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By Dr Adali Warsame
For the past three decades Somaliland’s political leadership has been dominated by a small opportunistic and parasitic cabal of elderly men – and increasingly a group of younger tribal and ideological followers and enablers, who appear intent to take over from them and continue in the same vein. These two groups who continue to rotate between public offices, ministries, and political parties, going unchecked and unchallenged, with absolutely devastating consequences for the Republic of Somaliland and its 6.7 million citizens.
Despite citizens and Somaliland’s political elite’s extraordinary sacrifices in previous decades, to liberate Somaliland from Somalia’s tyranny, terror and genocide, Somaliland’s youthful citizens are now demanding more from Somaliland’s government. The population is demanding reliable healthcare, decent infrastructure, economic opportunities, high standards of living, and world leading public institutions. The stagnation of recent years, which has been the product of a rotten political culture that prioritises loyalty, kinship, and nepotism over merit, capability, and suitability – will no longer be tolerated.
When President Abdirahman Irro and the Wadanni party were elected, the people of Somaliland exhibited scenes of jubilation and euphoria, for they had high hopes for the new administration. Yet, a mere six months later, the country faces a moral, political and national crisis, and apparent absence or inadequacy of leadership at the top political offices – including the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Finance, to name only a few.
The cumulative effect of months of mismanagement on top of the previous Kulmiye’s administration mismangement, neglect, and willful inaction is now visible in real human suffering: excess deaths in hospitals, chronic poverty, mass unemployment, and a broken state. What makes this crisis all the more devastating is the silence of those who know better.
Because these failings are no longer just slowing progress, but they are in fact costing lives, it is now more imperative than ever that those with skepticism and critical thinking speak up. And, to quote a book title, with “Barbarians at the Gate” in the form of Somalia’s invading militias and their ongoing invasion of and excursions deep into Eastern Somaliland, time is of the essence like never before.
In this context, where are the voices of Somaliland’s intelligentsia, its technical experts, its educated class and young professionals — both at home and abroad? Where are the public thinkers, the civil servants, the reformers, the diaspora specialists, the former campaigners?
Where are the voices of sanity, of clarity, of honesty and integrity? Many have retreated into private disillusionment or quiet resignation.
Some have chosen cushy careers, diaspora comforts, or contented themselves with online commentary or debates in cafés. Yet the majority have remained silent in the face of a callous political cabal they know to not only be unfit but also deeply damaging to the country and costing countless Somalilanders lives.
This silence is no longer an option. It is time to speak up. It is time for action.
It is time to speak up. Clearly. Consistently. Collectively. Not for symbolism, but for the survival of a republic that many fought to build — and which is now under real threat, not just from outside, but even moreso from within.
A New Government, But with the Same Old Approach
When Abdirahman Irro and the Waddani Party won the presidency, many young Somalilanders – especially professionals at home and abroad – supported the movement with the belief that it would usher in a new, capable administration. That hope is now being replaced with complete disappointment, disillusionment and abhorrence.
Instead of merit-based appointments, the Irro administration has continued the same practices: prioritising political loyalty, clan appeasement, and patronage over competence. Critical positions are not filled by the most suitably qualified and appropriate, but rather through nepotism, clan appeasement, rewarding party loyalists Rather than promoting excellence and progress, President Irro appears to be reinforcing and rewarding the culture of incompetence, treason and impunity.
Even the few young professionals included in this administration are largely tokenistic in nature. These individuals do not appear to have been selected not for their skills, experience, qualificarions or ideas, but because they pose no threat to the existing order. Many gained their positions through clan quotas, party connections, or NGO backgrounds, and most subscribe to the same core assumption as their elders: that public office is a pathway to personal advancement, that roles in government are handed out based on clan quotas, and that the best way is to maintain the status quo, do as little as possible while in post, and amass personal wealth and profile.
Many do not even sincerely believe they have the capacity, capability or ability to change the status quo. Even before taking on their roles, they indicated privately that they expected to change or achieve very little while in those roles. Their intention would be to hold the role as a means to an end, not to deliver transformation of the offices which would be under their purview.
Some view governance as a scaled-up NGO project — mistaking the prior small scale local NGOs with which they were involved as being adequate preparation to wield the serious statecraft which comes with the great offices of State of Somaliland’s government. This is not a slight or an insult on their experiences, but a sober reflection of their limitations and lack of real world experiences. Managing an NGO workshop or an awareness campaign, or writing a theoretical masters dissertation or PHD thesis is not the same as executing large scale government programmes. And without the right vision, moral compass, and real world experience, their education and youth become mere tools to be exploited by more experienced unseen hands of dysfunction, mismanagement and corruption. Also without the right moral training and guidance, an educated man in public office becomes a menace to society.
Somaliland cannot afford on-the-job training. It needs leaders who can execute with discipline, clarity, and urgency — because citizens’ lives depend on it. President Abdirahman Irro has fallen short of citizens expectations with the esceptionally poor quality of people he has appointed into critical positions. Unless he changes course, his government seems on track to facilitate failure, mismanagement and corruption. I wonder, does he want that to be his legacy?
Ideological Contradictions: Appointing the Treacherous & Rewarding the Treasonous
Recycling failed old politicians like Abdirahman Beyle, Somalia’s former Minister of Finance & Minister Foreign Affairs, or Mohammad Abdulahi Omar from the Silanyo era, who presided over the disasterous 2012 conference (which reinstated international recognition to Somalia’s hitherto internationally unrecognised failed government) has been shockingly tin-eared and lacking in self awareness. Whatever vestiges of respect the Abdirahman Irro Presidency may have expressed for the sanctity of Somaliland’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, the appointment of these highly disloyal, disingenuous and duplicitous two men has done irreparable damage to his credibility. It has conveyed a message that the Abdirahman Irro Presidency is perhaps just not serious, genuine or sincere about protecting and defending Somaliland’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
Worse still, several senior figures in Irro’s administration like Abdulqadir Jirde have disappointingly, regrettably, yet unashamedly, expressed sympathy for the Greater Somalia ideology. This has compounded the contradictions, illogicality and incoherence of appointing people like Beyle who have previously held positions within Somalia’s federal government — raising serious questions about the Irro Presidency and Wadanni’s Party’s leadership’s ideological coherence and sincerety about Somaliland’s sovereignty, even amongst party loyalists and amongst party members.
These appointments not only betray the principles on which Somaliland was founded, but they also undermine the Republic of Somaliland claim to recognition and sovereignty. How can the government advocate for international recognition when it promotes officials who previously worked against it? How can citizens be asked to sacrifice for a cause when their own government rewards people who worked against it?
This is not ideological diversity — it is political recklessness, negligence and a dangerous and offensive disregard for the common sense sensibilities which hold the loyal people of this country together. It marks a dangerous and deliberate appointment of pro Greater Somalia proponents at the heart of Somaliland’s government institutions.
Non-Recognition as Excuse and Shield
A persistent myth used to justify governance failure in Somaliland is that everything can be blamed on the country’s lack of international recognition. This is a misleading narrative that masks deeper problems.
Non-recognition does not explain the appointment of unqualified officials, the absence of policy reform, or the looting of public funds. It does not prevent long-term planning, institutional development, or infrastructure delivery. These are internal failures — and they must be owned as such.
Yet Somaliland’s political class repeatedly uses non-recognition as a shield — feigning helplessness and pretending that nothing can be done until foreign governments say otherwise. This learned helplessness has become a national affliction — a convenient way to avoid accountability and delay difficult decisions.
Meanwhile, the rhetoric of recognition continues, but without matching action. There is no coherent foreign policy strategy, no professional diplomatic corps, and no meaningful attempt to strengthen the legitimacy of Somaliland’s institutions in the eyes of the world. Recognition is invoked rhetorically, but abandoned operationally.
Wasted Opportunities: The Ministry of Finance, The Central Bank, Foreign Affairs & Missions, and International Trade
Somaliland’s Ministry of Finance should be the beating heart which leads Somaliland’s national transformation during the Irro Presidency. So should the central bank, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Representative Offices abroad. Yet these have been reduced to be tools of patronage, kleptocracy and nepotism. Instead of appointing seasoned experts in public finance, macroeconomics, or fiscal policy, appointments and skilled communicators who can communicate with and advocate on Somaliland’s behalf with the world, the offices are filled with unqualified people appointed based on clan, party loyalty or nepotism. The result: stagnant growth, outdated revenue models, a state without a coherent economic plan, lack of foreign policy, and a virtyally absence Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
When it comes to thr Ministry of Health, maternal and infant mortality remain high. Basic medications are unavailable, and rural communities remain cut off. Health policy is rudderless, feckless, hapless and systems are collapsing. Thousands of deaths occur each year not because of a lack of resources alone, but because of neglect, incompetence, and wilful mismanagement and neglect of the healthcare system. Under the Irro Administration, expect little to no improvement.
What Somaliland Needs Now
What Somaliland lacks is it is professionalism, accountability, and moral seriousness. It needs:
- Public servants chosen for merit and capability
- Institutions shielded from tribal nepotism and political interference
- A clear national strategy rooted in long-term development
- A leadership that understands public service, not entitlement and self enrichment
There is no shortage of capable Somalilanders. Across the globe, there are professionals who have delivered world leading public, professional and financial services, worked in some of the largest governments in the world, and led serious private & public institutions. But the Irro Presidency and Wadanni Party appear to be actively and deliberately excluding them, fearing their independence, their integrity, and their refusal to serve narrow personal and Party interest, instead of the public and national interest.
To the Intelligentsia and Young Professionals: Speak Up
This is not a symbolic appeal. It is a national call to action.
To the thinkers, professionals, researchers, policy experts, activists, and youth — inside and outside the country — you must speak up. You must challenge this decline. You must refuse to participate in the culture of nepotism and corruption that has consumed Somaliland’s politics and appears to be consuming the Irro and Wadanni Presidency.
Remaining silent in the face of mismanagement, corruption, neglect, negligence, malfeasance in public office is not neutrality, is not civility, is not patriotic. It is being complicit in the destruction of the Republic of Somaliland which we all so dearly love.
- Stop waiting for permission from the very people who fear your voice.
- Stop assuming that change will emerge from inside the same elite circles.
- Stop remaining silent, speaking in private circles, or adopting a wait and see mode
If you as Somaliland’s capable class remains passive, the outcome is predictable: further decline, growing hopelessness, and preventable suffering of Somaliland’s citizens. This is not about political rivalry. It is about Sonaliland’s survival — and the human cost of our continued inaction.
So speak up. Speak up loudly, clearly and forcefully. Speak up unequivocally. Claim your space. Play your role. Demand better. Because Somalilanders’ lives — and the future of the Republic of Somaliland — are on the line.
About the Author
Dr Adali Warsame is a political commentator and public policy professional, who is a long time observer of Somaliland politics. He writing focuses on standing up for the dignity of Somaliland’s citizens, who appear to be forgotten in the melee that is everyday Somaliland and Horn of Africa politics.
Adali is an unapologetic Somalilander. He is passionate about achieving justice for the forgotten Isaaq Genocide victims, stopping the doomed Somaliland-Somalia talks and international recognition of the Republic of Somaliland.
