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. The review takes place a year after the commission's second session in Kampala in October 2025 and ahead of the third full session scheduled for Mogadishu in 2027.
At the Kampala session, the two governments signed memoranda of understanding on security, education and immigration management. They also directed their civil aviation authorities to review their Bilateral Air Services Agreement and agreed to operationalise a joint investment and business council to address non-tariff barriers and implement the Kampala Declaration on Trade, Tourism and Investment.
Trade between the countries remains modest but is expanding. Uganda's exports to Somalia reached $6.78m in 2024, more than double the $2.75m in 2023, according to UN Comtrade data. Tobacco products led Uganda's exports at $2.55m, followed by aircraft and parts at $1.2m and wood products at $528,470. Uganda's total exports in 2024 were valued at $8.04bn, with Somalia representing a small fraction of this.
More than 20,000 Ugandans work in Somalia, and Somalia's entry into the East African Community in 2024 has created opportunities for closer regional trade. The Mogadishu forum will focus on agro-industrialisation, coffee and tea, tourism, healthcare and education. Ugandan Airlines operates the only direct flights between Entebbe and Mogadishu, with economy fares being negotiated at around $450.