Mogadishu, Somalia — The federal Minister of Defence of Somalia, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, on Wednesday hosted Charles Nicholas King, the newly appointed British Ambassador to Somalia, at Villa Gaashaandhiga in Mogadishu. The high-level meeting underscored the enduring partnership between Somalia and the United Kingdom in the areas of security, defence reform, and counter-terrorism.
Amb. King was accompanied by senior officials from the British Embassy, marking his first official engagement with Somalia’s defence leadership. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral security cooperation, enhancing Somali defence capabilities, and supporting efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism across the country.
Fiqi praised the United Kingdom’s longstanding role in supporting Somalia’s security sector and welcomed continued collaboration in the face of persistent threats posed by terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab. Both parties reiterated their joint commitment to accelerating defence reforms, advancing capacity-building initiatives, and ensuring the effective transition of security responsibilities under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
The meeting concluded with mutual agreement on the need to deepen strategic cooperation as Somalia prepares for a post-AUSSOM security architecture and strengthens its national institutions.