“My hope is that within five years, Somaliland will be officially recognized by much of the world — not just Israel.” President Irro
Mohamoud Walaaleye
In a compelling fireside chat on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Republic of Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro captivated an international audience with a forward-looking message of stability, investment readiness, and ambitious diplomatic goals.
Speaking to veteran journalist John Defterios (former CNN Emerging Markets Editor), President Irro framed Somaliland as the “world’s newest country” — now recognized following Israel’s historic recognition on December 26, 2025 — and outlined a clear path to broader global legitimacy and economic takeoff.
President Irro opened by thanking the room and highlighting the transformative impact of Israel’s move: “A lot has changed after December 26, 2025. Somaliland is now a recognized state. We are peaceful, rule-of-law abiding, and ready for investment.”
He likened the opportunity to early bets on Dubai, Rwanda, and Vietnam, insisting Somaliland offers even stronger fundamentals: vast resources in agriculture, livestock (with millions of heads exported annually to Saudi Arabia during Hajj), 850 km of coastline for marine exports, minerals, oil, gas, tourism, banking, insurance, and a strategic Red Sea position through which nearly 10% of global trade passes.
Defterios, who first met Irro at the World Government Summit in Dubai the previous year, focused on investment appeal amid regional turbulence in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea disruptions. Irro emphasized Somaliland’s standout peace record: “Our people traditionally resolve issues locally — we made peace under a tree, unlike others who needed endless international conferences.”
He credited this grassroots mechanism, combined with over 30 years of democratic elections (including his own November 2024 win with nearly 65% of the vote) and six peaceful presidential transitions, for creating a welcoming environment for investors.
On key sectors, Irro declared every area open but spotlighted livestock as a potential “world meat reserve,” fisheries, ports, and minerals. He repeatedly pointed to the Berbera Port success story with DP World (since 2016): 1,200 direct jobs, 61 companies in the free zone (66 more queued, 8 in talks), ~$300 million annual exports targeted to triple to $1 billion by 2035, and massive youth employment potential in a population where 70% are young.
Addressing risks from lack of full recognition, Irro countered: “Before December 26, we proved we are stable, peaceful, and democratic. With more international partnerships, we can do even better — as shown to DP World and others.”
Geopolitically, Irro welcomed Israel’s recognition as a major shift and expressed Somaliland’s intent to join the Abraham Accords: “Our policy is stability and peace; this initiative is fundamentally peaceful, started by President Trump, and we support it.” He hopes for U.S. recognition, noting a May 2025 letter sent to world leaders including Trump.
He dismissed fears that recognition would spark chaos, arguing it would enhance stability: “We will become part of regional decision-making in the Red Sea and East Africa, with strong ties to Arab countries.”
Irro highlighted excellent relations with landlocked Ethiopia (110 million people, fast-growing), offering Berbera and expanded logistics to meet its port needs and serve other African nations without sea access, “Ethiopia has the legitimate right to secure access to the sea.”
On aid vs. investment, he rejected dependency: “Our policy is based on partnerships, trade, and investment — not handouts — to become a developed country soon.”
Reflecting on Davos, Irro described it as a “great opportunity” yielding interest from businessmen, investors, billionaires, and millionaires previously unfamiliar with Somaliland.
In closing, Defterios asked for a five-year vision: “My hope is that within five years, Somaliland will be officially recognized by much of the world — not just Israel. At that time, we will have opportunities similar to other countries that now have pavilions here.”
The session underscored Somaliland’s push to convert de facto stability and recent diplomatic breakthroughs into de jure recognition and capital inflows, positioning the republic as a stabilizing, investment magnet in a volatile Horn of Africa region