Prof. Ahmed Ismail Samatar, a prominent Somali politician and scholar who has long commented on affairs concerning Somaliland and the Horn of Africa, has criticized the recent visit to the United States by Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro).
Speaking from the United States, Prof. Samatar stated that, upon evaluating the outcome of the trip, he believes it resulted in a loss for Somaliland—a conclusion he reached by comparing the actual results against the expectations surrounding the President’s visit.
“All things considered, I believe that trip resulted in a loss,” said Prof. Ahmed Ismail Samatar.
President Irro traveled to Washington in September, where he held meetings with members of the U.S. Congress and other stakeholders, focusing on strengthening relations between Somaliland and the U.S., as well as on security, trade, investment, and efforts to secure international recognition.
For his part, the President of Somaliland stated that he had achieved significant progress on the objectives of his U.S. visit, noting that recognition and investment were among the key priorities addressed during the trip.
Meanwhile, Prof. Samatar specifically criticized Somaliland’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem following the establishment of full diplomatic relations with Israel. He described the move as a blunder born of a lack of political knowledge and understanding, stating that the government should have handled diplomatic matters and Somaliland’s interests with greater deliberation.
Somaliland opened an embassy in Jerusalem in June 2026, coinciding with an official visit to Israel by President Irro. At the time, the Israeli government noted that the Somaliland embassy was the eighth embassy a country had established in Jerusalem.
President Irro had previously defended the decision to open the embassy in Jerusalem, asserting that his government was acting in Somaliland’s interests and highlighting that Israel was a country that had recognized Somaliland.
Prof. Ahmed Ismail Samatar previously served as the chairman of the *Hilaac* political organization—which was unsuccessful in Somaliland’s elections—and has long been known for his participation in political and intellectual debates regarding the future of Somaliland and Somalia.
