a broader strategy to ensure maritime and territorial security. The dialogue comes at a time of heightened regional volatility, with increasing cooperation between extremist networks prompting new urgency for coordinated responses among affected states.