The Republic of Somaliland has delivered a sharp and defiant response to recent remarks by Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Information Minister Barkhad Jama Hirsi Batun declared that Somaliland possesses both the military capability and international partnerships necessary to defend itself against any threat.
Responding to statements attributed to the Somali president regarding war preparedness, Minister Batun stressed that Somaliland remains on high alert against any attempt to destabilize its territory or endanger its citizens.
“We have armed forces capable of protecting this nation and its people from every enemy and every conspiracy, whether hidden or in plain sight,” Batun said. “Our soldiers would rather sacrifice their own lives than see the blood of their people spilled.”
The minister accused President Hassan Sheikh of projecting a readiness for war to the international community while reaffirming that Somaliland’s priorities remain peace, stability, democracy, and development.
“Hassan has told the world he is ready for war,” Batun stated. “Somaliland is a nation known for stability, security, unity, elections, democracy, and progress. But we will never turn a blind eye to plots aimed at shedding the blood of our citizens.”
Batun further asserted that while Somaliland’s government is committed to maintaining peace, it is fully prepared to confront any direct or indirect threat to its sovereignty, security, and people.
As Somaliland continues to position itself as a stable and democratic actor in the Horn of Africa, its officials insist that any challenge to its security will be met with a firm and decisive response.
While electricity companies promote new prepaid smart meters as a step toward modernization, a closer examination reveals significant negative consequences for ordinary citizens, particularly the poor, the elderly, and the already unemployed.
Immediate Job Losses for Meter Readers
The most direct human cost is the elimination of meter reader jobs. Hundreds, potentially thousands, of young people—many of whom had few other employment options—earned a living by manually recording electricity usage. In a country already suffering from chronic youth unemployment, this technological shift is not progress; it is a mass layoff. These workers are not being retrained or redeployed. They are simply pushed onto the streets, adding to an already overwhelming crisis of joblessness.
Loss of Financial Flexibility and Dignity
Traditional post-paid meters allowed families to use electricity for a full month before paying. This gave households time to manage irregular incomes, unexpected expenses, or delays in salary. The new prepaid system destroys that flexibility.
· No more credit: If a family runs out of funds mid-month, the lights go out immediately. There is no grace period, no promise to pay later, no human being to explain your situation to.
· Forced advance payment: You must pay before you consume, which is impossible for many poor families who live hand-to-mouth. This turns electricity from a basic service into a luxury good.
Automatic Cutoffs – No Exceptions for Emergencies
Because the system is fully automated, it cannot show mercy. Consider these real-life scenarios:
· A sick child at night: A family runs out of credit at 2 AM. Their refrigerator containing life-saving medicine (like insulin) stops. Their room goes dark. There is no company office open, no human operator to call, no way to restore power until morning at the earliest.
· An elderly person living alone: An old woman forgets to recharge because she is ill or confused. Her electricity is cut without warning. She sits in darkness and heat, unable to fix the problem herself.
· Ramadan or holidays: Families often increase spending on food and charity during religious holidays, leaving less for bills. Under the old system, they could still have light. Under prepaid meters, they would sit in darkness during the very nights meant for prayer and family.
The old system had a human link: a meter reader could report a hardship case, a neighbor could intervene, a local office could show discretion. The automated system has no heart.
Hidden Costs and Complexity for the Poor
Prepaid meters require purchasing special recharge cards (similar to SIM cards) and often involve additional fees for checking balances, reactivating after cutoff, or even for the card itself. These small charges add up, disproportionately affecting low-income users. Moreover, the technology assumes literacy and comfort with digital systems. An illiterate grandmother or a poor farmer may struggle to understand how to buy the right card, enter the code correctly, or track their remaining balance. Mistakes lead to sudden darkness.
Psychological Burden and Anxiety
Living with a prepaid meter creates constant stress. Families must constantly calculate: How many units do we have left? Will we make it through the night? Should we buy food or electricity? This is not dignity; it is a daily anxiety. The old system at least gave a sense of security: power was there until the bill came. Now, power can vanish any second, without warning, like a candle burning out.
No Incentive for Efficiency – Only for Payment
The companies claim prepaid meters encourage energy conservation. But for poor families already using the bare minimum (a few lights, a fan, a phone charger), there is nothing to conserve. They are already at subsistence level. The only thing the meter does is ensure they pay before consuming – which benefits the company’s cash flow, not the customer’s well-being.
Conclusion: Technology for Whom?
A technology that eliminates jobs, punishes the poor, ignores emergencies, and adds psychological stress is not progress. It is a regression disguised as modernization. The Ministry of Energy must intervene not to stop innovation, but to regulate it: mandate a minimum credit reserve for emergencies, ban automatic nighttime cutoffs, require a grace period, and force companies to retrain displaced meter readers rather than firing them.
Otherwise, the smart meter becomes nothing more than a digital chain on the poorest citizens.
Burao – The Chairman of Dahabshiil Group, Hajji Mohamed Said Duale, along with the administration of the Togdheer region, has officially inaugurated the new building of Dahabshiil Bank International’s branch in Burao.
The event, which was organized at a high level, was attended by the region’s dignitaries, businesspeople, religious scholars, women, intellectuals, traditional elders, various officials, and some of Dahabshiil Bank’s customers in Burao
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Mayor of Burao presented a certificate of appreciation to Dahabshiil Group, recognizing the company’s significant contributions to the region’s development across various sectors, including healthcare, education, and diverse economic infrastructure.
Hargeisa – The Information Management Center (IMC) for Water and Land and the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MoAD) successfully co-hosted the National Climate Outlook Forum (NCOF) in Hargeisa on 2 June 2026, with technical and financial support from FAO-SWALIM.
The forum brought together representatives from key government institutions, including the agriculture, livestock, water, and disaster management sectors, as well as development partners, humanitarian agencies, academia, and climate experts.
Discussions focused on the June–September (JJAS/Hagaa–Karan) seasonal climate forecast and its implications for agriculture, livestock, water resources, and disaster risk management across Somaliland. The seasonal outlook indicates that while most parts of Somaliland are likely to experience below-normal rainfall during the upcoming JJAS season, some areas may receive above-normal rainfall. Participants highlighted the importance of strengthening early warning systems, proactive planning, and coordinated preparedness measures to reduce climate-related risks and support resilient livelihoods.
The forum reaffirmed the value of collaboration among government institutions, technical agencies, and development partners to ensure that climate information is translated into timely action for the benefit of communities across Somaliland.
Hargeisa – The Chairman of the Supreme Court and head of the Somaliland Judiciary Commission, Prof. Aden Haji Ali Ahmed has officially announced the dates for the long-awaited Judicial Institutions Conference, set to take place from June 28 to June 29, 2026.
In a press release issued today, the Chairman confirmed that the two-day conference aims to strengthen and restructure the nation’s judicial bodies, ensuring greater independence and adherence to the rule of law.
The decision follows a prior Judicial Conference held on December 2–3, 2025, where participants agreed on the need for a dedicated gathering of judicial institutions. It also aligns with a presidential circular dated February 3, 2026, which calls for the implementation of a 2026–2029 roadmap for reorganizing the judiciary.
Citing Article 99 of the Somaliland Constitution, the Chairman emphasized that the judiciary—comprising both courts and prosecution offices—must remain independent and bound only by the law.
The announcement was made after consultations with the Attorney General and the President of Somaliland. According to the press release, a preparatory committee will be appointed within three days and tasked with ensuring the conference is conducted efficiently and appropriately.
All regional heads of the judiciary, including courts and prosecution offices, have been directed to prepare adequately for the upcoming conference.
HARGEISA – The National Electoral Commission (NEC) and the opposition KAAH party have successfully concluded several months of dialogue and consultations, reaching a full agreement that has led to the KAAH party officially restoring its cooperation with the NEC.
Mahmoud Hashi, speaking on the matter, said: “We have held discussions with the members of the National Electoral Commission. Through these talks, we have reached a comprehensive agreement to restore cooperation between the two sides.”
He added that both parties also exchanged proposals on the procedures and roadmap for implementing the tasks ahead for the NEC most notably the completion of advanced and accurate voter registration. However, Hashi noted that no framework agreement has yet been reached on this particular issue—one of the fundamental causes of the dispute among political parties. He confirmed that the KDQ and the parties will hold further joint consultations to address it.
The Somaliland Ministry of Finance’s recent decision to expand the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and introduce a new 2.5% levy demands a thorough examination of its broader economic and social consequences.
While the government is fully entitled to boost its revenue base to deliver essential public services, any new tax must be weighed against the current economic realities facing the population. Soaring inflation, persistently high unemployment, and the ever-increasing cost of living are already placing an immense strain on ordinary citizens.
By applying this tax to a wide range of goods and services — including mobile money transactions, which many rely on for daily survival — the heaviest burden falls squarely on low- and middle-income households. People purchasing basic necessities such as food, medicine, clean water, and other essential services will feel the pinch most directly. Ultimately, this type of consumption tax cuts into the daily lives of the public, leaving families with less disposable income at a time when they can least afford it.
Beyond the immediate impact, a critical question emerges: if large corporations and highly profitable businesses continue to operate partially outside the formal tax system — whether through loopholes, underreporting, or outright evasion — is it fair or effective to impose yet another levy on impoverished citizens who are already struggling to survive?
A more efficient and equitable approach to increasing national revenue would involve several parallel measures. First, broadening direct taxes on large-scale enterprises and highly profitable companies would ensure that those with the greatest capacity to pay contribute their fair share. Second, intensifying the fight against tax evasion and illicit financial flows would capture revenue that is currently lost. Third, improving overall tax administration and revenue collection systems, alongside enhancing the efficiency of government expenditure, would generate more resources without punishing the poor.
Crucially, any fiscal policy must protect the purchasing power of ordinary citizens. Failing to do so risks triggering further inflationary pressures and deepening the cost-of-living crisis, which would ultimately undermine the very social stability that government spending aims to support.
A strong and capable government certainly needs robust revenues. However, those revenues should be generated through a system rooted in fairness and equity — not one that consistently places the greatest burden on those living in the most difficult circumstances.
Thus, the central question remains: Is this new 2.5% tax increase a genuine solution to the government’s revenue shortfalls, or does it simply add yet another weight onto the shoulders of citizens already buckling under the pressure of inflation and a punishingly high cost of living?
Berbera Port in Somaliland, located on the Gulf of Aden, is a key strategic seaport positioned along major global shipping lanes.
Washington’s June 2026 report to Congress on Somaliland declared Somaliland a region of Somalia, handing Ankara a strategic gift, validating Mogadishu’s most revanchist instincts, and foreclosing America’s most credible option for diversifying military access along the world’s most contested maritime corridor.
The State Department states that “the United States recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, which includes the region of Somaliland.” Somaliland is not a de facto state, but rather, a region. This is the language of Mogadishu and Ankara, not the language of a government that takes Red Sea security seriously.
The State Department’s Africa Bureau is executing its default posture regardless of what the map and the threat environment demand.
The report’s internal contradictions are stark. Having classified Somaliland as a Somali region, the authors acknowledge that Somaliland’s position near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait makes it a potential partner for securing freedom of navigation from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. They praise Berbera’s port and airfield and note American interest in Somaliland’s critical minerals. Then, having catalogued all this value, they subordinate it to Mogadishu’s veto.
The State Department’s Africa Bureau is executing its default posture regardless of what the map and the threat environment demand. That is institutional inertia, and it has consequences.
The Iran-backed Houthi campaign against Red Sea shipping continues. Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, America’s only permanent base in Africa, now sits alongside seven other foreign militaries, with a Chinese base seven miles from American forces, constraining operational freedom.
Berbera would answer that problem. The port offers deepwater capacity along the main Red Sea-to-Indian Ocean shipping artery. The Emirati-renovated airfield runs nearly 2.5 miles and can accommodate heavy transport and combat aircraft. In November 2025, U.S. Africa Command’s commander inspected these facilities and was enthusiastic. Somaliland has offered the United States basing rights and access to critical minerals, including lithium and coltan, in exchange for formal recognition. The State Department just said no.
Turkey seeks to fill the vacuum. Ankara’s entrenchment in Somalia now accelerates. In 2017, Turkey established Camp TURKSOM, its largest overseas military base, in Mogadishu and has trained more than 15,000 Somali soldiers since. In February 2024, Ankara secured a ten-year defense agreement to build Somalia’s navy from the keel up. It manages Mogadishu’s port and airport. It has deployed tanks to secure a facility north of the capital that functions as a missile range. A Turkish military academy graduate now commands the Somali National Army.
On April 12, 2026, three Turkish F-16s flew over Mogadishu’s Ministry of Defense during the Somali National Army’s 66th anniversary parade, the first public confirmation of Turkish manned combat aircraft in Somalia. The jets had arrived in January 2026, for joint operations against al-Shabaab, accompanied by T129 Atak attack helicopters. Turkish ground forces had already participated in combat in the Middle Shabelle region, the first confirmed Turkish frontline engagement in Somalia.
Ankara is not fighting al-Shabaab on Somalia’s behalf. It is building a client state, a Somalia so dependent on Turkey that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s preferences become Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s policy. Erdoğan’s preference is unambiguous: Somaliland stays a Somali region. Israel’s December 2025 recognition of Somaliland generated immediate Turkish outrage because a recognized Somaliland, anchored to Israel and the United Arab Emirates, would cut across Ankara’s control of the Gulf of Aden approaches. Turkey’s entire Horn strategy rests on the fiction that Somalia is sovereign over waters it does not police and a region it lost in 1991. The State Department’s report perpetuates that fiction.
Turkey’s entire Horn strategy rests on the fiction that Somalia is sovereign over waters it does not police and a region it lost in 1991.
Washington’s partners see what Washington does not. Dubai-based DP World has committed $442 million under a 30-year concession to transform Berbera into a regional trade and logistics hub, while the United Arab Emirates operates a military base at the site, approved by Somaliland’s parliament in 2017. Israel has recognized Somaliland and is planning a military presence on the African shore of the Gulf of Aden, opposite Houthi-controlled Yemen. India has signaled interest in the same corridor as part of a broader counter-Iran alignment. These countries are building a Red Sea security architecture at Berbera without the United States.
The congressional backstory compounds the embarrassment. The report was mandated precisely because Congress was dissatisfied with Somaliland inertia. The Somaliland Partnership Act, incorporated into the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, required annual State Department assessments, a signal that the old “One Somalia” consensus needed re-examination. The response was a bare-bones document that restates the very policy Congress was questioning, then posts it to the department website as evidence of compliance. The Africa Bureau, having lobbied against the Somaliland provisions in 2023 and lost, has found a way to comply procedurally while gutting the intent entirely.
The Jerusalem precedent is instructive. For decades, Congress pushed recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Successive administrations refused, based on State Department advice, until a president chose to act and the embassy moved. That past now becomes prologue given that logic of a subordinated and subjugated Somaliland is unrealistic and runs contrary to U.S. interests. Until then, however, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Africa Bureau have handed Turkey and China a strategic victory.
Siyad Madey is a Nairobi-based lawyer and policy analyst with over twenty-five years of experience across the public and private sectors in East Africa and the Horn of Africa. He previously served more than fifteen years in Kenya’s National Bank.
Hargeisa – The Minister of Interior and Security of Somaliland, Hon. Abdalle Mohamed Carab, officially received the outgoing head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Somaliland, Mr. Tedla M. Damte, at his office today.
During the meeting, Mr. Tedla expressed his gratitude to the Minister for the excellent and continuous cooperation that characterized their working relationship throughout his tenure. He noted that the collaboration had been consistent and affirmed that the positive experience would remain memorable for him.
In response, Minister Abdalle Mohamed Carab warmly thanked Mr. Tedla for his effective partnership with the government, particularly with the Ministry of Interior and Security. The Minister praised the outgoing official as a dedicated leader who fully understood the working dynamic between the UN and the Somaliland government.
Minister Carab further expressed confidence that the incoming UNICEF representative would continue to build upon the strong cooperation and close ties that have been established between the Ministry of Interior and Security and the United Nations
In a significant political development, former lawmaker Abdirisaaq Mahmoud Jama, popularly known as “Aar,” has officially joined the ranks of the WADDANI party. His decision to switch allegiance marks the latest in a growing series of political defections that have strengthened the ruling party in recent months.
Mr. Aar was formally welcomed today at the office of a senior party official located at the WADDANI party headquarters. The reception was described as warm and enthusiastic, with party leaders expressing their delight at the former MP’s decision to join their fold.
”Welcome, sir. A warm welcome with open arms and the reception you deserve!” the host official said, extending his greetings to the newly joined member.
Since the current chairman Hon Hersi Haji Ali Hassan assumed office, political observers note that WADDANI has experienced a steady influx of politicians from a broad section of society. A growing number of public figures have chosen to abandon their former parties, citing various reasons ranging from policy differences to leadership concerns within their previous political affiliations.
The defection of Aar, a well-known political figure, is expected to further bolster WADDANI’s position as it continues to expand its influence across the political landscape. Party leaders have hailed these developments as a sign of growing confidence in their leadership and vision for the country.
