MOGADISHU, Somalia — A diplomatic rift has emerged between Somali embassies after an uncoordinated visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya, Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, traveled to Kinshasa with Kenyan businessmen, allegedly to discuss potential gold and mineral deals with Congolese officials.
The Somali embassy in Tanzania, which is accredited to the DRC, publicly condemned the visit and called it a serious breach of diplomatic protocol.
In a Facebook statement, the embassy said the ambassador’s trip was unauthorized and violated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ established diplomatic norms and procedures.
“This visit was undertaken without our knowledge or coordination, and it undermines Somalia’s diplomatic presence in the DRC,” the embassy’s statement read.
The embassy further warned that such unilateral actions could lead to diplomatic confusion and negatively impact Somalia’s relations with regional governments and foreign investors.
The Somali embassy in Nairobi has not publicly responded and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mogadishu has not issued an official comment.
The Congo’s mineral wealth attracts global interest and makes foreign involvement in resource deals highly sensitive and politically complex.
Analysts say the incident underscores recurring coordination problems within Somalia’s diplomatic network, where overlapping assignments have previously led to confusion and internal disputes.
“This isn’t just protocol—it reflects structural gaps in Somalia’s foreign policy apparatus,” Ali Hassan, a regional analyst, said.
He said failure to address such diplomatic missteps could damage Somalia’s credibility and influence in international and regional economic negotiations.
It remains unclear if Somalia’s Foreign Ministry will take disciplinary action or implement new guidelines to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
