Somalia’s defense minister, Mr. Ahmed Ma’alin Fiqi, held a high-level meeting with his Sudanese counterpart, Mr. Hassan Daud Kabruun, as the two ministers attended a major international defense and aerospace exhibition held in Istanbul from May 5-9, 2026 at the Istanbul Expo Center. During the meeting, the two sides focused on strengthening the defense cooperation between Somalia and Sudan. The two sides discussed ways to further expand the military cooperation between the two countries. The two ministers exchanged views on the operations against armed groups and the experiences that the two countries have regarding the fight against groups that strongly oppose their statehoods. The discussion centered on the collaboration of security forces trainings, sharing and exchanging intelligence reports, and formulating a strategy to degrade the capacity of armed groups that pose a threat to the stability in the region. Minister, Ahmed Ma’alin Fiqi, highlighted that Somalia and Sudan face similar security challenges, stating that it is important to unite the military experts and security knowledge in order to deter the threats against peace and development.
