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HOL Person of the Year 2024: Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Architect of Somalia’s diplomatic comeback


Friday January 31, 2025




2024 will be remembered as a turning point in Somalia's modern history—a year defined by an existential challenge to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. On New Year's Day, Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a provocative Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that granted Ethiopia access to a 19-kilometer stretch of Somaliland's coastline, bypassing Somalia's federal government entirely. In exchange, Ethiopia dangled the possibility of recognizing Somaliland as an independent state—a move that posed a direct threat to Somalia's sovereignty and could unravel decades of fragile unity. For a nation long defined by struggles to rebuild and assert its authority, this was no ordinary diplomatic skirmish. It was existential.

For the rest of the year, every decision Somalia made on the international stage, every alliance forged, and every statement delivered was filtered through the lens of that agreement. But amid this storm, one figure emerged as the quiet architect of Somalia's response: Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Somalia's Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In the hands of another, this could have been the story of capitulation, another chapter in a recent history of Somali fragility exploited by stronger neighbours. But in Fiqi's hands, it became something else entirely—a story of resilience, defiance, and the reimagining of Somalia's place in the world.

Fragility and Redemption

For decades, Somalia has worn the scars of conflict and fragmentation. The country's fragility has often been an invitation for exploitation. Ethiopia, in particular, had historically positioned itself as both a neighbour and a power willing to trespass—militarily, economically, and diplomatically—when Somali divisions offered an opening.

In the past, Ethiopia's interventions were framed as necessary for counterterrorism or regional stability. But these justifications often masked deeper ambitions. Ethiopian troops, invited or not, operated within Somalia, bolstering influence over local administrations. Clandestine agreements undermined Mogadishu's authority. The January 1 MoU represented the culmination of these efforts, threatening to erode Somalia's sovereignty under the guise of economic necessity.

For Somalia, the agreement risked perpetuating a narrative that had haunted it since the collapse of its central government in 1991: that of a fragmented nation, unable to stand tall against its neighbours. But Fiqi understood that narratives are not immutable—they can be rewritten.

The Diplomat's Hand

Ahmed Moalim Fiqi's response to the MoU was neither reactive nor rash. His first step was to ensure that Somalia's outrage echoed beyond Mogadishu. Ethiopia's ambassador was expelled. He framed the agreement as an act of aggression, mobilizing international condemnation from the Arab League, African Union, and the United Nations, and forcing Ethiopia into a defensive posture.

But this was beyond a defensive act. Fiqi knew that to fully counter Ethiopia's ambitions, Somalia had to position itself as a proactive force in the Horn of Africa. This meant building alliances, not just denouncing aggressors.

Understanding Ethiopia's internal fragilities—its unrest in Amhara and Oromia, economic strains, and lingering fallout from the Tigray conflict—Fiqi turned the MoU into a rallying cry for Somali nationalism.

Under Fiqi's leadership, Somalia deepened ties with Egypt, Eritrea and Turkey, nations with their own stakes in the region's power dynamics.

In August 2024, Egypt's historic delivery of military aid to Somalia—the first in over four decades—symbolized a profound alignment of shared destinies, as Cairo sought to counter Ethiopia's Nile ambitions while reinforcing Somalia's sovereignty. By October, the trilateral summit in Asmara between Egypt, Eritrea, and Somalia solidified a pact rooted in mutual security, with a commitment to bolster Somalia's National Army against looming threats. Long wary of Ethiopia's growing influence, Eritrea added its diplomatic heft to Somalia's cause, recognizing that a resilient Mogadishu was integral to regional equilibrium. With these moves, the balance of power was shifted, signalling that Somalia was no longer a passive participant in the region's affairs.

In December 2024, under Turkey's mediation, Somalia and Ethiopia signed the Ankara Declaration. While Ethiopia never explicitly disavowed the January 1 MoU with Somaliland, the agreement effectively rendered the deal unworkable by reaffirming Somalia's jurisdiction over its own territory. The agreement compelled Ethiopia to walk back from its provocative Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and ensured that Somalia set the terms for future discussions on Ethiopia's commercial Red Sea access.

A Statesman's Path

Fiqi's expertise in diplomacy stems from a career defined by service and strategy. His journey began with roles as Somalia's ambassador to Sudan and later as the Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) from 2011 to 2013. These formative positions gave Fiqi firsthand insight into the intricacies of governance.

He co-founded the Daljir Party in 2015, which later merged into the ruling Union for Peace and Development Party (UPD). Building on these foundations, Fiqi entered Somalia's federal parliament in 2016.

When he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in April 2024, Fiqi's strategic vision came to define Somalia's assertive new stance on the international stage, proving that a nation long underestimated could reclaim its sovereignty and influence in the Horn of Africa.

Hiiraan Online’s Person of the Year 2024

For his deft diplomacy, his unwavering commitment to Somali sovereignty, and his ability to inspire a nation to believe in its strength, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are Hiiraan Online's Person of the Year 2024.

In a year fraught with challenges, Fiqi's leadership proved that Somalia's story is far from over. It is a story of resilience, of a nation reclaiming its voice, and of a people who refuse to be defined by their past.








 





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