Thursday July 2, 2026
Somalia on Monday opened a Chinese-funded diaspora center aimed at giving new momentum to its national diaspora policy, deepening ties with overseas communities, and channeling their support toward the country’s development goals.
Housed inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Somali Diaspora Center was launched in Mogadishu by Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali, and Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Wang Yu.
Barre said the center would help broaden cooperation between the government and the diaspora while backing the country’s wider diaspora policy.
Ali said building stronger connections is essential to earning the trust of diaspora communities, and he thanked China for financing the project.
At the opening ceremony, Wang described the center as a fresh sign of the relationship between China and Somalia.
“The diaspora center project, completed with assistance from the Chinese government, marks a significant milestone in China-Somalia relations. The friendship between our two nations has a long history and remains unshakable through the test of time,” he said.
