At the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, outgoing Somali President Mohammed Abdullahi Farmaajo relished the opportunity for visibility, delivering a speech touting Somalia’s readiness to take over security from AMISOM by 2023 and claiming a clean electoral process, despite evidence to the contrary. Side meetings revealed the real dynamics. Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed granted Farmaajo only a brief audience, signaling limited engagement, while Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta avoided a meeting altogether due to years of strained relations. Somali Foreign Minister Abdisaid Muse failed in his push to include language in the final AU communiqué calling for the lifting of the UN arms embargo. Meanwhile, a major summit controversy erupted over Israel’s bid for AU observer status, a push backed by Abiy but strongly opposed by Algeria and South Africa, dominating the proceedings and revealing deep divisions within the AU. Other diplomatic frictions included a controversial AU Peace and Security Council statement praising Eritrea’s regional “contribution.” The summit reaffirmed the AU’s nature as a club of entrenched leaders who protect the status quo. For Farmaajo, it was a reminder that such forums offer more symbolism than substance while allowing him to position himself comfortably among Africa’s authoritarian elite.