Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 16 February 2026 – H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, met with Gamal Mohamed Hassan, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Federal Republic of Somalia, to discuss the country’s transition from ratification to implementation of the AfCFTA.

As the 50th State Party to the AfCFTA, Somalia is preparing to deposit its tariff schedules and put in place the necessary institutional and regulatory measures to commence trading under the Agreement.

The Secretary-General reaffirmed the Secretariat’s readiness to support Somalia’s efforts to accelerate AfCFTA implementation, including through continued technical engagement and implementation support.