This article, “The Shadows Behind the Presidency: Unmasking Somaliland’s Silent Power Brokers,” by Harir Yasin, paints a concerning picture of Somaliland’s political landscape, highlighting a shift towards opacity and a weakening of democratic institutions. Here’s a breakdown of the key concerns:
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Informal Power Structures: A group of unelected advisors, financiers, and clan leaders are wielding significant influence behind the scenes, impacting foreign policy, budget allocation, and media control.
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External Interference: Qatar is allegedly pressuring Somaliland to distance itself from the U.S., potentially undermining its sovereignty and recognition efforts. Djibouti’s increasing involvement also raises questions about potential concessions.
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Erosion of Media Freedom: Journalists are facing harassment, censorship, and license revocations, leading to a decline in investigative journalism and public access to critical information.
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Digital Undermining: Google Maps is depicted as shrinking Somaliland’s territory, and Somalia’s eVisa system is seen as an attempt to assert control over Somaliland’s borders.
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Weakening Opposition: The opposition parties are portrayed as largely inactive, contributing to a lack of accountability and enabling executive overreach.
In essence, the article suggests that Somaliland’s hard-won progress towards democracy and international recognition is being threatened by internal power dynamics, external pressures, and a silencing of dissenting voices. The author expresses concern about the future of Somaliland’s sovereignty in the face of these challenges.
The complete article is as follows:
The Shadows Behind the Presidency: Unmasking Somaliland’s Silent Power Brokers
By Harir Yasin
Beneath the surface of official speeches and diplomatic overtures, a quieter machinery governs Somaliland’s political reality. While the presidency projects reform, stability, and international engagement, insiders describe a dual structure, one public and ceremonial, the other shadowy and strategic, where unelected advisors, Gulf-linked financiers, and clan-aligned tacticians shape decisions with minimal transparency or public accountability.
I. The Rise of the Informal State
Somaliland’s executive branch, once praised for its institutional rigor, is now reportedly dominated by a tight-knit advisory bloc operating outside formal cabinet channels. This informal group is said to influence:
- Foreign visits and negotiations, often conducted without public disclosure or parliamentary oversight
- Budgetary allocations and offshore financial arrangements, with limited transparency
- Media messaging and internal political maneuvering, including the suppression of dissenting voices
Their power stems not from constitutional authority but from proximity to the presidency, control over strategic portfolios, and alignment with external actors. Critics argue this structure has created a presidency that is agile in diplomacy but increasingly opaque in governance, raising concerns about accountability and institutional integrity.
II. The Qatar Connection: Strategic Engagement or Diplomatic Sabotage?
In September 2025, a high-level Somaliland delegation traveled to Doha in a quiet, unannounced diplomatic mission. While officially framed as an economic outreach initiative, the visit revealed deeper geopolitical tensions.
According to diplomatic sources, Qatar used the engagement to pressure Somaliland to distance itself from the United States, particularly regarding proposed U.S. military cooperation in Berbera. Qatar’s concerns centered on:
- The strategic threat posed by a U.S. base near its own Al Udeid Air Base
- The symbolic impact of American engagement with a self-declared republic
- The regional ripple effects, especially in Gulf-African relations and Red Sea security
Qatar reportedly emphasized its support for Somali territorial unity and warned that any formal alignment with Washington could jeopardize future investment and diplomatic goodwill. This aligns with Doha’s long-standing policy of backing Mogadishu and opposing any recognition of Somaliland’s independence.
Observers now warn that Qatar’s outreach may be a recognition trap offering economic incentives while actively working to undermine Somaliland’s sovereignty and derail its recognition campaign.
III. Djibouti’s Quiet Entry: Regional Realignment in Motion
Over the past month, senior officials from Djibouti have made discreet visits to Hargeisa, signaling a potential thaw in relations and a recalibration of regional diplomacy. These engagements reportedly focused on:
- Cross-border trade corridors, including Berbera–Djibouti logistics integration
- Security coordination, particularly in response to instability in Las Anod and the Sool region
- Infrastructure and energy cooperation, with Gulf backing
While these visits suggest growing strategic convergence, they also raise questions about what concessions Somaliland may be offering in exchange for regional legitimacy. Djibouti’s role as a broker between Gulf States and Horn governments positions it as a gatekeeper of recognition diplomacy, and its quiet entry into Somaliland’s political orbit could reshape the region’s balance of power.
IV. Silencing the Fourth Estate: The Erosion of Media Freedom
Somaliland’s once-vibrant media landscape is under siege. Over the past year:
- Journalists have been detained or harassed for reporting on sensitive political topics, including foreign visits and clan dynamics
- Licenses have been revoked from outlets deemed “uncooperative” or “destabilizing.”
- Editorial pressure has intensified, with media houses urged to align with presidential messaging or risk closure
This crackdown has led to widespread self-censorship, especially among independent broadcasters and online platforms. Investigative journalism has all but vanished, replaced by ceremonial coverage and sanitized press releases.
The result is a democratic vacuum, where the public is denied access to critical information and dissenting voices are systematically muted. Civil society groups warn that this erosion of press freedom threatens Somaliland’s reputation as a democratic outlier in the Horn of Africa.
V. The Cartographic Collapse: Google Shrinks Somaliland
In a quiet but symbolic move, Google Maps updated its depiction of Somaliland, removing the Sool region and shrinking the territory’s digital footprint. This change coincides with the rise of the Northeast State, a federal entity recognized by Mogadishu and headquartered in Las Anod.
The implications are profound:
- Territorial legitimacy is being digitally erased, undermining Somaliland’s decades-long assertion of sovereignty
- Global platforms are aligning with Mogadishu’s narrative, whether by design or default
- Somaliland’s diplomatic silence in response to the map change has left citizens and diaspora groups frustrated and alarmed
This cartographic shift is more than a technical update; it is a geopolitical statement, one that threatens to redefine Somaliland’s borders in the eyes of the world.
VI. The eVisa Trap: Somalia’s Digital Grip on Somaliland’s Borders
On September 1, 2025, Somalia launched a mandatory eVisa system requiring all foreign nationals—including Somalilanders with foreign passports—to apply for entry approval through Mogadishu’s portal. The consequences are sweeping and deeply destabilizing:
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Diaspora Disruption
Hundreds of thousands of Somalilanders abroad now face the humiliating requirement of seeking permission from Mogadishu to return to their homeland. This undermines their right of return and risks severing cultural, familial, and economic ties.
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Investor Deterrence
Foreign investors, diplomats, and aid workers must now navigate Somalia’s centralized visa system, creating confusion and undermining Somaliland’s independent immigration framework. Airlines like Flydubai and Ethiopian Airlines have begun enforcing the new rules.
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Political Undermining
The eVisa rollout is seen as a calculated move to project federal control over Somaliland’s borders. By centralizing visa issuance, Somalia presents a misleading image of territorial authority, damaging Somaliland’s recognition campaign.
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Government Silence
Despite public outcry, Somaliland’s government has yet to issue a formal rejection of the policy. Civil society groups are demanding:
- A diplomatic response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- A reaffirmation of border autonomy
- Engagement with international platforms to challenge digital overreach
VII. The Hollow Opposition: When Political Silence Breeds Institutional Decay
Somaliland’s multiparty system, once hailed as a cornerstone of its democratic experiment, is now facing a crisis of relevance. The 2024 presidential election, which brought opposition leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) to power, was seen as a turning point. Yet, nearly a year into his administration, the role of opposition parties has all but evaporated from public discourse, parliamentary debate, and institutional oversight.
From Watchdogs to Spectators
Following Irro’s victory, the former ruling party has retreated into passive silence, offering little in the way of constructive criticism, policy alternatives, or institutional scrutiny.
- Parliamentary sessions lack robust debate
- No shadow cabinet exists
- Public forums and media appearances by opposition leaders have dwindled
This absence of political tension has created a false sense of stability, masking deeper issues of executive overreach and institutional erosion.
Consequences for Institutional Integrity
Without a vocal opposition, the presidency faces little resistance in shaping foreign policy, allocating budgets, or appointing key officials. This has enabled:
- Secretive foreign visits
- Unilateral decisions on national infrastructure and security
- Expansion of informal advisory networks
Key institutions like the House of Elders (Guurti) remain unelected and unaccountable. Despite public demand for reform, opposition parties have not presented concrete proposals for democratizing the Guurti, term limits, or succession planning.
The Psychological Cost: Public Disillusionment
Citizens increasingly view political parties as clan vehicles rather than policy platforms, leading to:
- Voter apathy and declining turnout
- Civic disengagement from national dialogue
- Rise of informal activism and diaspora-led advocacy
Somaliland’s electorate is more informed and expectant than ever. They demand substance, vision, and accountability, not recycled rhetoric or ceremonial politics.
VIII. What Lies Ahead?
Somaliland stands at a crossroads. Its presidency is increasingly governed by shadow advisors and secret diplomacy. Its media is silenced. Its borders are being redrawn on the ground, in cyberspace, and now in the skies. Its opposition parties have gone quiet. And its recognition campaign is being quietly sabotaged by regional powers like Qatar, whose strategic interests clash with Somaliland’s aspirations.
The question is no longer whether Somaliland can survive politically but whether it can defend its sovereignty in the digital age. Unless civil society, institutional reformers, and diaspora leaders reclaim the narrative, the silent power brokers behind the presidency may continue to operate unchecked, reshaping Somaliland’s future in ways the public cannot see, and may never consent to.
