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In what has become a familiar scene in Somaliland’s corridors of power, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently played host to yet another dubious diplomatic visitor. The reception of Amb. Dr. Hajj Alhousseni E. B. Banao – whose credentials crumble under basic scrutiny – marks the latest chapter in a long-running saga that raises fundamental questions about the nation’s diplomatic protocols and institutional safeguards.
A Somaliland Chronicle investigation reveals Dr. Banao’s organizations – AGIC Foundation, Africa Gulf International Corporation, and Salone International Airlines – exist primarily as hastily assembled websites sharing identical templates and stock photos, some so carelessly deployed that male executives appear with female names. His claimed airline shows no evidence of aircraft or aviation licenses, while his supposed humanitarian commission lacks any verifiable operations. This digital Potemkin village extends to his carefully curated social media presence, where Dr. Banao presents himself as the epitome of diplomatic grandeur through staged videos titled “Leaving my residence” and “Entering my residence,” featuring luxury vehicles and security details – calculated displays meant to reinforce his claims of influence and wealth.
“Arriving Home”
The facade becomes more elaborate on LinkedIn, where Dr. Banao claims an astonishing array of simultaneous high-level positions: Chairman of Endora Digital Solutions (since 2007), CEO of ENDORA HOLDINGS GROUP INTERNATIONAL (since 2008), Founder-President of International Aviation Services for Africa (since 2008), Board Member of ZHONG JIA ELECTRONICS LTD HONG KONG (since 2002), and Chairman of Salone International Airlines Corporation (since 2020). Each organization, under scrutiny, proves as substantial as a desert mirage.
His supposed airline in Sierra Leone lacks any aviation authority registration, while the International Aviation Services for Africa (IASA), which he claims to have led since 2008 from Bamako, Mali, shows no trace in regional aviation records. His “World Humanity Commission” appears in no international NGO databases, and even his educational credentials from “Academy Royale des Armees” (2000-2005) prove untraceable.
Dr. Banao’s path to Somaliland’s corridors of power appears to have been paved through Eswatini, where he has been photographed meeting officials. This connection coincides with former Somaliland Foreign Minister Dr. Essa Kayd’s diplomatic efforts in the country as part of Somaliland’s alliance with Taiwan. While this might explain his access to Somaliland’s institutions, efforts to reach Dr. Kayd to verify any previous encounters with Dr. Banao were unsuccessful. This pattern of exploiting legitimate diplomatic channels to gain credibility has become a recurring theme in Somaliland’s international relations.
When confronted about the meeting, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mr. Abdirahman Dahir Adan Bakal offered a defense that inadvertently highlighted the very problem at hand. “We are not gullible,” the Minister insisted to the Somaliland Chronicle. “Our doors are open, and we will meet with everyone, but at the end of the day, people will need to prove what they claim they can do. The burden of proof is on the visitors to show us what they can do.” He emphasized that the ministry has not signed any agreements with Dr. Banao, adding that “our doors are open to everyone.”
This response reveals a profound misunderstanding of diplomatic protocol. The Minister’s stance – that verification should follow rather than precede high-level meetings – inverts basic diplomatic practice. The controversy has already claimed its first casualties within the ministry, with all ministerial advisors reportedly dismissed following a heated internal debate about Dr. Banao’s credentials. Notably, Director General Ahmed Abokor, who defended Dr. Banao’s credentials much like he insisted that Maxtor Bank was all too real, is no stranger to such controversies.
During his tenure at the Ministry of Investment in 2018, Abokor orchestrated the infamous Maxtor Bank affair – embracing a phantom Chinese financial institution promising billion-dollar investments. Even after Chinese officials confirmed they had never heard of the bank, his ministry attempted to justify their due diligence by presenting a three-month-old Colorado company registration for an entity operating from a parking lot. His current defense of Dr. Banao suggests a troubling continuity in institutional judgment.
The implications extend far beyond mere embarrassment. Each fraudulent engagement creates potential “squatters” – individuals or entities with dubious claims that could later complicate or litigate against legitimate investors. Several potential European investors have already cited concerns about competing claims from unverified actors who previously secured ministerial audiences and photo opportunities. While Somaliland’s diplomats chase phantoms, genuine diplomatic and investment opportunities wither.
The institutional vulnerability to fraudsters has manifested across multiple administrations. The 2019 Singapore New Silk Oil Refinery project saw multiple ministers, including Vice President Abdirahman Saylici, preside over elaborate ceremonies for a purported multi-billion dollar investment without basic verification of the proponents’ capabilities. Similarly, Swedish citizen Mikael Thorstensson, despite running failing businesses and being evicted from his Hargeisa residence, managed to orchestrate a massive “marine conservation project” that would have handed control of 35% of Somaliland’s coastline to a tombstone seller and his associates.
For a nation seeking international recognition, Somaliland’s inability to perform even rudimentary verification of diplomatic contacts isn’t just embarrassing—it’s suicidal. While officials defend their “open door” policy as showcasing diplomatic accessibility, they’ve instead transformed government offices into a carousel of con artists, where anyone with a template website and stock photos can secure ministerial audiences. The real cost isn’t just wasted time and resources—it’s the growing perception of Somaliland as an easy mark on the international stage, driving away legitimate partners while attracting an endless parade of fraudsters.
President Cirro’s administration now faces a choice that will define its legacy: Will it continue the ruinous tradition of embracing anyone brandishing an impressive business card and flashy social media presence, or will it finally install the basic verification procedures that every functioning state maintains? Somaliland’s diplomatic future hangs in the balance – between continued exploitation by international fraudsters and the professional credibility required of a nation seeking its rightful place in the world. The cost of maintaining “open doors” to obvious confidence tricksters may ultimately be the closing of doors to legitimate international partners.
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