Somalia and Uganda Sign Landmark Bilateral Labor Agreement in Mogadishu to Protect Over 20,000 Workers
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The Arab Post
- . October 24, 2026
- . Update: October 24, 2026 1:57 pm
This week, a critical diplomatic moment was achieved in the Horn of Africa, in the interest of securing the rights of migrants in the region. In a major development, government officials reached the highly-anticipated Somalia Uganda bilateral labor agreement in high-level negotiations in the capital city on Thursday, 22 Oct. 2026.
The full-fledged Uganda-Somalia Labor Agreement was formally signed by Ministries of Labour and Social Affairs, Prof. Salim Aliyow Ibrow and Lt. Gen. (Rtd.), respectively, from Somalia and Uganda. The comprehensive Mogadishu labour agreement was formally signed by Somalia’s Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Prof. Salim Aliyow Ibrow, and the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development of Uganda, Lt. Gen. (Rtd.). Henry Tumukunde. This was while the larger Uganda-Somalia Joint Permanent Commission and Business Forum was in session.
This legislative framework provides formal, binding legal protections to some 20,000 Ugandan workers who are driving Somali economy’s most important sectors, according to official statement from the Somali National News Agency (SONNA).
Regulating Cross-Border Recruitment – Somalia Uganda bilateral labor agreement
The current level of cross-border migration of workers to and from the two countries was not accompanied by comprehensive mutual legal protections for years. This new agreement is significantly rethinking the way cross-border recruitment works, and is designed to stop the risk of trafficking and exploitation taking place in working circumstances.
The Uganda Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the agreement calls for ‘transparent recruitment processes’ by any recruiting firm. In the future, the authorities will have to implement rigorous screening to ensure that Ugandans who cross into Somalia are hired on legal contracts and paid fair wages, and live in safe conditions.
Moreover, there are specific and effective procedures outlined in the treaty for dealing with work grievances. In the event of conflicts, both governments are now legally obliged to find solutions to these problems under new bilateral labour laws.
Enhancing Employment Protection and Economic Ties
This agreement is a giant leap in the direction of modernisation of the labour market governance in the region. The Somali federal government is demonstrating its dedication to respecting international labour standards in a country still recovering from economic collapse by focusing on employment protection.
The treaty also opens the door to greater opportunities for safe, regulated work overseas, reports AllAfrica have. The relatively secure environment in Somalia is regarded as an extremely promising destination for skilled nationals, private security firms and construction engineers in Uganda.
The two countries have agreed to have an annual review to keep track of the strict implementation of these new policies, and this has been documented by Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Somalia.
In the end, a bilateral labor agreement between Somalia and Uganda creates a very organized economic cooperation between the two countries, instead of an unregulated migration route. While the two cities have both confirmed the benefits of regional integration, they have also both made the point that it can be done in a safe, accountable and mutually beneficial manner, by giving over 20,000 Ugandan workers a legal status. The East African Community (EAC) provides for a continuous monitoring of policy developments at the regional level, which stakeholders can avail themselves of.
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