In the volatile geopolitical theater of the Horn of Africa, where diplomacy is a contest of narratives and leverage, Somaliland’s foreign policy under President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro has entered a phase of symbolic performance and strategic incoherence. Over the past seven months, the administration has projected an image of diplomatic activity foreign visits, MoUs, and ceremonial engagements but has failed to deliver tangible outcomes, coherent messaging, or institutional credibility. Worse, some of its actions have actively eroded Somaliland’s diplomatic standing and weakened its sovereignty narrative.
A Ministry Without Strategic Bearings
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under Minister Abdirahman Dahir Aden, has yet to articulate a clear doctrine. Despite public statements and institutional partnerships, the Ministry has failed to answer fundamental questions: What is Somaliland’s diplomatic priority? What is the recognition strategy? How does Somaliland position itself amid shifting regional alliances?
Instead, the Ministry has relied on:
- Symbolic Engagements: The signing of an MoU with the Institute for Strategic Insights and Research (ISIR) , a think tank widely seen as ideologically aligned with Somalia’s federalist discourse, was presented as a diplomatic milestone. In reality, it was a reputational blunder.
- Reactive Posturing: The Ministry’s ambiguous stance on the Ethiopia MoU—first distancing itself, then quietly attempting to revive it has created confusion among both domestic and international stakeholders.
- Institutional Absence: In multiple foreign visits, the Ministry was not represented in the president’s delegation. No lead diplomat, protocol officer, or policy advisor accompanied the head of state, an alarming breach of diplomatic norms.
The ISIR Controversy: A Strategic and Ideological Miscalculation
The MoU with ISIR, signed in July 2025, has sparked widespread concern. While ISIR is based in Hargeisa, its publications have often echoed narratives that question Somaliland’s sovereignty and promote Somali unity. For Somaliland’s top diplomat to appear in a photo op with such an institution is not just a lapse in judgment it is a strategic and ideological miscalculation.
- Narrative Undermining: The partnership risks legitimizing a narrative that Somaliland has spent three decades countering.
- Domestic Backlash: The move has alienated key segments of Somaliland’s civil society, intellectual class, and diaspora.
- Diplomatic Confusion: It sends mixed signals to international observers about Somaliland’s ideological clarity and diplomatic maturity.
The President’s Foreign Visits: Four Trips, Four Setbacks
In the past six months, President Irro has embarked on four international visits to Kenya, Djibouti, the UAE, and Qatar. These trips, intended to project Somaliland’s diplomatic presence, have instead exposed the administration’s lack of preparation, institutional coordination, and strategic foresight.
Kenya: Symbolism Without Substance
- President Irro inaugurated Somaliland’s new diplomatic mission in Nairobi in May 2025.
- Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement reaffirming Somalia’s territorial integrity.
- No joint communiqué, no formal agreements, and no high-level endorsement followed.
- The visit was marred by the absence of Foreign Ministry officials and the use of a privately chartered flight linked to a businessman with familial ties to the president.
Djibouti: A Low-Key Reception
- Irro’s visit to Djibouti was framed as a reset after tensions over the Ethiopia-Somaliland MoU.
- However, the visit was diplomatically subdued: the Somaliland flag was absent, and recognition was not discussed.
- Djibouti’s engagement remained strictly economic, focused on fiber-optic infrastructure not political endorsement.
UAE: Silence and Snubs
- Irro visited the UAE twice, yet Emirati state media did not acknowledge his presence.
- No joint statements, no investment pledges, and no diplomatic breakthroughs were reported.
- The absence of formal protocol and media coverage suggests the UAE is recalibrating its posture toward Somaliland or simply disengaged.
Qatar: A Diplomatic Trap
- In June 2025, President Irro made a high-profile visit to Doha at the invitation of the Qatari government.
- Following the meeting, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a carefully worded statement referring to Irro as the leader of a “member state of the Federal Republic of Somalia” and reaffirming its “full commitment to Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity”.
- This was not a diplomatic breakthrough it was a calculated rebuke. Qatar used the visit to reinforce Mogadishu’s narrative and publicly downgrade Somaliland’s status.
- No joint communiqué, no economic agreements, and no recognition of Somaliland’s democratic credentials were offered.
For Somaliland, this was a humiliating moment: a high-profile meeting that appeared to elevate its status, but in fact reinforced the very narrative it has spent decades trying to dismantle.
Institutional Breakdown and Ethical Concerns
Beyond the lack of outcomes, the composition and conduct of these visits raise serious concerns:
- No Foreign Ministry Presence: The exclusion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from most of four delegations undermines institutional continuity and professional diplomacy.
- Privatized Diplomacy: The use of privately chartered flights, some linked to individuals with personal ties to the president raises questions of transparency, conflict of interest, and misuse of public funds.
- Nepotism Over National Interest: Diplomacy has been reduced to a personal affair, bypassing state institutions and protocols.
Presidential Diplomacy: The Deafening Silence on Ethiopia
Equally troubling is President Irro’s failure to engage directly with Ethiopia—Somaliland’s most critical regional partner. Despite Ethiopia being:
- Somaliland’s largest trade partner,
- A strategic investor in the Berbera Corridor and port infrastructure,
- And the only country to sign a formal MoU hinting at recognition,
President Irro has not made an official visit to Addis Ababa in the eight months since taking office.
This absence is not merely symbolic—it is strategically catastrophic.
| Consequence | Impact |
| Diplomatic Vacuum | Ethiopia has recalibrated its regional strategy, engaging Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea while Somaliland remains diplomatically sidelined. |
| Lost Leverage | The 2024 MoU, which offered Ethiopia a naval base in exchange for recognition, has stalled. Irro’s failure to engage directly has weakened Somaliland’s bargaining position. |
| Perception of Irrelevance | In regional diplomacy, absence signals weakness. Irro’s delay in visiting Addis undermines Somaliland’s image as a serious actor. |
Even as reports now suggest that Irro is planning a visit to Ethiopia, the delay has already cost Somaliland valuable momentum. In diplomacy, timing is everything—and Somaliland has missed its window to shape the narrative.
The Risks of Performative Diplomacy
| Risk | Impact |
| Recognition Paralysis | No progress on international recognition, despite four high-profile visits. |
| Narrative Erosion | Partnerships like ISIR and Qatar’s statement dilute Somaliland’s sovereignty message. |
| Regional Marginalization | Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Gulf states are recalibrating without Somaliland at the table. |
| Public Disillusionment | Citizens and diaspora are losing faith in the administration’s diplomatic competence. |
What Strategic Diplomacy Requires
To reverse this drift, Somaliland must abandon performative diplomacy and embrace strategic statecraft:
- Immediate High-Level Engagement with Ethiopia: A state visit is overdue. Somaliland must reassert its relevance in Addis Ababa.
- Publish a Foreign Policy Doctrine: A clear, public document outlining Somaliland’s diplomatic goals, recognition strategy, and regional posture.
- Professionalize the Diplomatic Corps: Rebuild the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the central institution of state diplomacy.
- Vetting Partnerships for Ideological Alignment: Future collaborations must align with Somaliland’s sovereignty narrative.
- Restore Institutional Protocols: End the practice of privatized diplomacy and ensure all foreign engagements are state-led and transparent.
Conclusion: From Optics to Outcomes
Somaliland’s foreign affairs under President Irro have so far been defined by caution, ambiguity, and missteps. In a region where diplomacy is a contest of narratives and leverage, Somaliland cannot afford to drift. The era of photo ops must end. What Somaliland needs now is not more images but outcomes. It needs a foreign policy that is not only visible but visionary, not only symbolic but strategic.
Until then, Somaliland’s diplomatic apparatus risks becoming its own worst enemy undermining the very cause it was built to defend.
Harir Yasin – Freelance Journalist and Analyst
