China, Somalia working together to stop terrorist tide

Ahmed Adel

Chinese-Somali relations undergo positive developments in terms of military and economic cooperation, counterterrorism and the reconstruction of the Arab-African country which fights a terrorist tide represented by the al-Qaeda-leaning al-Shabaab group.

China works to strengthen its presence in the Horn of Africa, in general, and in Somalia, in particular.

This comes against the background of the extreme importance of this region in Chinese foreign policies.

The same region comes at the centre of constant rivalry between Beijing and the West.

Foothold

Beijing is keen to establish a foothold in Somalia through economic and security agreements.

It pours investments in infrastructure projects, intervenes in this country diplomatically and tries to mediate a solution to political crises in Somalia, in an attempt to emphasize the paramount importance of its presence in the Horn of Africa.

China also wants to deepen this presence with the aim of confronting regional and international forces that have influence in the same region.

After Hassan Sheikh Mahmud took over the reins of power in Somalia, cooperation between Beijing and Mogadishu has grown.

China is keen to provide support to Somalia on the road of taking advantage of the country’s investment potential to achieve significant and joint economic gains.

Last March, meetings between Chinese and Somali officials were held to strengthen mutual relations between the two countries, combat terrorism and lift the arms embargo imposed on Mogadishu.

As the drought crisis in Mogadishu worsened, China announced a donation to Somalia of more than 1,000 tonnes of emergency food aid to cope with that crisis.

Political positions

During the recent period, China supported Somalia in international forums more than once, which was confirmed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, on the side-lines of the Riyadh Gulf-China cooperation and Development summit in December 2022, to support Mogadishu in the field of counterterrorism and reconstruction.

China called on other countries to take positive positions related on humanitarian issues in Somalia.

Last February, China called on the international community to resolve the humanitarian crisis and provide assistance to Somalis in the face of terrorism, ensure the timely delivery of humanitarian relief, and firmly ensure that the security and development needs of the Somali people are met.

The economic, military and security dimension of the Horn of Africa plays a role in China’s interest in that region.

Therefore, China is keen to move its activities, orientations and projects to support its presence and increase its influence to preserve its interests in the African continent.