Somalia Oil Summit organiser says surprised by country’s change of heart
The international events organizer at the centre of a controversial oil summit for Somalia has responded to Somalia’s dissociation with the event noting it duly received the endorsement from the Federal Government.
The UK based International Research Networks (IRN) said it was surprised that Somalia changed course despite giving a nod to the Summit scheduled for March 2018 in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.
“We received the letter of endorsement from the Somali Federal Government almost two months ago,” IRN noted, “And were subsequently surprised to receive communication from the Minister of Petroleum and Mining of the Federal Republic of Somalia on 5th November, which we hope will be resolved quickly.”
Petroleum Minister Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed filed a protest letter Sunday expressing surprise that such a Summit was on course without his knowledge.
“It has surprisingly come to my attention International Research Network is organizing a summit in Nairobi called Somali Oil, Gas and Mining Summit, in March 2018,” said Ahmed in the letter addressed to one the chairman of IRN Mr. Hillary. “Regrettably, I am writing to clearly inform you that the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources has neither endorsed not has been involved in any discussion of the stated Summit.”
The government however maintained it had endorsed the Summit through the July 19 letter signed by the State Minister, Office of the Prime Minister Abdullahi Hamud Mohamed addressed to IRN affirming the government’s approval and endorsement of the summit.
Two senior government officials whom Goobjoog News spoke to confirmed the endorsement letter cited by IRN was genuine but that there was no consultations between the offices of the PM and the Petroleum Ministry.
IRN said Wednesday it had been ‘in communication with various stakeholders within Somalia to organize a forum which addresses the significant potential hydrocarbon reserves in the region, which can provide a real boost to developing Somalia bringing jobs, investment and further stability in the country’.
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Goobjoog News has learnt the Prime Minister’s office and the Ministry of Petroleum were at loggerheads over the summit before it was decided a no association-no show be declared.
“The Ministry of Petroleum had earlier proposed a similar summit to be held in South Africa but it was shot down at the PM’s office. The Ministry was however shocked to learn the PM’s office had endorsed the Nairobi summit without the knowledge of the parent ministry,” a senior official at the Ministry of Petroleum who could not be named owing to the sensitive nature of the matter told Goobjoog News.
IRN which had marketed the event leveraging on Somalia’s endorsement said Wednesday ‘it hoped the issue would be resolved quickly’. “We are still talking with the Federal Government of Somalia o the issue and we hope to resolve as soon as possible.”
In his protest letter Sunday, Mohamed urged the organizer ‘to officially withdraw the announcement of the summit with immediate effect’.
IRN said it had organized similar events for the last six years across the world and countries around the Red Sea and Arabian Sea in previous years at which Somalia was among the countries represented.