Addis Ababa (SD) – Somalia’s ambassador to Ethiopia, Abdullahi Ahmed Jama (Ilkajiir), said he was very disappointed that Somalia was not selected as a member of the African Union Security Council,

Speaking to state media on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Ilko-jiir said the Somali government had requested to join the AU Security Council for the upcoming three years.

The nominations of members of the Security Council took place yesterday and went on until midnight. The ambassador said he was confident of Somalia’s efforts to join the African Union Commission on Peace and Security

This year’s election was contested by the governments of Somalia and Djibouti, and Djibouti won the seat on the African Union Peace and Security Council.

The government of Djibouti received 19 votes, while Somalia received 13 votes, allowing Djibouti to retained its membership in the Council in 2022-2025.

The government of Djibouti does not have a close relationship with the Somali government led by President Farmajo, leading to the competition.

Somali Foreign Minister Abdisaid Muse Ali was leading a Somali delegation to the African Union summit, and will address the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, insecurity, and socio-economic development on the continent.