By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
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Somalia, 25 April 2026 Galmudug Vice President Ali Dahir Eid said the United States previously opposed Somalia’s oil plans, saying the country was viewed as not ready for oil output.
Eid made the remarks during a discussion on resource-sharing in Mogadishu on Friday.
“Whenever ministries spoke about oil, they would be summoned to the U.S. Embassy and questioned about their activities,” said Ali Dahir Eid. “We were told Somalia was not ready to produce oil, and that the work should be stopped,” he added, referring to a meeting he attended.
He explained that Somalia’s oil was at the time considered a strategic reserve for the future, leading previous governments to prioritize preserving the resource rather than advancing exploration and production.
The statement comes as a Turkish vessel commences oil drilling in Galmudug’s Mareeg area, following an exploration agreement between Turkey and Somalia.
In recent years, Somalia has taken steps to advance oil exploration through partnerships with international companies and foreign governments, signaling a shift from earlier approaches to managing its petroleum resources.