Djibouti soldiers serving in Somalia as part of the African Union mission – 3,500 soldiers – have suffered several casualties over the past few months, with the latest attack occurring only last October 18, in Jalalaqsi, in the Hirshabelle region, injuring two ATMIS mission soldiers (https://www.voanews.com/a/al-shabab-attacks-key-bridges-in-somalia/6797032.html).
On October 24, the governments of Djibouti and Somalia then agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in fighting al Shabaab. They met in Djibouti with Somali Defense Minister Abdulqadir Mohamed Noor and his Djiboutian counterpart Hassan Omar Mohamed, in the presence of Djiboutian Chief of Staff Sakarie Sheikh Ibrahim, discussing extensively the possibilities of cooperation in the fight against al Shabaab especially in the Hiiraan area of responsibility (https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/djibouti-pledges-cooperation-in-al-shabaab-war-in-somalia).
