Somalia: MP Raises Alarm Over "Imbalanced" Oil Deal with Turkey

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somali Member of Parliament Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame has raised serious concerns over the oil exploration agreement between Somalia and Turkey as the drilling vessel Çağrı Bey enters Somali waters.

The lawmaker described the deal as "deeply imbalanced," warning that it could compromise Somalia’s national interests. He revealed that the current terms allocate over 90 percent of the benefits to a single side, leaving Somalia with little to no significant revenue from its own natural resources.

Warsame, who is also the Wadajir opposition party leader, further criticized the agreement for a lack of transparency, noting the absence of a clear framework for corporate taxation or social investment projects for the Somali public.

He pointed out that the deal offers no solid guarantees for local job creation or the involvement of Somali professionals in the sector.

The timing of the vessel’s arrival—as the current Hassan Sheikh's administration term nears its end—has fueled intense debate over whether the country’s long-term wealth is being signed away without proper parliamentary oversight or public accountability.

GAROWE ONLINE