Somalia is often considered a quintessential example of a failed state that suffers from devastating humanitarian crises and the lowest levels of development in the world. The country has for decades now been engulfed with multiple crises, including but not limited to separatism, corrupt regional state administrations, foreign interventions, lack of economic stability, clan rivalry, and the ever-growing threats from al-Shabaab and the Islamic State in Somalia (ISS). While the government strives to confront these pressing issues and much more, the Somalis seem to be more optimistic in the current Somali leadership compared to past administrations.
Despite sporadic claims of authoritarianism, inability to leverage international support, and failures to address multiple security threats in the country,[i] the current administration of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is considered by many to be the most stable and least corrupt since the collapse of the Said Barre regime in 1991.[ii] Arguably, among the most notable achievements of the current administration is the rebirth and development of the nation’s foreign policy, rooted in the vision and judgment of revitalizing the country’s international standing and sovereign decision-making agency. For instance, since 2018, and under the leadership of Minister Ahmed Isse Awad, Somalia’s foreign ministry has introduced numerous reforms, especially in the areas of accountability and commitment to safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Furthermore, as the country struggles to recover and bounce back from decades of civil war, political instability, and terrorism, it continues to project signs of resiliency and strength, as also evidenced in the recent central government’s efforts to display a new vision of systematic changes and development.
