Somalia Denies Summoning Ambassador Over Avocado Conference Attended by Israeli ambassador in Kenya

Ambassador Jabril also told Dawan Africa that his presence at the event was part of Somalia’s economic diplomacy and that his main objective was to present Somalia’s trade and investment opportunities.

“I was there to sell Somalia’s economic agenda,  to present our country as an emerging market with opportunities in agriculture, fisheries, logistics, maritime trade, infrastructure, manufacturing, renewable energy, telecommunications and private-sector development. Kenya was the host country, and it has the right to invite the partners it sees as relevant. Somalia’s participation was about Somalia’s interests and economic diplomacy,” Ambassador Jabril told Dawan Africa.

In his prepared keynote address, Ambassador Jabril made no reference to Israel. Instead, he focused on Somalia’s economic potential, regional integration and the country’s accession to the East African Community.

“Somalia today is an emerging and resilient market full of opportunities across agriculture, fisheries, logistics, maritime trade, infrastructure, manufacturing, renewable energy, telecommunications, and private-sector development,” he said in the speech.

He also invited investors and regional partners to look at Somalia, saying the country offered opportunities in agriculture, fisheries, ports, logistics and private-sector development. His speech further said Somalia was ready to partner with regional and international stakeholders in trade, cold-chain development, agro-processing and agricultural investment.

Dawan Africa’s review found no evidence in the conference agenda or the ambassador’s speech that Somalia held a bilateral engagement with Israel at the event. The documents instead show that the conference was hosted in Kenya and included multiple foreign missions as part of an international agricultural and trade gathering.

The claim that Somalia summoned Ambassador Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle over his participation in the Avocado Africa 2026 Expo is denied by Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali Dhaay. The available documents confirm that the ambassador attended the conference, but they do not support claims of wrongdoing, disciplinary action or a Somalia-Israel diplomatic engagement.