Tuesday August 11, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s federal Office of the Auditor General has uncovered weaknesses in governance, legal compliance, internal controls and the management of public assets, Auditor General Ahmed Isse Guutaale said Monday.
Speaking in Mogadishu, Guutaale said audits found that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had sent 14 diplomats abroad without fully meeting required conditions, while 19 employees were assigned to diplomatic missions without first completing mandatory diplomatic training.
Other shortcomings involved the registration and management of government vehicles, arbitration agreements, the recording of assets received through foreign donations, the administration of mosques and endowments, the inspection of medicines and the storage of criminal records.
"The Office of the Auditor General conducts both financial and performance audits of federal government institutions, state-owned or jointly owned companies and entities operating under special agreements with the government," Guutaale said.
In 2025, the office completed financial audits of 30 projects funded by international development partners.
Of those projects, 22 were financed by the World Bank, seven by the African Development Bank and one by the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
The audits examined financial management, procurement and contracting procedures, compliance with Somali laws and financing agreements, management systems and project implementation.
Guutaale said the audit reports were submitted to the relevant institutions to strengthen accountability and transparency in the management of public resources and protect assets allocated to development projects.
The findings highlighted the need for government agencies and project implementation units to improve financial and management systems, strengthen procurement and contracting procedures, accelerate approved activities and improve the registration and management of public assets.
The Auditor General said recommendations had been shared with the institutions concerned to address the identified weaknesses and strengthen internal controls and financial accountability.
"The purpose of these audits is to assess whether government resources have been used in accordance with the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness," Guutaale said.
The Office of the Auditor General has expanded its audits in recent years to cover government agencies and projects funded by Somalia and international partners, with a growing focus on accountability, transparency and the management of public assets.
