In an exclusive Financial Times interview from Hargeisa, Republic of Somaliland President H.E. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) declared that his nation has successfully completed its internal state-building chapter and has decisively entered a bold new era: the pursuit of full international recognition.
Reflecting on Somaliland’s remarkable grassroots origins, Irro vividly recounted the journey: “In Somaliland, people met under the shade of trees. They made their own peace. Then they made the constitution. They have held free and fair elections.” He described this rare African success story as a genuine collaboration between citizens and successive governments, one that has delivered decades of stability, democratic governance, and economic self-reliance since reclaimed its independence from Somalia in 1991.
Yet the single greatest obstacle remains starkly clear. “We made our half,” Irro stated bluntly. “Lack of recognition means little access to world markets.” He explained how this long-standing exclusion blocks affordable global banking, inflates costs for trade and remittances, and chokes foreign direct investment — imposing a heavy, ongoing price on a nation that has proven it can govern and sustain itself.
Despite the barriers, Somaliland stands out for its resilience and ingenuity. The government funds roughly 93% of its budget through domestic revenues — a level of self-sufficiency that surpasses many recognized African states. Livestock shipments to the Gulf drive about 70% of trade, while remittances fuel one-third of the estimated $4.28 billion GDP. Private investment has fueled tangible progress, most notably DP World’s $450 million transformation of Berbera port, recently crowned sub-Saharan Africa’s most efficient by the World Bank — though it still runs at only about 25% capacity due to recognition-linked market restrictions.
Recent diplomatic wins are fueling fresh momentum: Israel’s groundbreaking recognition in December 2025 (the first formal acknowledgment of Somaliland’s independence) and the landmark 2024 port-access deal with Ethiopia. Irro views these as gateways to deeper trade, investment, and strategic alliances.
Looking forward, the president emphasized the critical imperative of generating jobs for Somaliland’s vibrant youth cohort — roughly 4 million strong — to stem emigration and harness their energy for accelerated growth. He positioned international recognition not merely as a political aspiration, but as an essential economic catalyst to amplify private-sector successes already underway, from new Coca-Cola bottling facilities to Emirati-backed logistics hubs.
Through this interview, President Irro presents Somaliland as a proven, stable, and investment-ready partner in the Horn of Africa — one now energetically calling on the international community to match its achievements with formal recognition and help unleash its full economic promise.