Somalia and Finland

How do Somalia and Finland relate today?

Finland's ties with Somalia rest on aid, peace mediation and a large Somali community. Finland gave Somalia US$15.1 million in bilateral aid in 2024 (OECD DAC2A). Its exports to Somalia that year were worth US$314,334 (UN Comtrade).

Since July 2022 Finland has had a special representative, later special envoy, for peace mediation in the Horn of Africa: Suldaan Said Ahmed, an MP born in Mogadishu (Finnish Government, July 2022; Al Jazeera, 6 July 2021).

As a Schengen member, Finland applies the EU's visa restrictions on Somali nationals in force since 23 June 2026 (Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi, on the EU Council decision, 8 July 2026).

When did contact begin?

Finland and Somalia established diplomatic relations on 12 March 1971, according to Finland's foreign ministry country list (Wikipedia, Foreign relations of Somalia, citing the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland). The first Somalis to settle in Finland came around 1990, including students moving from the Soviet Union (Wikipedia, Somalis in Finland).

Finnish peace work in Somalia grew after 2008. Finn Church Aid, a Finnish organisation, began peace work in Somalia that year (Finn Church Aid). From 2012 it supported the rebuilding of federal state structures and the national reconciliation process (Finn Church Aid).

Who are the ambassadors and envoys?

• Suldaan Said Ahmed, Finnish foreign minister's special representative on peace mediation in the Horn of Africa from July 2022, appointed under Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (Finnish Government, July 2022).
• Suldaan Said Ahmed, special envoy on the same subject for Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen from January 2024 (Finnish Government, 2024).
• Somali side: Somalia's ambassador to the Nordic countries is based in Stockholm. In 2026 this was Abdikarim Ahmed Mohamed (SONNA, 13 February 2026).

Who built the tie?

• Suldaan Said Ahmed, born in Mogadishu, came to Finland in 2008 aged 15. He sat on Helsinki City Council from 2017 and became Finland's first Somali-born MP in 2021 (Al Jazeera, 6 July 2021). He has served as the foreign minister's peace mediation envoy for the Horn of Africa since 2022 (Finnish Government, 2022).
• Pekka Haavisto, foreign minister, appointed him in July 2022 (Finnish Government, 2022). Haavisto also visited Somalia as foreign minister (Finnish Government, "Utrikesminister Haavisto besökte Somalia").
• Elina Valtonen, foreign minister, renewed the role as special envoy in 2024 (Finnish Government, 2024).
• Finn Church Aid worked with the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers and 1,104 local influencers on a national reconciliation framework in 2019. Somalia's Council of Ministers ratified it (Finn Church Aid).

What agreements have they signed?

The main documented instrument is the 2019 national reconciliation framework, drafted with Finnish support and ratified by Somalia's Council of Ministers (Finn Church Aid).

Which leaders have visited?

• Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto visited Somalia (Finnish Government).

How much do they trade?

UN Comtrade records Finnish trade with Somalia of:

• 2015: exports US$412,348; imports US$106 (UN Comtrade)
• 2020: exports US$319,785; imports US$700 (UN Comtrade)
• 2023: exports US$453,124 (UN Comtrade)
• 2024: exports US$314,334; imports US$5,358 (UN Comtrade)

In 2024 the largest export groups were wood products, toys and sports goods, machinery and instruments (UN Comtrade, HS chapters, 2024).

How much aid and money has gone in?

Finnish bilateral aid disbursements to Somalia, in current US dollars (OECD DAC2A):

• US$9.2 million in 2010
• US$27.5 million in 2014
• US$15.4 million in 2019
• US$28.8 million in 2020
• US$33.1 million in 2022, the highest in the series
• US$19.2 million in 2023 and US$15.1 million in 2024

Finn Church Aid runs education for displaced people in Baidoa and helped found the BAYWAN women's network in South West State (Finn Church Aid). It also works in Jowhar and with digital entrepreneurs in Somaliland (Finn Church Aid).

What about security?

Finland's role is mainly in mediation rather than military support. Its envoy's mandate covers peace mediation across the Horn of Africa (Finnish Government, 2024). For foreign military roles, see Foreign forces in Somalia.

How does Finland deal with Somaliland and the member states?

Finnish-funded civil society work reaches several regions. Finn Church Aid works in South West State, Jowhar in Hirshabelle, Mogadishu and Somaliland (Finn Church Aid).

Have there been disputes?

Returns of Somali nationals are an EU-wide issue. The EU restricted visas for Somali nationals from 23 June 2026, citing insufficient cooperation on readmission (Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi, 8 July 2026).

How many Somalis live in Finland?

At the end of 2025, 28,167 people in Finland spoke Somali as their first language (Statistics Finland, table 11rm). See Finland (Somali diaspora).

Where does Finland stand in the UN and other bodies on Somalia?

Finland acts on Somalia mainly through the EU and through its peace mediation work in the Horn of Africa (Finnish Government, 2024). As an EU member it is bound by the 2026 Council decision on Somali visas (Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi, 8 July 2026).

Related pages

• Finland (Somali diaspora)
• Somalia and Sweden
• Somalia and Norway
• Foreign forces in Somalia

Sources

1. OECD. DAC2A, ODA disbursements to Somalia by donor. sdmx.oecd.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
2. UN Comtrade. Finland–Somalia trade, 2015 to 2024. comtradeapi.un.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
3. Finnish Government. "Suldaan Said Ahmed appointed as Foreign Minister's Special Representative on Peace Mediation in the Horn of Africa." July 2022. valtioneuvosto.fi.
4. Finnish Government. "Suldaan Said Ahmed appointed as Foreign Minister's Special Envoy on Peace Mediation in the Horn of Africa." 2024. valtioneuvosto.fi.
5. Finnish Government. "Utrikesminister Haavisto besökte Somalia." valtioneuvosto.fi.
6. Al Jazeera. "From child refugee to politician: Finland's first Somali-born MP." 6 July 2021. aljazeera.com. Checked 2026-11-12.
7. Finn Church Aid. "Somalia." kirkonulkomaanapu.fi. Checked 2026-11-12.
8. Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi. "The Council of the European Union restricts visa provision for Somali nationals." 8 July 2026. swedenabroad.se. Checked 2026-11-12.
9. SONNA. Somali ambassador to Nordic countries presents credentials. 13 February 2026. sonna.so. Checked 2026-11-12.
10. Wikipedia. "Foreign relations of Somalia" (for the 1971 date, citing Finland's foreign ministry) and "Somalis in Finland." en.wikipedia.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
11. Statistics Finland. Table 11rm. stat.fi.