3 weeks ago

Pakistan inks defence pact with Somalia amid Houthi threat

Pakistan inks defence pact with Somalia amid Houthi threat
Pakistan inks defence pact with Somalia amid Houthi threat in Bab al-Mandab | Gravitas · wionews.com

Pakistan and Somalia are two countries that have decided to become defence friends.

They signed a special agreement to help each other with military training and safety.

The defence leaders of both countries met in Pakistan to make this deal official.

This is happening because ships in the sea near Somalia and Saudi Arabia have been attacked.

A group called the Houthis has been firing missiles at ships, including a Saudi oil tanker.

Many countries are worried about their trade ships, so 14 countries, led by Saudi Arabia, formed an alliance to protect the sea route.

Pakistan wants to join these efforts and become known as a strong military country.

The agreement also lets the two countries work together to fight dangerous groups like Al-Shabaab.

It is not yet clear if Somalia will buy fighter jets, called JF-17, from Pakistan.

No date has been set for the agreement's next steps.

Key facts

Agreement
Defence cooperation agreement (Memorandum of Understanding)
Signatories
Pakistan (Khawaja Asif) and Somalia (Ahmed Fiqi)
Scope
Security cooperation, military capability development, knowledge/training exchange, counter-terrorism
Reported jet deal (unconfirmed)
Up to 24 JF-17 fighter jets, worth around $900 million
Implementation timeline
Not specified
Maritime alliance
Saudi Arabia-led group of 14 countries securing navigation around Bab al-Mandab
Bab al-Mandab crude oil trade
Nearly 7% of global crude oil trade
Recent Houthi attacks
Ballistic missile strike on a Saudi oil tanker; Indian-flagged commercial vessel sank in the Red Sea

Sources

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