Vice President’s 70-day mission delivers peace in Ceel-Afweyn as Irro’s cabinet intensifies decentralization and 18 May celebrations.
In a session heavy with symbolism and strategy, Somaliland’s 19th Council of Ministers convened under President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) and Vice President Mohamed Ali Aw Abdi, signaling the consolidation of national peace and a bold new push for decentralization.
The session began with a powerful moment of unity: the Vice President, returning from a 70-day national peace mission, was greeted with a standing ovation—a rare gesture of reverence that mirrored the scale of his achievement. His mission report stunned the Cabinet with its twin victories: the successful national integration of civilian defense forces and the peaceful resolution of the protracted Ceel-Afweyn conflict.
What makes this feat extraordinary is its independence—achieved without foreign intervention, purely through Somaliland’s indigenous capacity for negotiation, tradition, and national will. “This peace is 100% Somali-owned,” the Vice President emphasized, crediting elders, women, and youth as co-architects of the accord.
But the Cabinet wasn’t just about retrospection—it pivoted hard toward the future.
At the heart of the session was Somaliland’s long-awaited decentralization framework, covering political, administrative, and fiscal reforms. This is no mere policy tweak—it’s a quiet revolution in governance. Ministries are now tasked with bringing services closer to the people, empowering local governments to generate and manage resources, and embedding accountability from Borama to Badhan.
If implemented effectively, this could fundamentally alter Somaliland’s development model—shifting power from Hargeisa to the hinterlands and closing the gap between government and governed. In a region where centralization often fuels conflict, this move places Somaliland ahead of its peers.
The final note was patriotic but purposeful: full mobilization for May 18, Somaliland’s independence anniversary. The Cabinet instructed all agencies to raise flags, join civic parades, and project the strength of a united republic to the world. More than a celebration, this is a message—to citizens, to Somalia, and to the international community—that Somaliland is more cohesive, peaceful, and forward-moving than ever.
President Irro’s government is no longer just reacting to crises—it is now shaping Somaliland’s destiny.
