Somalia and the United Kingdom

How do Somalia and the United Kingdom relate today?

Both countries have embassies in each other's capitals. The UK reopened its embassy in Mogadishu on 25 April 2013, 22 years after evacuating it (GOV.UK, 25 April 2013). Somalia reopened its embassy in London in February 2023 (The Star, 12 February 2023).

The two governments signed a UK–Somalia Strategic Partnership in London on 21 November 2023 (GOV.UK, communiqué). It covers state-building, security, counter-terrorism, economic development, human development and climate change (GOV.UK). It also set annual strategic dialogues and progress reviews twice a year (SONNA, 22 November 2023).

Key numbers today:

• Trade: £56 million in goods and services in the year to June 2026, with UK exports of £27 million and imports of £29 million (UK Department for Business and Trade, factsheet, 6 November 2026).
• Aid: a country budget of £71.06 million for 2026/27, across 15 active programmes (FCDO DevTracker, Somalia).
• UN: the UK is the "penholder" on Somalia, so it drafts the Security Council's Somalia resolutions (Security Council Report, December 2025).

When did contact begin?

British ships traded at Berbera and Zeila from the early 1800s, supplying the British base at Aden. In February 1884 Major A. Hunter came to Berbera to sign treaties of friendship and protection with Somali clans, and set up British vice-consuls at Berbera, Bulhar and Zeila (Library of Congress, Somalia: A Country Study). The texts and dates of those agreements are on our page The colonial treaties, 1884–1897.

Britain then ran the north as the British Somaliland Protectorate until 1960; see British Somaliland, 1884–1960. In the south, Kismayo came under Britain through its protectorate over Zanzibar, and was handed to Italy in 1925 (Library of Congress). From 1941 to 1950 Britain also ran former Italian Somaliland under military administration, before the UN trusteeship, 1950–1960.

British Somaliland became independent on 26 June 1960 and joined the south on 1 July 1960 to form the Somali Republic (HC Deb 25 July 1960). T. E. Bromley presented his credentials as Britain's first ambassador to the Republic on 1 July 1960 (HC Deb 25 July 1960). About 1,500 Somalis then living in Britain became foreign nationals on independence (HC Deb 25 July 1960).

Why did Somalia break relations with Britain in 1963?

On 18 March 1963 the Somali Prime Minister handed the British ambassador a note breaking diplomatic relations (HC Deb 25 March 1963). The cause was Britain's decision to make the eastern part of Kenya's Northern Frontier District a separate Seventh Region inside Kenya (HC Deb 25 March 1963). Edward Heath, the Lord Privy Seal, told Parliament the UK regretted the break (HC Deb 25 March 1963).

In 1965 the UK said it was ready to resume relations without preconditions (HC Deb 10 May 1965). Relations resumed on 5 January 1968, under the government of Prime Minister Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal (HC Deb 22 January 1968). Until ambassadors arrived, the former protecting powers handled each side's affairs (HC Deb 22 January 1968). See The Northern Frontier District, 1962–1967.

After 1968 Britain ran a technical assistance programme costing up to £200,000 a year, and paid £60,000 a year towards pensions of former Somaliland Protectorate officials (HC Deb 1 April 1969).

The British embassy in Mogadishu was evacuated on 6 January 1991, as the government of Siad Barre fell. For the next 21 years the UK dealt with Somalia from its embassy in Nairobi (GOV.UK, 25 April 2013).

Who are the ambassadors and envoys?

British ambassadors to Somalia:

• T. E. Bromley, first ambassador, credentials 1 July 1960 (HC Deb 25 July 1960).
• No relations, 18 March 1963 to 5 January 1968 (HC Deb 25 March 1963; HC Deb 22 January 1968).
• Matt Baugh, 2012–2013, the first since 1991; he presented credentials during William Hague's visit on 2 February 2012 and worked from Nairobi (The World, 2 February 2012).
• Neil Wigan, from June 2013, succeeding Baugh (GOV.UK, 6 June 2013).
• Harriet Mathews, to January 2017 (GOV.UK, 17 November 2016).
• David Concar, January 2017 to February 2019 (GOV.UK, 17 November 2016).
• Ben Fender, from February 2019 (GOV.UK, 30 January 2019).
• Kate Foster, until May 2023 (GOV.UK, 17 April 2023).
• Michael Nithavrianakis, May 2023 to May 2025 (GOV.UK, 17 April 2023).
• Charles King, from May 2025; earlier UK Special Representative for Syria (GOV.UK, 19 February 2025).

Somali ambassadors to the UK:

• Abdulkadir Ahmed Kheyr, ambassador when the London embassy reopened in February 2023 (The Star, 12 February 2023).
• Abdulkadir Abdi Hashi, from January 2025, also Somalia's permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization (Diplomat Magazine).

Missions: the British Embassy in Mogadishu sits on a site leased from the Federal Government of Somalia at the international airport (GOV.UK, 25 April 2013). The UK also has an office in Hargeisa (Dawan Africa, November 2025). The Somali embassy is in London.

Who built the tie?

• Major A. Hunter: British officer who signed the first friendship and protection treaties at Berbera in 1884 (Library of Congress).
• T. E. Bromley: first British ambassador, 1 July 1960 (HC Deb 25 July 1960).
• Edward Heath: Lord Privy Seal who answered for the government on the 1963 break (HC Deb 25 March 1963).
• Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal: Somali Prime Minister when relations resumed on 5 January 1968 (HC Deb 22 January 1968).
• George Brown: Foreign Secretary who announced the resumption to Parliament (HC Deb 22 January 1968).
• William Hague: Foreign Secretary; first visit by a Foreign Secretary since 1992 on 2 February 2012, and opened the new embassy on 25 April 2013 (GOV.UK, 25 April 2013; Al Jazeera, 2 February 2012).
• David Cameron: Prime Minister who hosted the 2012 conference and co-hosted the 2013 conference with Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (GOV.UK, 25 April 2013).
• Hassan Sheikh Mohamud: Somali President who co-hosted the 2013 conference and was in London for the 2023 partnership (Eastleigh Voice).
• Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Priti Patel and Michael Fallon: Prime Minister and ministers at the 11 May 2017 conference (GOV.UK, 11 May 2017).
• Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed "Farmaajo": Somali President at the 2017 conference (GOV.UK).
• Andrew Mitchell: Minister for Development and Africa, who launched the 2023 partnership with Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (EMPHNET).
• Kirsty McNeill: Minister for Development and Africa; first visit to Mogadishu on 26 August 2026 (Dawan Africa, 26 August 2026).
• James Kariuki: UK chargé d'affaires at the UN, who stated the UK's Somaliland position on 29 December 2025 (GOV.UK).
• Mo Farah: British-Somali Olympic champion, present at the reopening of the Somali embassy in London in 2023 (The Star).

What agreements and conferences have shaped the tie?

• 1884–1886: treaties of friendship and protection with northern clans; see colonial treaties.
• 26 June 1960: independence of the State of Somaliland (HC Deb 25 July 1960).
• 23 February 2012, London Conference on Somalia: 55 delegations met at Lancaster House (GOV.UK, communiqué). It backed an end to the transition, action on piracy and pressure on Al-Shabaab (AP via Washington Times, 23 February 2012).
• 7 May 2013, Somalia Conference: co-hosted by the UK and Somalia at Lancaster House with 54 partners (GOV.UK, communiqué). Partners committed over $300 million for security, justice and public finance plans (GOV.UK, key outcomes).
• 11 May 2017, London Somalia Conference: adopted a Security Pact and a New Partnership for Somalia (GOV.UK). The Security Pact states that it is not a binding agreement under international law (Security Pact text).
• 21 November 2023, UK–Somalia Strategic Partnership, signed in London (GOV.UK).

Which leaders have visited?

• 2 February 2012: Foreign Secretary William Hague met President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in Mogadishu (VOA).
• 25 April 2013: Hague returned to open the embassy with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (GOV.UK).
• May 2013: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in London for the Somalia Conference (VOA).
• May 2017: President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed in London for the conference (GOV.UK).
• November 2023: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in London for the Global Food Security Summit and the partnership signing (SONNA).
• February 2026: President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud received a senior UK delegation in Mogadishu (AllAfrica, 13 February 2026).
• 26 August 2026: Minister Kirsty McNeill met the President in Mogadishu (Dawan Africa).

How much do they trade?

UK trade with Somalia is small. Total trade was £56 million in the year to June 2026, down 16.4% on a year earlier, making Somalia the UK's 172nd trading partner (DBT factsheet, 6 November 2026). Almost all UK imports from Somalia were services (DBT factsheet).

Yearly totals in £ million, from the same factsheet (DBT factsheet):

• 2016: 80 (exports 52, imports 28)
• 2017: 114 (73, 41)
• 2019: 79 (49, 30)
• 2021: 114 (41, 73)
• 2023: 46 (27, 19)
• 2024: 47 (38, 9)
• 2025: 70 (47, 23)

The top UK goods exports in the year to June 2026 were medicines (£6.6 million), miscellaneous foods (£1.6 million) and plumbing and lighting fixtures (£1 million) (DBT factsheet). UK direct investment in Somalia stood at £1 million at the end of 2024 (DBT factsheet). The larger UK state investment is at Berbera port, covered below.

How much aid and money has gone in?

UK aid to Somalia was £232 million in 2020 and £101 million in 2021, by UK aid statistics cited by Bond (Bond, May 2023). The FCDO's bilateral spend was £76.4 million in 2022/23 and its budget £90.1 million for 2023/24 (FCDO, Development Partnership Summary, 17 July 2023). It set an indicative £135 million for 2024/25 (FCDO).

Humanitarian aid made up 69% of 2022/23 spending (FCDO). Bond reported a 27% cut for Somalia in 2025/26 (Bond, July 2025). DevTracker shows a £71.06 million budget for 2026/27 (DevTracker).

The UK said it reached more than 950,000 people with humanitarian and climate-resilience support in 2025 (Dawan Africa, 26 August 2026). DevTracker lists earlier results such as food or cash help for 3.67 million people and nutrition support for 1.1 million children and women (DevTracker).

What about security?

The UK funded a Somali National Army training centre in Baidoa, opened in 2019, which can train 120 soldiers at a time (GOV.UK). In 2017 about 70 UK armed forces personnel were supporting the Somali army (GOV.UK, 11 May 2017). In August 2026 the UK offered more non-lethal support through the UN Support Office in Somalia, including food rations, tents and casualty evacuation (Dawan Africa). For the full picture see Foreign forces in Somalia.

How does the UK deal with Somaliland and the member states?

The UK does not recognise Somaliland's independence and says any change in status must come from mutual agreement between Mogadishu and Hargeisa (GOV.UK, 29 December 2025). It repeated this after Israel recognised Somaliland on 26 December 2025 (NTV Kenya). A 2022 written answer said the UK position was "consistent with the entire international community" (Parallel Parliament, 18 January 2022).

The UK still works closely with Hargeisa. In 2023 the FCDO said the UK was the only Western country with a permanent presence in Somaliland, and cited the Somaliland Development Fund and the Berbera Corridor (FCDO, 2023). Ambassador Charles King met President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi "Irro" in Hargeisa in November 2025 (Dawan Africa).

British International Investment, owned by the FCDO, is a minority owner of Berbera port with DP World and the Somaliland government (Middle East Eye, 9 January 2026). It joined in early 2022 through the Africa Gateway partnership with DP World, committing $320 million at first across ports in Berbera, Sokhna and Dakar (Middle East Eye). An FCDO-commissioned study found almost 2,500 jobs created and $45 million added to Somaliland's economy (Middle East Eye).

In Puntland, King visited Garowe in July 2025 and met President Said Abdullahi Deni, discussing operations against ISIS in the Al-Miskaad mountains (Horseed Media; Dawan Africa). An earlier ambassador, Harriet Mathews, led an embassy team to Baidoa, Kismayo and Garowe (GOV.UK).

Have there been disputes?

• 1963–1968: Somalia broke relations over the Northern Frontier District. Britain said the Seventh Region decision was not final; Somalia treated it as final (HC Deb 25 March 1963).
• 2026: the UK tied future support to progress in political dialogue and a Somali-led security transition (Dawan Africa, 26 August 2026). After federal talks ended without agreement in February 2026, the UK embassy urged compromise (AllAfrica, 24 February 2026).

How many Somalis live in the United Kingdom?

The 2021 census counted 108,921 people born in Somalia in England and Wales, and 176,645 who identified as Somali (ONS, Somali populations, Census 2021). See United Kingdom (Somali diaspora).

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

As penholder, the UK drafted Resolution 2809 of 23 December 2025, which renewed the African Union mission AUSSOM to 31 December 2026 (Security Council Report). It also drafted Resolution 2806 of 12 December 2025, renewing the Al-Shabaab sanctions regime (Security Council Report). The UK does not send troops to the AU mission, but funds non-lethal support through the UN Support Office (Dawan Africa).

Related pages

• British Somaliland, 1884–1960
• The colonial treaties, 1884–1897
• Partition of Somali lands, 1884–1926
• Independence and union, 26 June–1 July 1960
• The Northern Frontier District, 1962–1967
• Haud transfer, 1954–1955
• Foreign forces in Somalia
• United Kingdom (Somali diaspora)
• British Somalis in public life