Conference to boost Somalia stability, growth kicks off

British Prime Minister, Teresa May, opened the Third London Somali Conference at the historic Lancaster House where she met heads of states and governments from across East Africa and other key partners.

The London Somalia Conference is an initiative formed by the United Kingdom Government back in 2011 to help Somalia achieve among other basic necessities as a country improved security, political reform and governance, economic development, humanitarian fidelity, new international partnership deals and other side events like supporting refugees.

Because of the numerous problems facing Somalia including the Al Shabaab insurgency that has destabilized the country to an extent of not having a government in hand, famine that claimed lives of about 250,000 people in 2011, increased piracy at the Indian Ocean waters and the general inflation, the UK advocated for the international community to intervene and save the ailing nation.

One of the biggest achievements of the London-Somali bilateral relationship is the funding of development projects in Somalia.

The election of Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed alias Farmajo in February 8, 2017 as the President of Somalia brought hope to a population that has been under transition governments for over two decades.

This year’s conference at Number 10 Downing Street will also discuss matters African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), a peace keeping force from consisting of soldiers from African countries that is trying to reclaim large parts of Somali under the terrorist group of Al Shabaab.

They are planning to re-define tactics and strengthen further the force, to fast track the process of bringing the whole Somalian jurisdiction under the guard of Somali National Army.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is in the U.K., and Ms May met and held talks about the bilateral relationship between Kenya and her third most important export destination after Uganda and United States.

Matters trade pacts between the two countries, lifting of travel advisories and the re-establishing of a U.K. Visa processing center in Nairobi to cater for East and Central Africa dominated the bilateral talks.