BERLIN (SD) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized on Tuesday the importance of a peaceful and stable Somalia in the fragile Horn of Africa region. He expressed Germany’s commitment to continuing its support for operations aimed at restoring hope.

The Chancellor added that security is also a prerequisite for the country’s progress. He highlighted the fight against the Al-Shabaab group, which operates within Somalia, as a crucial task that Germany supports the Somali government in.

Scholz stressed that Germany and the European Union have a responsibility to stabilize the region’s security and noted that they are currently studying ways to expand and continue existing operations.

Somalia’s President also spoke about challenges in the region, such as the Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, asserting that groups like Al-Shabaab and ISIS are additional regional threats, along with ongoing conflicts in Ethiopia and Sudan.

Somalia will become a “symbol of hope” for the Horn of Africa, both politically and in terms of stability, as it assumes its non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council next year due to its “experience with instability and chaos,” said President Hassan Sheikh.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stated that his country seeks to work for peace and security on an international level and believes that the region’s issues can be resolved peacefully through dialogue and mutual understanding.

President Hassan Sheikh arrived in Berlin, Germany, on Monday evening following an invitation from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Among other topics discussed was the flow of Somali refugees, with Germany wanting to repatriate those whose asylum requests are denied back to their home country.