Somalia has faced many challenges and opportunities in the year 2023, ranging from climate disasters, debt relief, security threats, and regional integration. Despite the difficulties, the government of Somalia, under the leadership of His Excellency President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Bare, has made remarkable achievements in various sectors, demonstrating its commitment to the vision of a peaceful, prosperous, and resilient Somalia. We will highlight some of the major achievements of the government in 2023, such as joining the East African Community, lifting of the arms embargo, resuming of the Somalia-Somaliland talks, and making major gains against Al-Shabaab.
Somalia joins the East African Community: A historic step for regional integration
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organization that aims to promote economic, social, and political integration and cooperation among its member states. The EAC was established in 2000 by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and later expanded to include Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The EAC has a common market, a customs union, a monetary union, and a vision of a political federation. The EAC also facilitates the free movement of goods, services, people, and capital within the region, and coordinates policies on trade, infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, and security.
In November 2023, Somalia became the eighth member of the EAC, after expressing its interest in joining the regional bloc since 2012. This move is expected to enhance Somalia’s trade, investment, security, and diplomatic relations with its neighbours and foster regional integration and cooperation. This article argues that Somalia’s accession to the EAC is a historic step for regional integration and cooperation, and that it will bring significant benefits and opportunities for Somalia and the region.
One of the main benefits of Somalia’s membership in the EAC is the increased trade and investment opportunities with the region and beyond. Somalia’s trade with the EAC countries has been growing steadily over the years, reaching $1.2 billion in 2022, up from $800 million in 2018. Somalia mainly exports livestock, fish, bananas, and charcoal to the EAC countries, and imports food, fuel, machinery, and consumer goods.
Somalia also attracts foreign direct investment (FDI) from the EAC countries, especially Kenya and Uganda, which have invested in sectors such as telecommunications, banking, education, and health. By joining the EAC, Somalia will have access to a larger and more diversified market of over 300 million people, and benefit from the preferential tariff and non-tariff arrangements within the bloc. Somalia will also be able to participate in the regional value chains and production networks, and attract more FDI from the EAC countries and other partners.
However, Somalia faces some challenges and barriers in terms of trade and investment, such as poor infrastructure, insecurity, corruption, and weak institutions. The EAC can help Somalia address these challenges by providing technical assistance, capacity building, infrastructure development, and policy coordination.
The EAC can also help Somalia harmonize its trade and investment policies and regulations with the regional standards and best practices.
Lifting of the arms embargo on Somalia: A boost for security and sovereignty
The arms embargo on Somalia was imposed by the UN Security Council in 1992, in response to the outbreak of civil war and the collapse of the central government. The embargo aimed to cut the flow of weapons to the feuding warlords, who had plunged the country into chaos and violence.
However, the embargo also hampered the efforts of the successive Somali governments and their international partners to rebuild the Somali state and restore security and stability. The embargo restricted the ability of the Somali government to acquire weapons, ammunition, and military equipment for its own forces, and subjected it to cumbersome reporting and monitoring mechanisms. The embargo also created a black market for illicit arms, which benefited the Al-Shabaab militant group and other spoilers.
The UN Security Council lifted the arms embargo on Somalia in December 2023, after more than three decades of its imposition. The Council recognized the progress made by the Somali government in implementing the security transition plan and the national security architecture, which outlined the roles and responsibilities of the federal and state security institutions. The Council also acknowledged the efforts of the Somali government to improve its weapons and ammunition management, and to comply with the relevant resolutions and sanctions.
The lifting of the arms embargo on Somalia is a boost for the country’s security and sovereignty, and a recognition of its achievements and aspirations. It will enable Somalia to equip its own military and security forces to combat the threat of Al-Shabaab and other armed groups, and to take full responsibility for its own security. The lifting of the arms embargo on Somalia is a positive and timely development, and that it will have significant implications and opportunities for Somalia and the region.
Debt relief program for Somalia: A milestone for development and poverty reduction
Somalia has been burdened by a large and unsustainable external debt for decades, which has hindered its access to vital financial resources and constrained its economic and social development. Somalia’s external debt was estimated at $5.2 billion at the end of 2018, equivalent to 64 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP). Most of this debt was in arrears, and Somalia had no capacity to service it.
The debt situation also limited Somalia’s ability to mobilize domestic revenue, attract foreign investment, and implement its poverty reduction strategy. In March 2023, Somalia reached a historic milestone by reaching the completion point of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, a debt forgiveness program overseen by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
This achievement enabled Somalia to receive irrevocable debt relief from the IMF, the World Bank, and other creditors, reducing its external debt from $5.2 billion to $557 million, or less than 6 percent of GDP. The debt relief program also unlocked new sources of financing for Somalia’s development and poverty reduction agenda, and paved the way for fully normalizing its relations with the international community.
The debt relief program for Somalia is a milestone for the country’s development and poverty reduction, and that it will have significant benefits and opportunities for Somalia and the region.
Resuming of the Somalia-Somaliland talks: A step towards peace and reconciliation
Somalia and Somaliland have been at odds since the latter’s 1991 declaration of independence, which the former rejects. The dispute stems from the legacy of colonialism, civil war, and state collapse, and has resulted in political, economic, and social divisions and tensions. The two sides have engaged in several rounds of talks since 2012, under the auspices of various regional and international actors, but none of them has produced a breakthrough or a lasting agreement.
The talks have stalled since 2015, due to disagreements over the agenda, the format, the venue, and the role of the mediators. The talks have also faced political opposition and public skepticism on both sides, as well as external interference and influence from competing interests in the region and beyond. In December 2023, Somalia and Somaliland resumed talks, after a six-year hiatus, when President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Somaliland President Muse Bihi met in Djibouti, hosted and chaired by President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti.
The meeting was also attended by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, who has been keen on bringing the two sides together, as well as representatives from the United States, the European Union, the African Union, and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development. The meeting was a follow-up of the initiative by Abiy, who brokered a meeting between Mohamud and Bihi in Addis Ababa in February 2023. The meeting in Djibouti focused on technical issues such as security, trade, and freedom of movement, while avoiding the contentious issue of Somaliland’s political status. The meeting aimed to build trust and confidence between the two sides and pave the way for further negotiations on a peaceful resolution of the dispute. This article argues that the resumption of the talks between Somalia and Somaliland is a positive and hopeful development, and that it could lead to a peaceful and mutually acceptable resolution of the dispute.
Major gains against Al-Shabaab on the security of the nation
Somalia has been plagued by a violent insurgency from Al-Shabaab. The group has carried out numerous attacks against government and civilian targets, as well as regional and international forces, causing thousands of deaths and displacements. The group has also imposed a harsh rule over the areas under its control, restricting the rights and freedoms of the people, and exploiting their resources and revenues.
In June 2023, Somalia’s president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced that he would wage a “total war” against Al-Shabaab, and launched a major offensive that liberated large areas of central Somalia from the group’s grip. The president’s strategy involved three fronts: a military front, a financial front, and a psychological front, and he achieved significant success on each front.
The military front involved the collaboration of the Somali national army, clan militias, and international partners, who dislodged the group from several strategic towns and villages, disrupting its revenue sources, recruitment networks, and supply lines. The financial front involved the vow to shut down the group’s funding streams, which include taxes, extortion, smuggling, and donations.
The psychological front involved the encouragement of the people to stand up to the group’s ideology and intimidation, and to support the government’s efforts to restore peace and stability.
The president’s three-front war against Al-Shabaab was a bold and effective move that enhanced Somalia’s security and sovereignty, and that also improved the lives and livelihoods of the people in the liberated areas by resuming basic services such as healthcare and education. This feature argues that the president’s three-front war against Al-Shabaab was a major achievement for Somalia, and that it created new opportunities and challenges for the country and the region.
The war on corruption: How Somalia held its officials accountable for financial crimes
Somalia has been ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world by Transparency International, with a score of 12 out of 100 on the Corruption Perceptions Index in 2022. Corruption in Somalia has been pervasive and systemic, affecting all levels and sectors of the public and private spheres. Corruption has undermined the rule of law, the delivery of public services, the management of public funds, and the fight against terrorism and poverty. Corruption has also eroded the public trust and confidence in the government and its institutions, and fuelled grievances and conflicts.
In 2023, the Somali government launched a war on corruption, which saw high profile government officials being tried in court and brought to account for financial crimes. The government established an Independent Anti-Corruption Commission, which spearheaded the investigations and prosecutions of corrupt officials.
The government also adopted a new Public Finance Management Policy, which aimed to enhance the transparency, accuracy, and timeliness of the public sector financial system. The war on corruption was a bold and necessary move that enhanced Somalia’s transparency and accountability, and that also improved the public trust and confidence in the government and its institutions. The war on corruption was a major achievement for Somalia, and that it created new opportunities and challenges for the country and the region.
The government’s response to climate disasters: How Somalia’s national disaster management helped those affected by drought and floods
Somalia is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change, due to its geographic location, low adaptive capacity, and high dependence on natural resources. Somalia faces recurrent and prolonged droughts, which reduce water availability, crop production, and livestock health, and increase food insecurity, malnutrition, and conflict. Somalia also faces frequent and intense floods, which result from heavy rainfall, and El Niño events, and which cause loss of lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure, and increase the risk of waterborne diseases and displacement.
In 2023, Somalia experienced both severe drought and floods, which affected more than 2.3 million people and caused widespread damage and displacement. The government’s response to the climate disasters was swift and effective, and the Somali National Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) took a noticeable lead in helping those affected by the climate disasters. The SoDMA, which was established in 2018 as the lead agency for disaster risk reduction and management in Somalia, coordinated the humanitarian and recovery efforts, mobilized resources and partners, and provided timely and accurate information and guidance to the government and the public. The government’s response to the climate disasters was a major achievement for Somalia, and that the SoDMA played a crucial role in mitigating the impacts and enhancing the resilience of the people and the environment.
Somalia in 2023 was a year of progress and promise, as the country achieved remarkable developments and outcomes in various areas that enhanced its stability, prosperity, and sovereignty. Somalia joined the East African Community, a regional bloc that offers a larger and more diversified market, and fosters regional integration and cooperation.
Somalia also lifted the arms embargo that had restricted its ability to equip its own military and security forces, and launched a major offensive that liberated large areas of central Somalia from Al-Shabaab’s control. Somalia reached the completion point of the debt relief program, which reduced its external debt from $5.2 billion to $557 million, and unlocked new sources of financing for its development and poverty reduction agenda.
Somalia resumed talks with Somaliland, which had been in a stalemate over Somaliland’s claim of independence, and focused on technical issues such as security, trade, and freedom of movement. Somalia also responded to the climate disasters that affected millions of people, and the Somali National Disaster Management Agency coordinated the humanitarian and recovery efforts.
These achievements demonstrate the commitment and resilience of the Somali government and people, and the support and partnership of the regional and international community. They also create new opportunities and challenges for Somalia and the region, as they seek to consolidate the gains and address the remaining issues. Somalia in 2023 was a year of progress and promise, and a year that inspires hope and confidence for the future.
