MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud received Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at the National Presidential Palace in Mogadishu, in talks highlighting the growing diplomatic engagement between Somalia and Guyana.
The meeting brought together Somalia’s head of state and Guyana’s senior representative at the United Nations as both countries continue to engage on issues of international peace and security, African affairs and regional stability.
Rodrigues-Birkett has served as Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations since 2020 and has participated in Security Council discussions involving Somalia and other African countries.
Somalia and Guyana have also cooperated through the A3+ grouping at the UN Security Council, alongside Algeria and Sierra Leone. The group has worked to coordinate African positions on matters including conflicts, peacekeeping, humanitarian crises and international security.
The Mogadishu meeting comes amid increased international attention on Rodrigues-Birkett following Guyana’s nomination of her in June 2026 as a candidate for United Nations Secretary-General. The nomination is part of the process to select a successor to current UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Her talks with President Hassan Sheikh come as Somalia continues to strengthen its diplomatic engagement with UN member states and seek international support for its security, political and development priorities.
Somalia and Guyana have previously coordinated positions at the Security Council on Somalia’s security situation. In March 2025, Rodrigues-Birkett delivered an A3+ statement welcoming the unanimous adoption of a Security Council resolution concerning Somalia and reaffirming international support for the country’s efforts to address the threat posed by Al-Shabaab.
The two countries have also participated in discussions on broader African crises, including developments in Sudan and Libya, reflecting their cooperation through multilateral diplomatic forums.
For Somalia, closer relations with Guyana could help strengthen diplomatic support for its priorities at the United Nations, particularly on security, development and regional stability.
For Guyana, engagement with Somalia offers an opportunity to deepen relations with a key country in the Horn of Africa and expand cooperation on issues of mutual interest at the United Nations.
The Somali presidency did not immediately provide detailed information about the specific issues discussed during the meeting.
The talks nevertheless underscore the importance of Somalia-Guyana relations and the role of multilateral diplomacy in addressing political, security and humanitarian challenges across Africa.
The engagement could pave the way for further coordination between Mogadishu and Georgetown on matters before the United Nations, including African peace and security, international cooperation and regional stability.
The meeting marks another step in Somalia’s efforts to strengthen diplomatic partnerships and build broader international support for its national and regional priorities.
