The meeting was chaired by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and attended by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre. The President briefed the Cabinet on national developments and commended ministers for their role in facilitating the one-person, one-vote local elections held in Mogadishu on December 25, 2025. He described the polls as a historic milestone that many had previously doubted could be achieved.

President Mohamud also addressed what he described as an overt violation of Somalia’s sovereignty, noting that the government had achieved tangible progress through diplomatic measures in response. He urged Cabinet members to act collectively in defending the country and emphasized unity, consultation, and coordinated service to the Somali people during the current period.

During the session, the Cabinet approved two memoranda of understanding: one between Somalia and Uganda on security cooperation, and another between Somalia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on maritime transport cooperation.

The Council also endorsed several draft laws and national policies, including the Evidence Bill, the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (1978), legislation establishing the Somali Maritime Institute, regulations under the Personal Data Protection Law, and the National Policy on Persons with Disabilities.

In closing, the Cabinet received a briefing from the Minister of Petroleum and Minerals, Dahir Shire Mohamed, on preparations to begin oil production in Somalia, as well as an update on the country’s drought situation presented by the National Disaster Management Agency (SODMA).