Mogadishu, Somalia – A moment of deep historical reflection unfolded on Wednesday when Information Minister Daud Aweis presented Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre with a symbolic gift from the Committee for the Construction and Furnishing of the Somalia Peace Museum in Arta.
The gesture, rich in sentiment and memory, marked not only the enduring bond between Somalia and Djibouti but also the 25th anniversary of a defining chapter in Somalia’s modern history — the 2000 Arta Peace Conference.
The museum, jointly inaugurated by Presidents Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, stands as a living tribute to the spirit of reconciliation and nation-building that took root in Arta a quarter century ago.
For many Somalis, the peace talks in Djibouti represented a turning point — the beginning of renewed statehood and the first steps toward healing after years of fragmentation and conflict.
The Prime Minister commended the Ministry of Information’s leadership in coordinating and equipping the museum, describing its creation as both a cultural and national milestone.
The project aims to preserve the collective memory of peace, dialogue, and resilience that defined the Arta process — an event that brought together hundreds of Somali delegates, elders, and civic leaders who dared to imagine a united Somalia when hope was at its lowest ebb.
Inside the newly established museum, visitors will find artifacts, photographs, and archival materials that chronicle the journey toward reconciliation — from the negotiation halls in Djibouti to the formation of transitional institutions that laid the groundwork for Somalia’s federal rebirth.
Beyond its historical exhibits, the museum serves as a space for reflection and education, inviting young Somalis to connect with a legacy of diplomacy, compromise, and shared nationhood.
As the gift was handed over, it symbolized more than appreciation — it reaffirmed a partnership that continues to define relations between Somalia and Djibouti. Both nations remain linked not only by geography and kinship but by a shared belief in dialogue as the cornerstone of stability in the Horn of Africa.
The commemoration of the Arta Peace Conference through this museum breathes new life into that belief — a reminder that peace, once built through unity and courage, can endure through generations when preserved with pride and purpose.