HSM seeks to boost his credentials despite uncertain prospect of presidential polls

[Rocktheboat]

New Ports & Mogadishu Airport

The fate of the current Port of Mogadishu has not yet been confirmed, but discussions have begun with a view to ceding part of it for renovation and extension to Ethiopia, which is seeking access to the Red Sea. The subject was raised during Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's visit to the Somali capital last month. His officials are in contact with those of Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, who is supervising the project.

These plans are not intended to overshadow the deepwater Hobyo Port, which is being developed by the Turkish company Metag, 500km from Mogadishu. The management of the site, which is expected to be at least partly entrusted to Metag, has yet to be specified. Djibouti, which is advising the Somali government on the configuration of the port, may also want to have its say.

The HSM administration is also considering adding a new airport to the future Port of Mogadishu that can offer better standards to airlines. Many of them currently refuse to serve the Somali capital due to the security conditions and its modest size.

This is part of the New Mogadishu project and would be an opportunity for the Somali president to strengthen ties with Qatar, which was powerful under his predecessor but is now more low-key. The construction of an airport in Rwanda by Qatar Airways and its partners has inspired HSM, who has already contacted Doha to find out more.

Cotton Industry

He also wants to revitalise the cotton industry. In the 1980s, several studies identified Somalia as one of the African countries with potential in this area. The outbreak of civil war in 1991 brought the development of factories in Mogadishu to a halt, but the facilities, which are still in good condition, could be revived with the support of Turkey, a major textile power.

To attract funding and improve its image on the financial stage, Somalia has initiated the process of ratification by parliament of its membership of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), of which it was until now the only non-member African state. Its accession was formalised on 24 March by Afreximbank itself. This should also enable Afreximbank CEO Benedict Okey Oramah to bring his second and final term to a fitting end next June, during a joining ceremony at the institution's headquarters in Cairo.

The bank, which this month entered into a $5bn partnership with Arise IIP of Indian businessman Gagan Gupta in order to revive the textile industry in Africa, could support the Mogadishu project. The revitalisation of the Somali Development and Reconstruction Bank, registered a few months ago with the support of several foreign consultants, should also boost these initiatives.

U.S-Trump Relations

The Somali president is keen to take advantage of his US counterpart Donald Trump's interest in the extractive industries. While part of the new administration in Washington makes no secret of its preference for the breakaway state of Somaliland in the northwest of the country, HSM has some allies in the new US administration.

Trent Franks is one of them. The former Republican member of the House of Representatives runs an Arizona-based oil company, Liberty Petroleum, which has several exploration blocks off the Somali coast. He is reputed to be close to the new US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who is also the head of another oil company called Liberty Energy.

Somalia : HSM seeks to boost his credentials despite uncertain prospect of presidential polls

The Somali government, in difficulty on the security and political fronts, is hoping to give itself a boost by announcing major infrastructure and economic projects. The aim is to prepare for

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[Sup]

He’s done a lot, but it isn’t enough, especially for a country like Somalia. Time for him to step down and let a more competent leader take his place. Preferably a young western educated leader.