Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre is set to embark on a significant diplomatic mission to Iraq, aiming to engage in high-level meetings with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
The mission, confirmed by two senior intelligence sources, seeks to broker a deal with Yemen’s Houthi militia, a development that could have far-reaching implications for regional security and alliances.
This visit becomes the second high-level trip by Somali officials to Iraq in recent times. On June 11, Hussein Sheikh Ali, the National Security Adviser to Somalia’s president, was in Baghdad where he met with key Iraqi security officials, including Qasim al-Araji, the Iraqi National Security Adviser.
Al-Araji is among key figures of the Badr Brigades, an Iraqi Shia Islamist and Khomeinist political party and paramilitary militia with deep connections to Iranian officers.
Prime Minister Barre, himself an extremist figure, will lead a Somali delegation to meet with Iranian officers, including diplomats and IRGC members.
The specifics of the Iranian officials involved have not yet been disclosed, as Iraqi intermediaries are still coordinating the details.
The Yemeni Houthi militia, which has established a cooperation deal with Al-Shabaab militant group, is expected to intensify its activities against Israeli-connected ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. The Houthis have targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea as part of their broader campaign against Israel, particularly since the onset of the conflict in Gaza.
However, Somalia’s primary concern is not with the Houthi’s actions against Israeli interests. According to intelligence sources, Prime Minister Barre’s mission is to persuade the Houthis, through their Iranian backers, not to support Al-Shabaab over the Somali government.
“Hamza is trying to establish a connection with the Houthis through Iran, as the group is run by Iran, in order to convince them not to support Al-Shabaab,” explained one source.
“The Houthis’ war targeting Israeli commercial interests is something that Somalia is happy with. Somalia’s prime minister will only congratulate the Houthis for attacking the ships that are perceived to be connected or dealing with Israel. But the main agenda for Hamza, as the prime minister of Somalia, is to tell the Houthis we are your friends and do not side with Al-Shabaab over us,” the second source elaborated.
Restoring Relations with Iran
In March this year, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government announced its intentions to restore relations with Tehran. This came after Mogadishu released 33 Iranian fishermen who had been arrested for illegal fishing in Somali waters.
This surprise decision reversed Somalia’s 2016 move to cut ties with Iran and expel its diplomats, citing allegations that Iran was spreading Shiism in Somalia.
In a startling and controversial statement in November 2023, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre expressed support for the Palestinian armed group Hamas, categorically stating that they are “not terrorists.”
During a religious gathering in Mogadishu, he made inflammatory remarks, calling Jewish people “children of pigs and dogs” and “cruel people,” while advocating for the “elimination of Israelis and Jews from the earth”.
Source » hornobserver