Somaliland Launches Recruitment of 1,393 Civil Servants Under New System

By: Mohamed Duale

HARGEISA, Aug. 30 (Horndiplomat) — Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Irro, on Sunday launched a government recruitment programme to fill 1,393 positions being vacated by civil servants retiring in 2026.

The initiative will replace retiring employees across government ministries and agencies through a system authorities say is intended to promote transparency, fairness and equal access to public-sector employment.

“My government is committed to ensuring that this system is transparent, fair, continuous and protective of the dignity and rights of civil servants,” Irro said at the launch ceremony in Hargeisa.

Of the 1,393 retiring employees, 768 held Grade A and B positions. The Somaliland Civil Service Commission will publicly advertise those vacancies on Sept. 5, allowing eligible citizens to compete through an online application process.

Grade A positions require university-level qualifications, while Grade B positions require secondary-school certificates. Candidates will be selected through an open and competitive recruitment process.

The remaining 625 vacancies are in Grades C and D, covering support-level positions that do not generally require specialised academic qualifications. Those positions will be filled jointly by the Civil Service Commission and the government ministries and agencies where the vacancies have arisen.

The recruitment process will be conducted under Somaliland’s Civil Service Law No. 97/2022 and its related policies and procedures.

“Retirement is not the end of national service, but an honourable stage during which recognition is given to those who have fulfilled their national responsibilities over many years,” Irro said.

The president said the pension and retirement benefits programme would become an annual process, under which employees reaching the statutory retirement age would be systematically registered and retired in accordance with the country’s laws.

Somaliland Civil Service Commission Chairman Abdiaziz Hirsi Warsame, who played a leading role and invested significant effort in developing and implementing the recruitment programme, said the online system would allow citizens to apply without travelling to the capital.

“Every Somaliland citizen can apply while remaining in their region, district or place of residence, because applications for the positions will be submitted through an online system,” Warsame said.

Warsame said the 768 Grade A and B vacancies would be subject to transparent competition, while the 625 Grade C and D positions would be handled in cooperation with the relevant public institutions.

“The positions being advertised are in Grades A and B, which the law allows to be filled through an open and transparent competitive process,” he said.

Under the regional allocation, Awdal will receive 25% of the announced positions, while Maroodi-jeex and Togdheer will each receive 20%. Sanaag will receive 15%, with Sool and Saaxil each allocated 10%.

The recruitment programme represents a significant step in reforming Somaliland’s civil service and expanding access to government employment beyond Hargeisa. Warsame’s leadership and sustained work were central to establishing the online application system and bringing the broader recruitment initiative to implementation.

Irro also thanked the retiring civil servants, saying they had devoted many years of their lives to serving Somaliland.

(Reporting by Mohamed Duale; Editing by Horndiplomat Desk)