Helsinki, Finland (KAAB TV) – A high-level delegation from Somaliland’s House of Representatives has formally requested the Finnish government to directly allocate foreign aid funds previously destined for Somalia to Somaliland instead. This appeal comes in light of the recent diplomatic fallout between Finland and the Somali federal government.
The Somaliland delegation, currently on an official visit to Finland, is led by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ali Hamud Jibril, and includes Members of Parliament Hussein Adan Abdi, Barkhad Jama Batuun, and Hassan Ahmed Ilmi. The group has held a series of meetings with Finnish officials and members of parliament sympathetic to the Somaliland cause.
During an interview with BBC Somali, Deputy Speaker Ali Hamud Jibril emphasized their key message: Somaliland is seeking to receive international aid independently of Somalia, particularly in light of Finland’s decision to suspend financial assistance to Mogadishu.
“We have formally submitted our request to be considered for direct financial support. Over the past four years, Finland allocated approximately €54 million to Somalia, yet Somaliland saw almost none of that. Now that Finland has cut ties with Somalia, we are asking to be treated separately and fairly. Insha’Allah, our request will be given due consideration,” said Ali Hamud.
The delegation’s request comes amid deteriorating relations between Somalia and Finland. According to Finnish government reports, Somalia has refused to cooperate with efforts to repatriate Somali asylum seekers who were denied residency in Finland. This refusal, alongside concerns over widespread corruption and mismanagement of aid funds in Somalia, has led the Finnish government to suspend its development assistance to Mogadishu.
Deputy Speaker Ali Hamud highlighted these issues during the meetings in Finland:
“The Somali government misused the grants and failed to implement the projects that were funded. As a result, Finland suspended its aid. We explained that in Somaliland, our projects are implemented efficiently — they start on time and are completed on time. Finnish officials acknowledged the concerns and noted that had the aid been directed to Somaliland, more tangible progress would have been made.”
While discussing refugee repatriation, the Somaliland delegation clarified their stance. They made it clear that Somaliland is not in negotiations with Finland regarding the return of Somali refugees and would not be accepting any refugees as part of the Finnish government’s repatriation policy.
“We did not come here to negotiate refugee matters. That is an issue between Finland and the Somali government,” said Ali Hamud. “We are focused on development cooperation and seeking a fair and direct relationship with Finland.”
The delegation’s visit began with a meeting at Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and continued with a number of engagements with Finnish parliamentarians and civil society organizations supportive of Somaliland’s pursuit of international recognition and development support.
As Somaliland continues to seek recognition as an independent state separate from Somalia, the delegation’s efforts represent a significant step in building bilateral relations with European countries frustrated with the Somali federal government’s handling of international aid and governance.