Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has congratulated President Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election, pledging stronger cooperation between the two countries on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Key takeaways
- Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has congratulated Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election as President of Zambia.
- In a message posted on his X page, Mohamud wished Hichilema success in his second term in office.
- The Somali leader reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation between Zambia and Somalia.
- He also pledged cooperation on regional and global issues of mutual interest to the two countries.
- Both nations are members of COMESA, the 21-member trade bloc headquartered in Lusaka, giving the diplomatic gesture a practical economic channel.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has congratulated President Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election, joining a queue of African leaders recognising the outcome of Zambia’s 12 August general election.
In a congratulatory message posted on his official X page and monitored by The Zambian Economist in Lusaka, Mohamud said he wished the Zambian leader success in his second term. He also reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation between Zambia and Somalia, and pledged to work together on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
What the message said
The message is short on specifics, as congratulatory notes usually are. Its substance sits in three commitments: good wishes for the second term, stronger bilateral cooperation, and joint work on regional and global questions. Read together, they signal that Mogadishu expects continuity in its dealings with Lusaka rather than a reset.
Zambia and Somalia: what the relationship covers
Trade between the two countries is modest. Somalia’s economy, rebuilt around remittances, telecoms and livestock, buys little from Zambia’s copper, maize or manufacturing base, and Zambian firms have limited footprint in the Horn of Africa. The relationship has always been more diplomatic than commercial.
The practical channel is COMESA, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, whose secretariat sits on Ben Bella Road in Lusaka. Both countries are members of the 21-nation bloc, which gives them a standing framework for trade concessions, customs cooperation and regional projects. Somalia’s 2024 admission to the East African Community has widened its own integration options, but COMESA remains the shared table for Lusaka and Mogadishu.
Zambia has also played a part in African peace and security efforts that touch Somalia directly, contributing police and military personnel to continental and United Nations missions over the years. It is the kind of cooperation that rarely makes headlines but builds the goodwill such messages draw on. The Zambian Economist tracks these developments on our Economic Diplomacy hub.
Why it matters for business and investors
For investors, the value of messages like Mohamud’s lies in what they confirm rather than what they announce. A second Hichilema term takes office with its foreign policy orientation broadly known, and African partners are signalling early that they intend to keep working with Lusaka. That continuity matters for Zambia’s push for investment in mining, agriculture and energy, where regional goodwill smooths approvals, trade facilitation and market access.
For Zambian businesses, the more immediate story of the election period remains the one we covered during the count, when a nationwide suspension of tallying tested firms’ cash flow and planning. With the result now settled and congratulations flowing in, the uncertainty premium that built up over that week should continue to ease. Read our earlier coverage: what the wait for a presidential declaration meant for business, and see the full 2026 election results page.
What happens next
Hichilema’s second term will begin with inauguration and cabinet announcements, which will indicate whether the diplomats, trade negotiators and finance officials who shaped the first term keep their seats. More congratulatory messages from regional and international leaders are expected in the coming days. The Zambian Economist will continue to report what these diplomatic signals mean for the economy, for trade and for the decisions Zambian businesses and investors have to make. Follow the economics of Zambia’s 2026 election on our dedicated hub.
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Update: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined the congratulations. Read: India’s Modi Congratulates Hichilema on Re-Election, Pledges to Strengthen Zambia Ties.
