Somalia and Italy

How do Somalia and Italy relate today?

Italy has an embassy in Mogadishu, inside the international campus at Aden Adde International Airport (Embassy of Italy in Mogadishu, Chi siamo). It reopened in 2014, and Italy describes it as the only embassy of an EU member state operating in the Somali capital (Embassy of Italy, Italia e Somalia).

Italy's work in Somalia today runs on three tracks (Embassy of Italy):

• Security: Italy commands, and sends the most troops to, the EU Training Mission (EUTM) for the Somali army; the Carabinieri train Somali police under a programme called MIADIT.
• Development: multi-year projects funded through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), on infrastructure, institutions, farming, fishing, livestock and the private sector (Embassy of Italy, Cooperazione).
• People: many Somali leaders studied in Italy or at the Somali National University, which grew from an Italian project, and Italian is still spoken among the political class (Embassy of Italy).

Italy exported goods worth US$30.6 million to Somalia in 2024 and imported US$0.1 million, by Italy's own customs figures (UN Comtrade, Italy–Somalia 2024).

When did contact begin?

Italy's first footholds came through the sultans of the north-east. In 1888 Sultan Yusuf Ali Keenadiid of Hobyo accepted Italian "protection", and in 1889 he and Sultan Ismaan Mahamuud of the Majeerteen both placed their lands under Italy (Library of Congress, Somalia: A Country Study). In 1888 the Italian agent Vincenzo Filonardi pressed the Majeerteen sultan for the same arrangement Hobyo had made (Library of Congress). Italy then took the Banaadir coast, which had been under the Sultan of Zanzibar, and formed the colony of Italian Somaliland (Library of Congress).

Kismayo and the land beyond the Jubba passed from Britain to Italy in 1925 (Library of Congress). The texts of the treaties are on The colonial treaties, 1884–1897, and Fascist rule is covered in Fascist rule and the war, 1923–1941.

After British military rule from 1941, the UN placed southern Somalia under Italian administration (AFIS) in 1950. It was the only UN trusteeship given to a country defeated in the Second World War, and Italy ended it six months early (Embassy of Italy). See The UN trusteeship, 1950–1960.

What happened between 1960 and 1991?

Relations stayed close after independence on 1 July 1960 (Library of Congress, Foreign Relations 1960–69). Key facts from the 1960s (Library of Congress):

• About 3,000 Italians still lived in Somalia in 1965 and dominated many businesses.
• Italian economic aid was more than a quarter of all non-military foreign aid Somalia received.
• Italy was a main market, especially for crops from Italian-owned farms in the river valleys.
• Italian sponsorship made Somalia an associate of the European Economic Community, with more aid and preferential access for Somali exports.
• Italy shared police training with West Germany and the United States.

Many Somali military officers trained at Italian military academies (Embassy of Italy). In 1969 a coup after the killing of President Abdirashid Ali Shermarke brought Siad Barre to power (Embassy of Italy). The Somali embassy on Via dei Villini in Rome closed in 1991 (UNHCR).

What did Italy do during the 1990s crisis?

Italy sent troops to the UN-backed operations. The Ibis I mission ran from 23 December 1992 to 7 April 1993, and Ibis II from May 1993 to March 1994 (Italian Wikipedia, Operazione Ibis). Italy was one of 34 countries that sent military or police personnel to UNOSOM II (UN Peacekeeping, UNOSOM II facts).

By early September 1993 more than 2,600 Italian soldiers were in Somalia, under General Bruno Loi and then General Carmine Fiore (Italian Wikipedia, Missione Ibis II). On 2 July 1993, at the "Checkpoint Pasta" in Mogadishu, three Italian soldiers were killed in a clash with Somali militia (Italian Wikipedia). Italy withdrew the Ibis II contingent on 21 March 1994 (Italian Wikipedia).

In 1995 Italy sent 2,106 personnel, five ships and 21 aircraft to help cover the final UN withdrawal, Operation United Shield (Italian Wikipedia). See UN intervention, 1992–1995.

Who are the ambassadors and envoys?

• Italy's ambassador in Mogadishu took up the post on 4 December 2023; he was earlier Italy's head of mission in Lusaka (from 2012) and First Counsellor at the embassy to the Holy See (from 2019) (Embassy of Italy, ambassador's biography).
• Carlo Campanile is named as an earlier Italian ambassador in Mogadishu (Wikipedia, Italy–Somalia relations).
• Abdirahman Sheikh Issa is named as Somalia's ambassador in Rome (Wikipedia).

Who built the tie?

• Vincenzo Filonardi: Italian agent who in 1888 pressed the Majeerteen sultan to accept Italian protection (Library of Congress).
• Sultan Yusuf Ali Keenadiid of Hobyo and Sultan Ismaan Mahamuud of the Majeerteen: signed Italian protection in 1889 (Library of Congress).
• Generals Bruno Loi and Carmine Fiore: commanded the Italian contingent in Somalia in 1993 (Italian Wikipedia).
• Giorgia Meloni: Prime Minister who hosted the Italy–Africa Summit in Rome on 28–29 January 2024 (Government of Italy).
• Hassan Sheikh Mohamud: Somali President, who attended that summit (Government of Italy, participants list).

What agreements have they signed?

• 1888–1889: protection agreements with Hobyo and the Majeerteen (Library of Congress).
• 1950: UN trusteeship agreement; Italy as administering authority (Embassy of Italy).
• 2013: a defence and security treaty signed in Rome; 2015: a technical arrangement between the Carabinieri and the Somali Police Force (Wikipedia).

Which leaders have visited?

• 28–29 January 2024: President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the Italy–Africa Summit in Rome (Government of Italy).

How much do they trade?

Italy's exports to Somalia, in US dollars, from Italian customs data reported to the UN (UN Comtrade):

• 2015: 24.8 million (UN Comtrade 2015)
• 2019: 37.1 million (UN Comtrade 2019)
• 2022: 29.0 million (UN Comtrade 2022)
• 2023: 37.4 million (UN Comtrade 2023)
• 2024: 30.6 million

Imports from Somalia were small: US$0.73 million in 2023 and US$0.10 million in 2024, mostly oil seeds such as sesame (UN Comtrade, by product, 2024). The top exports in 2024 were electrical equipment, wood, vehicles and machinery (UN Comtrade, by product).

How much aid and money has gone in?

Italian cooperation funding rose from €9 million in 2014 to €18.5 million in 2017, across 24 multi-year projects (Wikipedia, citing the Italian embassy). Because of insecurity, Italy has worked mostly through UN agencies, development banks and Italian NGOs and universities (Embassy of Italy, Cooperazione). It says Somalia's entry into the HIPC debt relief process opens room for more direct cooperation (Embassy of Italy).

In October 2026 AICS published a call for proposals for an emergency response to the humanitarian and environmental crisis in Somalia (Embassy of Italy, 28 October 2026). Italy was Somalia's second-largest bilateral creditor in the Paris Club, after the United States (France Diplomatie).

Italy also backed Somalia's 2012 and 2016 elections and its constitutional review (Wikipedia).

What about security?

Italy commands the EU Training Mission in Somalia and is its largest troop contributor (Embassy of Italy). The Carabinieri's MIADIT programme, started in 2013, had trained about 1,400 Somali police by the count on Wikipedia's page (Wikipedia). For the full picture see Foreign forces in Somalia.

How does Italy deal with Somaliland and the member states?

Italy's embassy notes Somaliland's 1991 declaration of independence and says constitutional reform is still under way, with tensions involving Jubaland and Puntland (Embassy of Italy). Its development priorities include stabilisation support for newly recovered areas, in direct support of the federal government (Embassy of Italy, Cooperazione).

Have there been disputes?

The deadliest clash for Italy was the 2 July 1993 fight at Checkpoint Pasta in Mogadishu, where three Italian soldiers died (Italian Wikipedia). Two Italian paratroopers, Rossano Visioli and Giorgio Righetti, were killed in an ambush near the port on 15 September 1993 (Italian Wikipedia).

How many Somalis live in Italy?

On 1 January 2025, 9,262 Somali citizens were resident in Italy (Tuttitalia, from ISTAT data). Lazio had the most, 2,132, followed by Sicily with 1,471 (Tuttitalia). See Italy (Somali diaspora).

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

Italy was the UN-appointed administering authority for the trust territory from 1950 to 1960 (Embassy of Italy). It sent personnel to UNOSOM II in 1993–1994 (UN Peacekeeping). Today it works mainly through the EU, leading EUTM Somalia (Embassy of Italy).

Related pages

• The colonial treaties, 1884–1897
• The Majeerteen and Hobyo sultanates
• Fascist rule and the war, 1923–1941
• The UN trusteeship, 1950–1960
• UN intervention, 1992–1995
• Foreign forces in Somalia
• Italy (Somali diaspora)