MOGADISHU — The Federal Republic of Somalia and the People’s Republic of China are significantly expanding their bilateral cooperation in institutional development. This week, China’s Ambassador to Somalia, H.E. Wang Yu, held a series of high-level strategic meetings in the capital with both the nation’s Auditor General and the head of the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).
The parallel discussions underscore Beijing’s growing role in supporting Somalia’s state-building efforts, specifically by modernizing the country’s digital civil registry and strengthening its public financial oversight frameworks.
Advancing the National ID System
Ambassador Wang Yu met with H.E. Abdiweli Ali Abdulle (Timacadde), the Director of NIRA, to discuss accelerating the implementation of Somalia’s advanced National ID System. Director Abdiweli emphasized that building a secure, digital national registry is a fundamental pillar of the country’s broader nation-building strategy.
To guarantee the technical excellence and sustainability of this infrastructure, the two leaders established a framework for direct technological collaboration. By leveraging China’s extensive global expertise in large-scale data management and digital governance, NIRA aims to rapidly enhance internal security, streamline public service delivery, and officially connect Somali citizens with the formal economy.
Strengthening Financial Accountability
In a separate bilateral meeting, Ambassador Wang Yu met with Auditor General H.E. Ahmed Isse Gutale and Deputy Auditor General Mukhtar Mohamed Abukar. The strategic dialogue focused on closely aligning the Supreme Audit Institutions of both nations to better protect public resources.
A central pillar of the new cooperative framework is building human capacity within Somalia’s financial oversight sector. Building on the Auditor General’s recent national capacity-building initiatives, the officials outlined advanced educational opportunities for Somali auditors, highlighting specialized Master’s Degree programs offered by China’s Nanjing Audit University.
Auditor General Gutale conveyed deep gratitude to Beijing, recognizing that robust audit systems and top-tier technical skills are essential for improving government transparency and restoring public trust.
Historic Diplomatic Ties
The Federal Republic of Somalia and the People’s Republic of China have maintained a long-standing diplomatic relationship dating back to 1960. Officials noted that these latest agreements provide a solid, modern foundation for their growing collaboration in governance, technological modernization, and sustainable economic development.
