To: President
Cc: Speaker of the House of the People
Cc: Chair, Committee on Foreign Affairs
Cc: Prime Minister of Somalia
Cc: Minister of Foreign Affairs
Cc: Minister of Labor
Cc: Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Somalia
Cc: UN ILO Liaison Office Geneva
Cc: All International Embassies – Somalia
Subject: Investigation into the Politicization of Somalia’s ILO Representation and Undermining of Bilateral Relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Your Excellency,
I am writing to you as a Member of Parliament and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to express deep alarm and initiate a formal inquiry into the events surrounding Somalia’s participation in the 113th International Labor Conference (ILC) in Geneva, and the co-filing of a politically motivated complaint against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – our most important labor partner.
This act, orchestrated by Omar Faruk Osman with the active or passive support of several officials within your government, has undermined a landmark labor agreement that promised to offer tens of thousands of Somali youth legal employment opportunities abroad. Instead of upholding this historic breakthrough, members of your administration deliberately sabotaged it in order to extort political or financial gain, in violation of Somalia’s national interest and international obligations.
In February 2025, Somalia signed a legally binding labor agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – an agreement that could have transformed the lives of our unemployed youth. It aimed to:
- Provide legal, protected employment for thousands of Somali workers
- Increase foreign remittances and economic stability
- Reduce illegal migration and human trafficking
- Deepen strategic cooperation between Somalia and Saudi Arabia
However, a small ring of enablers – including Omar Faruk Osman, the Minister of Labor, the State Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Somali Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and figures within Villa Somalia and the Office of the Prime Minister – sought to derail this progress. By co-filing a formal complaint at the ILO against Saudi Arabia without any parliamentary mandate or interagency review, they acted against Somalia’s official diplomatic position and sabotaged a rare opportunity for youth empowerment.
The submission of this complaint constitutes a direct violation of:
- The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (pacta sunt servanda), requiring Somalia to honor bilateral commitments Somalia’s February 2025 Labor Agreement with Saudi Arabia
- The constitutional framework, which mandates that such international actions must be subject to oversight and reflect national interest
Most disturbingly, the delegation was led or heavily influenced by Omar Faruk Osman, who is under credible investigation for visa fraud, human trafficking, and the abuse of official representation. To allow such an individual to serve as the face of Somalia’s labor diplomacy is a national disgrace.
At the 113th International Labor Conference (ILC) held in Geneva in 2025 – the Federal Government of Somalia participated controversially in a campaign accusing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of violations against migrant workers. A central figure in this campaign was Omar Faruk Osman, Secretary General of FESTU and an official member of Somalia’s delegation to the conference. Omar Faruk worked closely with Joel Akhator Odigie, Secretary General of ITUC-Africa, to escalate international pressure on Saudi Arabia – specifically alleging issues such as non-payment of wages, passport confiscations, and forced debt bondage of workers – despite the fact that Somalia and Saudi Arabia had recently signed bilateral labor and development cooperation agreements.
This action triggered widespread concern and criticism across diplomatic and development circles. Many have questioned why the Government of Somalia, which had just entered into constructive labor and aid partnerships with Saudi Arabia, would allow members of its official delegation to actively participate in a campaign targeting the very country it had signed those agreements with.
Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, further fueling speculation about who truly represents Somalia’s foreign policy at the international level. This silence has been interpreted as either evidence of internal confusion within the government or the possibility that the campaign was driven by individuals representing personal or factional political interests rather than the national position.
There is also growing concern that Somalia’s decision to support the ITUC-Africa campaign reflects a shift in foreign policy alignment – with Somalia appearing to move closer to Turkey while distancing itself from its traditional Gulf allies such as Saudi Arabia. The silence of State Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is seen by some observers as a calculated tactic to avoid open diplomatic confrontation with Saudi Arabia, while Omar Faruk uses the campaign as a covert political message. Regardless of intent, this strategy is highly risky, as Saudi Arabia has historically been one of Somalia’s most important development partners, contributing over $100 million to projects in water, education, and rural development.
Accordingly, I call for the following immediate actions:
- Immediate suspension of Omar Faruk Osman from all international platforms and domestic labor representation
- Full disclosure of Somalia’s ILO engagement and legal basis for the complaint against Saudi Arabia
- Parliamentary summons for all officials involved in the ILO delegation and complaint filing
- Official diplomatic apology to Saudi Arabia reaffirming Somalia’s commitment to the labor agreement
- Independent audit and criminal investigation into the allegations of visa fraud, human trafficking, and bribery connected to labor brokerage schemes facilitated through the Ministry of Labor and Omar Faruk Osman.
Unfortunately, the foreign policy of the current regime at Villa Somalia – driven by a small inner circle intoxicated by greed – has lost all semblance of national strategy or principle. Their decisions, made not by long-term vision but by the bribe of the hour, the payoff of the day, resemble the logic of political prostitution, choosing whichever foreign partner offers the highest immediate reward rather than protecting the long-term interests of the Somali people.
Nowhere is this shameful behavior more evident than in the betrayal of the labor agreement between Somalia and Saudi Arabia – a historic opportunity to give unemployed Somali youth a second chance at life. Instead of championing this breakthrough, they sabotaged it to enrich themselves, deliberately placing self-interest above the hopes of an entire generation. It is not foreign policy; it is organized betrayal under the disguise of diplomacy.
Your Excellency, the time has come to choose. Somalia cannot afford to mortgage its sovereignty and credibility for the selfish gains of a few. The youth of this nation deserve better. Parliament will act to hold all those responsible to account, and we expect your office to do the same.
Respectfully,
—
Dr. Abdillahi Hashi Abib – BA, MA, MASc, Ph.D
Member of Foreign Affairs Committee, Federal Republic of Somalia the House of People
Mogadishu, Somalia
MP- HOP #201 Awdal Region and Gebileh District
Leader of the Accountability and Transparency Caucus of the House of People
E: abdillahi.abib@parliament.gov.so / dheemaal@yahoo.com
W: + 1-571-436-7586 M: + 252-6108-22469