India – Somalia relations

India and Somalia have cordial and friendly relations. Though India opened its embassy in 1961, it was eventually closed in 1991 due to the Somali civil war. The high commission of Nairobi, Kenya is concurrently accredited to Somalia as well.

Somalia is an LDC (Least Developed Country) country. And therefore qualifies India’s offer of unilateral Duty – Free Tariff Preferential market access. In 2017 – 18, India exported 455.52 million USD of goods to Somalia. In the same year India imported 3.55 million USD of goods from Somalia.

During 1993 – 94 around 4,600 Indian troops were employed in Somalia under UNOSOM program. UNOSOM is an operation established to maintain peace in Somalia. It is United Nations Operation in Somalia.

In 2015, 20 diplomats of Somali Foreign ministry were trained in FSI, New Delhi. Under IAFS II, India provided 2 million USD to the AMISIM – African Union Mission to Somalia. Another 1 million USD was contributed to the same mission in 2012.

In 2011, India announced line of credit of 8 million USD for the countries in the horn of Africa – Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti.

India is a part of Piracy off the coast of Somalia. Indian navy has been conducting anti – piracy patrols since 2008 in the Gulf of Aden. Piracy off the coast of Somalia is currently operating in the Somali sea, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel. The piracy has intensified after the Somalian civil war in 2000. India joined the program as there were 111 attacks in the Arabian sea region in 2008. The rate increased 10 times in 2009.

There are around 200 Indian families in the country. Around 1940s many Indians were hired by the Italians to work on the plantations. After the outbreak of civil war in 1991, many Indians returned back.