Somaliland president urges global reassessment at Davos, pitches investment over aid

By: Mohamed Duale

DAVOS, Switzerland — Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro has called on world leaders and investors to reassess Somaliland as a country on the global stage, citing over three decades of peace and democratic governance as grounds for full international recognition.

Speaking in a wide-ranging interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Irro told veteran journalist John Defterios that Somaliland has maintained stability, security and democratic institutions for more than 30 years in a conflict-prone Horn of Africa.

He described Somaliland as a strategic gateway linking Africa, the Middle East and major global trade routes, highlighting opportunities across livestock, agriculture, fisheries, minerals and hydrocarbons.

“Somaliland is not seeking aid or handouts,” Irro said. “We are offering partnerships built on peace, democracy and mutually beneficial opportunities.”

The president said Somaliland provides investors with political stability, security and legal certainty — conditions he said remain rare in the region. He added that Somaliland is expanding regional cooperation, including providing Ethiopia with access to Red Sea trade routes and deepening cross-border links in commerce, energy and logistics.

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Irro welcomed Israel’s decision to recognise Somaliland, thanking the Israeli government for what he called a courageous move, and urged other countries to follow suit by acknowledging political realities in the Horn of Africa.

In closing, he appealed to the international community to reward Somaliland’s long-standing peace and stability with full recognition, enabling it to participate more fully in the global economy.

“Together, let us turn commitments into progress, our potential into shared prosperity, and our cooperation into history-making partnerships,” he said.

Somaliland reclaimed its sovereignty in 1991, establishing its own government, security forces and electoral institutions. While it remains unrecognised by most of the international community, it has maintained relative stability and democratic governance for more than three decades. Israel’s decision has injected fresh momentum into Somaliland’s long-running campaign for broader international recognition.

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