Somalia Deputy Prime Ministers Confront Passport Surrender and Aid Claims

Somalia’s Second Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji announced he has handed over his Kenyan passport, national ID card and birth certificate after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ordered cabinet members to relinquish Kenyan travel documents or resign. Haji’s compliance follows weeks of diplomatic tension, including his denial of entry to Nairobi and reports that Kenyan authorities have placed dozens of Somali officials on watchlists.

In a separate statement, Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama declared that Somalia no longer needs foreign assistance, asserting the country is now self‑sufficient. Analysts noted the claim contradicts Somalia’s heavy reliance on donor funding for its budget, humanitarian programmes and the African Union peace support mission, especially as the United States plans to end logistical support for AU peacekeepers later this year. Jama’s remarks sparked debate over the nation’s economic and security outlook.