Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition holds major conference in Mogadishu.

The Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) has opened a major counter-terrorism conference in Mogadishu, bringing together representatives from more than 43 member countries to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

The meeting marks a significant expansion of security cooperation between Somalia and the coalition, with discussions focusing on counter-terrorism coordination, intelligence sharing, training, strategic communication and strengthening the capacity of Somali institutions.

Major General Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Moghedi arrived in Mogadishu to lead the coalition’s delegation and support Somalia’s ongoing efforts against terrorism.

The conference was officially opened in the Somali capital, with Somali government officials, representatives of the IMCTC and international partners attending the event.

General Abdirahman Mohamed Turyare, Somalia’s Ambassador and representative to the Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition, highlighted the importance of the conference and the coalition’s expanding programme of activities in Somalia.

The coalition has also launched the first of a series of programmes scheduled to run through 2027, beginning with the “Journalists for Peace” initiative.

The five-day programme brings together 40 journalists and social media influencers for training aimed at strengthening the role of media and strategic communication in promoting peace, countering extremist narratives and supporting efforts against terrorism.

According to Turyare, the programme will eventually extend to more than ten Somali government institutions. These include the ministries responsible for Defence, Internal Security, Information, Finance and Endowments, as well as the Tubsan agency, Stabilisation Fund, National Security Office, Immigration and Communications institutions.
The wider programme will cover several areas, including training and equipping the Somali armed forces, rehabilitation initiatives, economic security and strengthening the judicial handling of terrorism-related cases.
The launch of the journalists’ programme therefore represents the first phase of a broader partnership between Somalia and the IMCTC, combining military and security cooperation with institutional capacity-building and efforts to counter extremist messaging.

The Mogadishu conference comes as Somalia continues its campaign against Al-Shabaab and seeks greater international cooperation to strengthen its security institutions and counter-terrorism capabilities.

The coalition’s expanded engagement is expected to provide additional training, coordination and technical support to Somali institutions as the country works to improve its capacity to address terrorism and violent extremism.

Mustaqbal