Mogadishu, Somalia — Somalia’s Foreign Ministry released a brief statement on 6 January saying Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali had spoken by telephone with Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan to “explore stronger bilateral ties and mutual support for multilateral principles. ” No time, agenda details, or read-out followed the one-sentence communiqué posted on the ministry’s social-media channels. Singapore’s foreign-affairs portal and daily press lists for 3-9 January contain no reference to the call; the city-state’s mission to the United Nations, which also handles Somali matters, has issued no corroborating note.
Independent observers point out that the two countries do not maintain resident embassies in each other’s capitals and have no previous bilateral agreements on file with the United Nations Treaty Collection. Singapore’s public diplomatic calendar shows recent telephone conversations with China, Iran and Maldives, but none with Somalia. Regional officials confirmed that Mogadishu normally channels formal outreach through its permanent mission in New York or via Gulf-based embassies that cover Singapore concurrently.
Local reports circulated on pro — government social media claim the discussion could open the way for Singaporean investment in the Berbera port in northern Somalia. No shipping registry notice, port-authority statement or business delegation announcement has surfaced to support that assertion. Diplomats in Nairobi who track Horn-of-Africa affairs say any Singaporean engagement would be unusual; the city-state’s Africa policy has focused on continental hubs such as Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa, while avoiding jurisdictions under partial UN sanctions.
Somalia remains under a UN arms embargo and a Security Council mandate for the African Union stabilization mission. Officials have not yet commented on whether follow-up meetings are scheduled or if either side intends to open a resident mission. Further details are expected.
Source: sonna.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 4*
