Recent reports indicate Somalia is negotiating with Pakistan to purchase 24 JF-17 Block III fighter jets, following Somali Air Force Commander Mohamud Sheikh Ali’s February visit to Islamabad. If concluded, this deal would help Somalia rebuild a fixed-wing combat capability that it has lacked for many years, as part of a broader effort to modernise an air force that has recently pursued new acquisitions including Turkish T129 attack helicopters.
Somalia, which is among the world’s poorest countries and which remains embroiled in a civil war that has lasted for three decades, is in desperate need of new military equipment to counter its adversaries, mainly Al-Shabaab insurgents who to this day still launch attacks even against Mogadishu, the Somali capital, and other towns. For years, Somalia had been unable to procure military equipment due to an UN embargo that started in January 1992 and which was lifted in December 2023.
Pakistan and Somalia first established diplomatic relations in 1960 shortly after Somalia obtained its independence. In 1992, after the beginning of the civil war, Pakistan sent a large contingent as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNOSOM), with as many as 7 200 Pakistani soldiers being deployed as peacekeepers of which 40 died during the campaign.
When the Federal Government of Somalia was established in August 2012, ending two decades without a central government, Pakistan immediately expressed its support. On 24 January, Pakistan and Somalia agreed to further strengthen their security ties and collaborate on training, border management and disaster management, as well as by adopting a joint strategy against terrorism.
Trade is modest with Pakistan reportedly exporting only $90 million worth of goods to Somalia, predominantly cereals but also pharmaceutical and textile products, whereas it imported only $1.6 million worth of products. Pakistan also simplified visa requirements for Somali citizens traveling to Pakistan for medical treatment and education.
Written by ADIT – The Bulletin and republished with permission.
