Somalia’s cabinet endorsed the proposal which was initially proposed by the previous government and failed to materialize due to resistance by the international organizations to relocate to Somalia on account of security concerns.
The new proposal pushed by Somalia’s Minister for Planning, Investment and Economic Development Jamal Mohamed Hassan sets January 1st 2019 as the final deadline for the international organizations and NGOs working on Somalia to fully relocate to the country.
NGOs have also said that high operational costs in the country where Islamist militants continue to carry out attacks against foreigners and international organizations also remained another concern that prevented them from relocating to Somalia.According to the government, relocating offices of agencies working in Somalia would improve the coordination it has with the relevant agencies.
It’s unclear if the new tough measures that the government vowed would be taken against the Nairobi-based organizations working on Somalia if they fail to abide by the instructions would prompt them to take notes.
Most of the international organizations and NGOs working in Somalia are based in Nairobi.