By Nuh Mohamed - Reporter
Somalia, (Dawan Africa) – Former Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said Somalia must clearly define its strategic position before outside powers do so on its behalf, warning that the country’s geopolitical importance has made it a growing focus of regional and global competition.
Speaking in an interview with Dawan Media’s Miizaan Podcast, Sharmarke said Somalia’s long coastline, proximity to major maritime routes and location near the Gulf of Aden, Bab al-Mandab and the wider Red Sea corridor give it significant strategic value.
“If you do not define yourself, people will start defining you,” Sharmarke said.
He argued that Somalia has failed to clearly articulate its strategic role, allowing foreign governments and other actors to frame the country’s position and infrastructure in ways that may not reflect its own national interests.
As an example, Sharmarke pointed to the Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu. He said Somalia describes it as an academy for training Somali security forces, while some foreign actors portray it as a Turkish military base.
According to Sharmarke, the differing descriptions underscore the need for a coherent national policy on security partnerships, foreign military engagement and the use of Somali territory.
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He also cautioned that Somalia could become an arena for competition among what he described as “middle-rank powers” seeking military footholds and strategic influence in the region.
Sharmarke said the dispute over Somaliland and reported Israeli interest in the territory should be viewed within the broader context of competition for strategic positions along vital maritime routes.
He stressed that the federal government’s foremost priority should be preserving Somali political unity and preventing different regions from pursuing separate foreign alliances.
Every federal member state and region, he said, holds strategic importance—from Kismayo to the northern parts of the country—because of their geographic location, natural resources and access to the sea.
While stopping short of outlining specific policy recommendations, Sharmarke said Somalia needs a comprehensive national strategy that safeguards unity, clarifies the terms of its foreign partnerships and ensures that external actors do not shape the country’s strategic future.