Somalia’s Petroleum Minister Alleges Northeastern State President is Obstructing Oil Exploration Efforts

Mogadishu (AX) — Abdirisaaq Omar Mohamed, Somalia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, accused Northeastern State of Somalia President Said Abdullahi Deni of putting roadblocks in the path of oil exploration within Northeastern State.

During a media briefing in Mogadishu on Saturday, Minister Mohamed mentioned that President Deni tried to introduce a company of his own choosing for oil exploration, a move spurned by the federal government.

“President Deni seems keen to politicize the government’s oil ambitions,” noted Mohamed. He went on to explain that Deni used an image of a map, accidentally displayed at an event in Mogadishu, to criticize the government’s pursuit of financial independence through oil.

Things got spicier when the Turkish research vessel, the Oruc Reis, arrived in Somali waters to perform seismic surveys for oil and natural gas. A map shown during its welcoming ceremony in Mogadishu depicted disputed borders, which stirred the pot among Northeastern State and Hirshabelle States, and sparked social media outrage.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources responded to the hubbub with an apology, clarifying that the map’s appearance was an unintentional slip-up.

“We are sorry about the technical blunder, including the erroneous map presented at the ship’s arrival,” they conveyed, pointing out that the event design contractor had accidentally plucked a map from the web.

The Oruc Reis is set to carry out three-dimensional seismic explorations across three officially approved zones along Somalia’s coast. Each space envelopes roughly 5,000 square kilometers (1,931 square miles). Over the course of seven months, the mission endeavors to collect seismic data, later to be decoded in Ankara, to identify promising drilling prospects.

Earlier this year, Somalia inked agreements with Turkey, granting Turkish Petroleum exploration licenses for three offshore areas. These surveys are a monumental leap in Somalia’s bid to unlock its energy wealth, aiming for economic advancement and self-sufficiency.

Edited by: Ali Musa

alimusa@axadletimes.com

Axadle international–Monitoring