Uganda and Somalia will hold a mid-term review of their Joint Permanent Commission in Mogadishu from October 20 to 23, alongside a business forum and joint exhibition aimed at deepening commercial ties between the two nations. The review comes a year after the commission's second session in Kampala in October 2025 and sets the stage for a full third session scheduled for Mogadishu in 2027.
At the Kampala session, the two governments signed three memoranda of understanding covering security, education and immigration management, according to details of the talks. The discussions were led by Uganda's then minister of state for foreign affairs in charge of regional cooperation, John Mulimba, and Somalia's minister of education, Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir. The two sides also directed their civil aviation authorities to review their Bilateral Air Services Agreement and agreed to establish a joint investment and business council to address non-tariff barriers and implement the Kampala Declaration on Trade, Tourism and Investment.
Trade between the two countries, though still modest, has expanded sharply. Uganda's exports to Somalia reached $6.78m in 2024, more than double the $2.75m recorded in 2023, according to UN Comtrade data. Tobacco products dominated Uganda's 2024 exports at $2.55m, followed by aircraft and parts at $1.2m and wood products at $528,470. Other significant items included machinery, electrical equipment, beverages, furniture, vehicles, coffee, tea, medical apparatus and dairy products. Trade in the opposite direction remains minimal, with Somalia exporting goods worth $35,400 to Uganda in 2021, down from $671,000 in 2016. Somalia represents a small market for Ugandan goods, which totalled $8.04bn in exports in 2024, with the United Arab Emirates, Kenya and Hong Kong as leading destinations.
The Mogadishu forum will focus on agro-industrialisation, coffee and tea, tourism and hospitality, health and medical supplies, education, and industrial supplies. Somali buyers are seeking Ugandan fresh fruits such as avocado and pineapple, grains, maize, wheat and cassava flour, long-life milk and milk powder, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and processed coffee and tea. The organisers also point to opportunities in oil, gas and minerals, particularly gold, as well as higher education and vocational training.
The shift towards commerce reflects a broader change in the bilateral relationship, which has long been defined by security. Uganda deployed the first troops to the African Union mission in Somalia in 2007 and remains a leading contributor through its successors. More than 20,000 Ugandans are employed in Somalia, and the country's entry into the East African Community in 2024 has opened new avenues for regional trade. Ugandan officials now want commerce to occupy a larger role in ties between Kampala and Mogadishu.
The forum's programme includes ministerial addresses, policy panels on the African Continental Free Trade Area, customs procedures and visa requirements, company pitches, business-to-business matchmaking and a public trade exhibition. Participation and exhibition stalls are free for accredited Ugandan delegates, though delegates will pay a $60 visa fee. Uganda Airlines operates the only direct flights between Entebbe and Mogadishu, with the embassy negotiating discounted fares of about $450 for economy and $850 for business class.