Somalia Ambassador Dr Odowa hails deepening ties with Delhi ahead of India-Africa Forum Summit
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Somalia Ambassador Dr Odowa hails deepening ties with Delhi ahead of India-Africa Forum Sumacmit
Somalia’s Ambassador Dr Odowa praises the strengthening partnership with India. Explore key insights on bilateral ties ahead of the India-Africa Forum Summit.
Somalia's Ambassador to India, Dr Abdullahi Mohammed Odowa, has described the bilateral relationship as a century-old bond rooted in trade, culture, and shared Indian Ocean heritage as both nations prepare for the India-Africa Forum Summit. In an interview with WION's Sidhant Sibal, Ambassador Odowa emphasised the enduring people-to-people connections that have persisted. “The India-Somali relationship is a very old one... it has been growing and has gone through dramatic transformations over the years,” he said. He noted that many Somali leaders, including President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama, graduated from Indian universities in the 1980s, with the latter fluent in Hindi.
Education remains a cornerstone. India offers ICCR scholarships and short-term training programmes for Somali officials, while hundreds of students have studied there. Health tourism has surged, with India becoming a preferred destination for medical treatment. “Somalia is one of the largest countries sending medical tourists,” Ambassador Odowa revealed. “In the last two years... several Somalis have been attending for medical purposes", travelling to cities like Hyderabad and New Delhi.
Bilateral trade has grown significantly, reaching about $1 billion, driven by Somali imports and Indian exports. Cultural affinities are strong, with Somali cuisine featuring Indian staples like biryani and chapati, reflecting centuries of Indian Ocean exchange. The upcoming India-Africa Forum Summit is seen as a pivotal platform to discuss several issues, including the West Asia war.
Also read: India-Africa Summit 2026: New Delhi pushes ‘Concrete Outcomes’ to deepen ties with continent
Ambassador Odowa expects discussions on agriculture, technology, education, medical collaboration, and crucially, maritime security in the Indian Ocean. Somalia, with Africa’s longest coastline, faces piracy and terrorism threats, including from Al-Shabaab. He proposed deeper cooperation on counter terrorism: “India... has the human resource and the knowledge... they can support Africa in terms of information gathering... contributing technology... and also thinking about joint missions of securing the maritime" domain.
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The ambassador expressed deep appreciation for India’s strong stance on Somalia’s territorial integrity, particularly its refusal to recognise Somaliland amid recent diplomatic manoeuvres by other nations. “We value and we appreciate the Indian support of Somalia’s unity and independence,” he said. “In the 21st century, you cannot just come and recognise a region within a country... India has been fully clear on that.”
He added that this position aligns with international norms and supports regional stability as Africa and India, representing nearly 3 billion people, seek a stronger “Global South” voice. For the African country, priorities include digitalisation of Somalia’s economy, leveraging Indian expertise, enhanced trade, and capacity-building.
