Somalia: Somali Envoy Hails Arab League's Debt Waiver As 'Historic Achievement'

Cairo, Sept 2, 2025 — Somalia's Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, Ali Abdi Aware, on Tuesday praised the Arab League's decision to cancel the majority of Somalia's longstanding membership arrears, calling it a "historic achievement" for the Horn of Africa nation.

Addressing the 164th session of the League's Council of Permanent Representatives at its Cairo headquarters, Ambassador Aware expressed deep gratitude to member states for their solidarity and support in waiving 75 percent of Somalia's accumulated membership debts, dating back nearly four decades.

"We sincerely thank the Arab League and its member states for this decision, which represents not only financial relief but also a powerful gesture of political support and brotherhood," said Aware in his address.

The cancellation applies to debts accrued over 38 years in unpaid annual contributions, a burden that Somali officials say has constrained the country's full engagement with the regional bloc.

Ambassador Aware credited the development to sustained diplomatic engagement by the Somali Embassy in Cairo, carried out under the guidance of Somalia's national leadership. He said the move reflects the success of a concerted foreign policy approach aimed at reinvigorating Somalia's role in regional institutions.

"This outcome was not accidental. It is the fruit of deliberate and consistent efforts in diplomacy, anchored in the vision and instructions of our leadership," he said.

The debt relief comes as Somalia seeks greater integration within Arab and international institutions, following years of conflict, institutional fragility, and economic hardship.

The Federal Government of Somalia has in recent years intensified its engagement with multilateral bodies as part of broader state-building and recovery efforts.

The Arab League, which groups 22 member states, has supported Somalia on various fronts including peacebuilding, economic development, and political stabilization.

There was no immediate comment from League officials on whether additional financial support or reforms to the bloc's funding mechanisms were being considered following the Somali waiver.

Read the original article on Shabelle.