MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – Somalia based think tank has organized second annual forum for Ideas (AFI) which will run for four days in Djibouti.
With the attendance of more than 150 Somali delegates across the globe, the forum which opened its doors on 14th December to focus on the Change and Continuity in the Horn of Africa will be discussed on Opportunities and Mitigating Risks for Somalis in the Region.
The form hosted by Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS) brought together professors, politicians, intellectuals and government officials.
Among them are Somali deputy Prime Minister, Mahdi Khadar Guled, president of international criminal justice, Abdiqawi Ahmed Yusuf, a member of Kenyan parliament, Yusuf Hassan, Djibouti Justice Minister, Mumin Ahmed Sheikh, Former Somaliland Foreign Minister, Mohamed Bihi Younis were among key notable figures in the meeting.
Heritage Institute director Abdirashid Hashi shared the significance of the meeting in its second year running.
Hashi said the institute invited Somali experts to first iron out the way forward for Somalis in the region amid the new world order in the horn of Africa spearheaded by the rich Gulf states.
“We are talking about the Gulf States growing interested in our region and its impact in future on our security, economy” he said.
HIPS director believes that while growing global interest in Somalia will definitely and differently impact Somali speaking people in the region in the coming years, there is a need to discuss and plan for future on its impact.
“We invited officials from Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somaliland, as far as the US and China to discuss challenges and opportunities for Somali population and how new global policies taking place in our region will affect us in future,” he said.
The conference which collided with a visit of Eritrean President Esias Afwerki in Mogadishu also discussed with a panel of experts the so called horn of Africa economic integration agreement between states of Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea recently signed in Asmara and Bahr Dar.
Somali Deputy PM, Khadar Guled touched on the topic during his presentation but argued the agreement is politicized saying the regional economic integration will benefit his country though many have disagreed with the government views.
“As the federal government representative, I talked about the ongoing order in the region and how we can economically benefit from the order but most people jump to the political conclusion,” he said.
Kamakunji Member of Parliament, Honourable Yusuf Hassan Abdi who was leading the Kenyan government delegation praised the forum.
He said Somalis in Kenya welcome the new changes in the region mainly in Ethiopia underlining those positive developments enhances more interaction and integration of the community.
“It will be great for us as Somalis in Kenya to see the secure and stable region,” he said.
“We also love to see stable and peaceful Mogadishu with a strong government (Southern Somalia) as soon as possible,” he added.
On his side, former Somaliland foreign minister Mohamed Bihi Younis who was among delegates from Somaliland said forum for ideas was significant gathering for Hargeysa to showcase the undeniable development and achievement in recent years and its strategic red sea location.
On his part, former planning and international cooperation minister of federal government of Somalia, Abdirahman Eynte said at the end of the four days meeting, the Somali population will understand through their respective delegates how the ongoing regional order will have political, economic and security impact in Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Jigjiga, Djibouti and Garissa.
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