Mogadishu (UM) – After Boris Johnson’s landslide election victory today in the UK elections, it is more important than ever to open Somalia’s embassy in London.
The Farmajo government has supported the purchase of a property in Washington, is considering renovating Somalia’s embassy in Paris and has working embassies in the other major countries like Russia, China, Germany and South Africa as well as across the Middle East despite wasting all its time on Qatar. So why not London?
UM has brought this matter to the attention of policymakers but there still is little support for the opening of an Embassy in UK by this government. This is very bad foreign policy because the UK is leaving the European Union and is looking to make trade deals which Somalia can benefit from. The UK is also Somalia’s Supporter at the UN Security Council and with debt relief and development assistance. The UK was also the first European country to open its Embassy in Somalia and successive Foreign Ministers and even former Prime Minister Cameron visited Mogadishu. The largest Somali diaspora also live in the UK, many arriving from other European Union states. At a time when the UK will become very busy with its own domestic Affairs, if Somalia does not open an Embassy and appoint qualified Ambassador and diplomats to London, the UK will easily forget it.
Somalia has sent Ambassadors to London since 2012 but none have had any impact and the country still has no Embassy in London. This has to change or else London may not see the value of supporting Somalia for much longer during this period with its own problems.