‘We No Longer Need Foreign Aid’: Somali Deputy Prime Minister’s Stunning Claim

Mogadishu (WDN) – Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama has sparked widespread surprise and disbelief after declaring that the country has moved beyond dependence on foreign assistance, a statement that many Somalis say bears little resemblance to the country’s current political and economic realities.

His remarks have generated intense debate across political and public circles, with many questioning how a nation that has relied heavily on international financial and security assistance for more than three decades could suddenly describe itself as self-sufficient.

The comments come at a particularly delicate moment. Somalia remains deeply dependent on foreign donors to finance its budget, support humanitarian programs, train and equip its security forces, and sustain the African Union peace support mission. At the same time, the country continues to face a prolonged political crisis, with negotiations between the Federal Government and opposition groups remaining deadlocked amid disputes over elections and constitutional legitimacy.

The Deputy Prime Minister’s statement also coincides with one of the most significant challenges facing Somalia’s security sector. The United States has confirmed that it will end its logistical support for approximately 23,000 African Union peacekeepers serving under AUSSOM at the end of this year. In response, the African Union and troop-contributing countries have launched an urgent search for alternative funding from the European Union, the United Nations, and other international partners to prevent the mission from facing a financial crisis.