Somalia’s president used the opening of the Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa to demand larger and more concessional flows of climate finance, arguing that the continent’s development prospects and global decarbonisation goals “are inseparable.” The intervention underscored Mogadishu’s efforts to leverage its vulnerability to climate shocks into diplomatic capital.
Somalia faces one of the highest levels of exposure to droughts and floods in the Horn of Africa, compounded by decades of conflict and fragile institutions. Adaptation projects in agriculture, water management, and infrastructure remain underfunded, and the government depends heavily on external support. By framing its call within a continental agenda, Somalia sought to align itself with African partners pushing for new financing instruments at ACS2.
The Federal Government of Somalia and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud are the key actors, with multilateral development banks and climate funds positioned as potential financiers. Failure to secure predictable support risks intensifying food insecurity, displacement, and instability that often cross borders.
Mohamud told delegates that climate finance must come at “an adequate scale and on appropriate terms,” a phrase widely interpreted as a demand for grants and concessional loans rather than commercial debt.
Regionally, Somalia’s stance signals that fragile states intend to be active shapers, not passive recipients, of the continental climate-finance debate. If successful, Mogadishu could unlock resources for resilience projects whose impacts will extend beyond its territory, stabilising migration and security dynamics across the Horn.
