14 February 2026 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The Federal Republic of Somalia has formally joined the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) on the occasion of the 35th APR Forum of Heads of State and Government, held on 13 February 2026 at the Headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. With this accession, Somalia becomes the 45th APRM Participating State, further consolidating the Mechanism’s continental reach and Africa’s collective commitment to governance excellence.
The accession was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the APRM, represented by its Chief Executive Officer, H.E. Marie-Antoinette Rose-Quatre, and H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
In his Accession Statement, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud underlined that his government’s decision to join the APRM reflects “our unwavering commitment to democratic governance, institutional accountability, and inclusive national development.” The President further affirmed that Somalia accedes to the Mechanism “in the spirit of transparency, peer learning, and collective African progress,” emphasising that sustainable peace and state-building are strengthened through “self-assessment, constructive dialogue, and shared continental responsibility.”
Addressing the MoU signing ceremony, H.E. Marie-Antoinette Rose-Quatre congratulated Somalia for taking “this crucial step to join its peers in the Mechanism,” noting that the APRM provides a strong platform for addressing governance challenges across its six thematic areas: Democracy and political governance; Economic governance and management; Corporate governance; Socio-economic development; State resilience to shocks and disasters; and E-governance.
The CEO underscored that many governance challenges are shared across the continent and that the APRM provides a structured framework for peer learning and the promotion of best practices. Referring to Somalia’s 9th National Development Plan, she welcomed its focus on results-driven interventions and highlighted its alignment with the APRM Strategic Plan 2025–2028, which prioritises “Implementation of the APRM Mandate with Impact.” She reaffirmed the APRM’s readiness to work closely with Somalia to deliver tangible and measurable results.
Somalia’s accession marks an important milestone in its governance reform trajectory and demonstrates its confidence in the APRM as Africa’s premier voluntary self-assessment and peer review mechanism.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact the APRM Continental Secretariat at info@aprm-au.org.
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