By Shire Abdi - Reporter
Somalia, 25 January 2026 Somalia’s government says it has resolved a public dispute between its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, easing concerns about internal divisions within its diplomatic corps.
The dispute emerged in September last year when Somalia’s embassy in Tanzania issued a statement criticising a visit by Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Tanzania mission described the trip as a violation of Somalia’s diplomatic regulations and an encroachment on its mandate. However, the Kenyan mission defended the trip saying it was aimed at strengthening trade relations for the benefit of Somali entrepreneurs.
The disagreement surprised many Somalis who argued that it should have been handled privately through diplomatic channels.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Omar, commonly known as Ali Balcad, assured public that the matter had been settled.
“The matter has been resolved. The Foreign Affairs Ministry assigned an advisory committee composed of former ambassadors to look into the issue. Both ambassadors were summoned and met with the committee, which then issued recommendations,” Balcad said during an interview on Mizan Podcast, aired by Dawan Media.
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He described the incident as “unfortunate” but added that lessons had been learned and expressed hope that it would not be repeated.
“It was unfortunate that the mistake happened, but we learned from it. We hope it will not happen again,” the Minister said.
Balcad acknowledged shortcomings in training and internal directives within the diplomatic service, but pledged that effective measures would be taken to prevent similar disputes in the future.
Analysts say the episode highlighted how internal miscommunication and procedural delays can damage the credibility of a country’s diplomacy. Even minor protocol breaches, they warn, can escalate into international tensions, undermining confidence in Somalia’s foreign missions and its broader foreign policy capacity.