Rest of Africa
Somalia and Morocco
Somalia and Morocco have had relations since January 1979. On 28 November 2025 their foreign ministers signed a 2026–2028 cooperation roadmap and Morocco raised its scholarships for Somali students to 120 a year. Somalia backs Morocco's position on Western Sahara and voted for UN Security Council Resolution 2797 on 31 October 2025; Morocco states its support for Somalia's sovereignty.
How do Somalia and Morocco relate today?
On 28 November 2025 Foreign Ministers Abdisalam Abdi Ali and Nasser Bourita signed a cooperation roadmap for 2026 to 2028 in Rabat. It covers agriculture, fisheries, tourism, renewable energy, education, health, security and culture. They also signed a visa waiver for diplomatic passports (Somalia MFA, 28 November 2025).
Morocco raised its quota of scholarships for Somali students to 120 a year, for university, technical and vocational training (same source).
Somalia has an ambassador in Rabat, Salaad Ali Ibrahim, received by King Mohammed VI on 2 October 2023 (Hespress, 2 October 2023). Trade is small: Morocco exported US$317,000 to Somalia in 2023 and imported US$587,000 (WITS, exports; WITS, imports).
When did contact begin?
Relations date from 24 January 1979, according to the MEED Arab Report of that year, as cited in Wikipedia's table of Somalia's relations. Both joined the OIC at its founding in 1969 (OIC, member states).
Somalia had no diplomatic mission in Morocco until the 2020s. The two set up a High Joint Committee in 2019 (Morocco World News, 24 September 2022).
Who are the ambassadors and envoys?
- Salaad Ali Ibrahim, Somalia's ambassador to Morocco, received by King Mohammed VI on 2 October 2023 (Hespress).
Somalia announced in September 2022 that it would open an embassy in Rabat and a consulate general in Dakhla, in Western Sahara (Morocco World News). No Moroccan ambassador to Somalia appears in the sources found.
Who built the tie?
- Nasser Bourita, Morocco's foreign minister since 2017, signed the 2019 MoUs and the 2025 roadmap and announced the 120 scholarships (Morocco World News, 28 November 2025).
- Ahmed Isse Awad, Somalia's foreign minister, signed three MoUs with Bourita in March 2019 (Hiiraan Online, March 2019).
- Mahmoud Abdi Hassan, Somalia's foreign minister, met Bourita in Dakhla in April 2022 at the opening of a research centre on child soldiers (Morocco World News, 2 April 2022).
- Abshir Omar Jama, Somalia's foreign minister, announced the Rabat embassy and Dakhla consulate in New York in September 2022 (Morocco World News).
- Abdisalam Abdi Ali, Somalia's foreign minister, signed the 2026–2028 roadmap (Somalia MFA).
- Hamza Abdi Barre, Somalia's prime minister, met Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch in Rabat in November 2025 while attending the MEDays forum in Tangier (Morocco World News, 27 November 2025).
- Aziz Akhannouch restated Morocco's support for "the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia over its territory" (same source).
What agreements have they signed?
- March 2019: three MoUs: a High Joint Committee chaired by the foreign ministers, political consultations, and training of diplomats (Morocco World News, 2 April 2022).
- 28 November 2025: joint communiqué, the 2026–2028 cooperation roadmap, and a visa waiver for diplomatic passports (Somalia MFA; Radio Dalsan, 29 November 2025).
Which leaders have visited?
- March 2019: Foreign Minister Ahmed Isse Awad in Rabat (Hiiraan Online).
- March–April 2022: Foreign Minister Mahmoud Abdi Hassan in Dakhla (Morocco World News).
- November 2025: Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre in Rabat and Tangier, and Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali in Rabat (Morocco World News).
How much do they trade?
Morocco's exports to Somalia (WITS):
- 2019: US$347,000
- 2021: US$1.81 million
- 2023: US$317,000
Morocco's imports from Somalia were US$2.60 million in 2021 and US$587,000 in 2023 (WITS). In 2023 all of Morocco's imports were in the customs group for lac, gums and resins. Its exports were mainly fuel (US$177,000) and medicines (US$75,000) (UN Comtrade, imports; UN Comtrade, exports).
How much aid and money has gone in?
Morocco's main contribution is education: 120 scholarships a year from 2025 (Somalia MFA). The UN's Financial Tracking Service records one Moroccan government gift of food aid, US$6,666, in 2003 (OCHA FTS, 2003).
What about security?
The 2025 roadmap includes security cooperation (Somalia MFA). No Moroccan troops or training missions appear in the sources found. See Foreign forces in Somalia.
How does Morocco deal with Somaliland and the member states?
- 28 December 2025: Morocco, Bahrain and the UAE did not sign the joint statement of 21 states and the OIC against Israel's recognition of Somaliland (Radio Algérie).
- May 2026: Morocco signed a 19-state statement rejecting Somaliland's plan for an embassy in Jerusalem and backing Somalia's territorial integrity (Al-Quds, 26 May 2026).
- November 2025: Akhannouch restated support for Somalia's sovereignty over its territory (Morocco World News).
No dealings with Somaliland or the member states appear in the sources found.
Have there been disputes?
No disputes appear in the sources found. On Western Sahara, Somalia backs Morocco. On 17 November 2020 Somalia's foreign ministry said it "stands alongside the brotherly Kingdom of Morocco" over the reopening of the Guerguerat crossing (Morocco World News, 2 April 2022).
How many Somalis live in Morocco?
UNHCR counted 86 Somali refugees and 104 asylum seekers in Morocco in 2025 (UNHCR, 2025).
Where does Morocco stand in the UN and other bodies on Somalia?
Somalia, a Security Council member, was one of 11 members that voted for Resolution 2797 on Western Sahara on 31 October 2025 (Morocco World News). Both agreed in 2025 to coordinate positions in international bodies (Somalia MFA).
Related pages
Sources
- Somalia MFA, 28 November 2025 · web.mfa.gov.so
- Hespress, 2 October 2023 · fr.hespress.com
- WITS, exports · wits.worldbank.org
- WITS, imports · wits.worldbank.org
- Wikipedia's table of Somalia's relations · en.wikipedia.org
- OIC, member states · oic-oci.org
- Morocco World News, 24 September 2022 · moroccoworldnews.com
- Morocco World News, 28 November 2025 · moroccoworldnews.com
- Hiiraan Online, March 2019 · hiiraan.com
- Morocco World News, 2 April 2022 · moroccoworldnews.com
- Morocco World News, 27 November 2025 · moroccoworldnews.com
- Radio Dalsan, 29 November 2025 · radiodalsan.com
- UN Comtrade, imports · comtradeapi.un.org
- UN Comtrade, exports · comtradeapi.un.org
- OCHA FTS, 2003 · api.hpc.tools
- Radio Algérie · news.radioalgerie.dz
- Al-Quds, 26 May 2026 · alquds.com
- UNHCR, 2025 · api.unhcr.org
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