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Inside President Cirro’s Enigmatic UAE Visit
In his first major foreign visit since taking office, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi “Cirro” embarked on a high-stakes trip to the United Arab Emirates—an engagement that, under normal circumstances, would serve as a defining moment for his administration’s diplomatic posture. Instead, the visit has generated more questions than answers, veiled in an unusual level of secrecy that contrasts sharply with Somaliland’s traditionally public approach to foreign relations.
For a leader who campaigned on promises of change, the trip presented an opportunity to showcase a fresh direction for Somaliland’s international engagement. However, the near-total absence of official communication during the visit—coupled with a belated and carefully curated media rollout upon the delegation’s return—has left many Somalilanders wondering: Is this the dawn of a new, results-driven diplomacy, or a worrying shift toward opacity in governance?
The Specter of Past Leadership
The visit’s controversy began a day after the delegation departed, as rumors circulated about the departure of former Presidents Muse Bihi Abdi and Dahir Riyale Kahin to UAE to join the President’s delegation. While further investigation revealed that only Bihi had traveled to the UAE, his concurrent presence and vague social media explanations citing a “personal visit” created an unnecessary political distraction. Sources close to the matter suggest Bihi’s travel timing was coincidental, possibly health-related, though this remains unconfirmed. The overlap, whether intentional or not, cast a shadow over the official proceedings and sparked speculation about potential behind-the-scenes involvement.
A Diplomatic Black Box
The stark contrast between this visit and previous diplomatic engagements couldn’t be more pronounced. Where past administrations maintained—and at times overplayed—their diplomatic engagements, as evidenced by former President Bihi’s controversial visit to Guinea-Conakry, complete with banners of their since-deposed leader Alpha Condé adorning the capital, President Cirro’s three-day UAE stay was marked by an unprecedented information vacuum. The sole official visual documentation emerged not from Somaliland’s government but from the Abu Dhabi Fund, which released a single photograph of its chairman’s meeting with the President.
Multiple sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, have confirmed that the delegation engaged in extensive high-level discussions focused primarily on expanding UAE investments in Somaliland. Given the UAE’s position as Somaliland’s premier foreign investor, these talks were expected to strengthen existing economic ties. However, the presence of Somaliland’s intelligence chief in the delegation and reported meetings with UAE security counterparts suggests a broader agenda, potentially encompassing enhanced military cooperation and intelligence sharing arrangements.
The Paradox of Transparency
The administration’s messaging upon return created its own contradictions. The delegation’s return to Egal International Airport finally broke the silence, though the substance remained thin. Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Aden Bakaal detailed meetings with UAE’s top leadership, including the Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as ministers of foreign affairs, economy, and labor. He emphasized the UAE’s unique position as Somaliland’s primary investor, citing DP World as their largest investment project to date.
“We had very productive discussions and achieved tangible outcomes that will bring progress and development to our country,” Minister Bakaal assured the press, though specific details remained notably absent. He outlined broad areas of potential cooperation including livestock, agriculture, natural resources, minerals, and oil exploration, while highlighting discussions about employment opportunities for Somaliland’s youth, who comprise 70% of the population.
The Minister of Presidency, Khadar Hussein Abdi, went further in framing the administration’s new approach: “We want to tell the Somaliland people that this government is working to deliver tangible results for the public, not to show them pictures.” Yet this declaration was immediately undermined by the government’s release of numerous photographs documenting the delegation’s return—a striking contrast to their media blackout during the actual visit.
President Cirro’s notable absence from the public briefing raised additional questions, as his ministers delivered broad assurances without substantial detail. The administration’s selective approach to transparency—extensively documenting the departure while maintaining silence during the visit—has led many to question whether this strategy reflects careful diplomatic maneuvering or masks a lack of concrete achievements.
The False Choice of Secrecy vs Success
Defenders of the administration’s approach, including Presidential Advisor for Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohamed Hagi, Somaliland’s former Representative to Taiwan, have advanced an argument that presents a false dichotomy between diplomatic success and public transparency. Their position—that covert diplomacy is a strategic necessity for unrecognized states—attempts to draw parallels with historical breakthroughs like the Camp David Accords and U.S.-China rapprochement.
However, this comparison fundamentally misunderstands both the nature of those diplomatic achievements and Somaliland’s current context. The Camp David Accords and Nixon’s China opening required initial secrecy precisely because they represented radical departures from established policy between adversaries. The UAE, by contrast, is already Somaliland’s closest ally and premier foreign investor. The argument that standard diplomatic engagement with an existing partner requires the same level of secrecy as historic peace negotiations between adversaries strains credibility.
Transparency vs Opacity: The Somaliland – Ethiopia MoU Lesson
The administration’s secretive approach becomes even more questionable when contrasted with the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Somaliland and Ethiopia. That agreement, though ultimately unrealized, sent shockwaves through the Horn of Africa and beyond, catapulting Somaliland into an unprecedented international spotlight. Like a diplomatic meteor, the MoU’s announcement transformed Somaliland overnight from a regional actor into a subject of global strategic discourse. Major international media outlets, think tanks, and foreign policy establishments that had long relegated Somaliland to footnotes suddenly found themselves analyzing its strategic significance. The publicity surrounding the MoU, more than its substantive mechanics, achieved what years of quiet diplomacy could not—it forced Somalia and the international community to engage with Somaliland on the diplomatic stage rather than ignore its existence.
In contrast, Cirro’s UAE visit, shrouded in secrecy, has diminished its potential diplomatic impact. For a newly elected president tasked with reinforcing Somaliland’s democratic credentials, this approach risks undermining the very principles that have distinguished Somaliland in its pursuit of international recognition. The suggestion that diplomatic success requires opacity presents a false choice—Somaliland’s most successful international engagements have historically benefited from public scrutiny and debate.
As Somaliland continues its journey toward international recognition, the balance between diplomatic discretion and public accountability becomes increasingly crucial. While every negotiation may have elements that require confidentiality, the wholesale embrace of diplomatic opacity threatens to undermine the democratic transparency that has long set Somaliland apart. The administration’s promise that “details will eventually be disclosed” offers little comfort in a democracy where public oversight should be the foundation, not an afterthought.
