Washington D.C., United States – Somalia’s Minister of Finance, Bihi Iman Egeh, is in Washington D.C. for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, using the high-level gathering to rally support for the country’s sweeping economic reform agenda.
Since touching down in the U.S. capital, Egeh has held a series of strategic talks with senior officials from partner governments, international financial institutions, and development agencies. According to sources close to the delegation, the discussions have focused on accelerating Somalia’s fiscal consolidation efforts, expanding access to concessional financing, and securing technical assistance for key infrastructure and social service projects.
Egeh is also reported to be pushing for greater international recognition of Somalia’s recent economic strides, including its historic completion of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief process, domestic revenue improvements, and efforts to combat corruption. These achievements, he argues, position Somalia not merely as a beneficiary of aid, but as a viable partner for long-term investment.
Beyond formal meetings, the minister has been taking advantage of informal engagements and networking events to deepen ties with key stakeholders—ranging from regional financiers to philanthropic foundations looking to support resilience and job creation initiatives in fragile states.
The delegation is expected to make a strong case for scaling up support to Somalia’s financial sector reforms, particularly digitalization of public services and strengthening the Central Bank’s regulatory capabilities. There are also early indications of interest from partners in co-financing infrastructure corridors designed to boost trade across the Horn of Africa.
As the meetings continue, Egeh is expected to press for Somalia’s inclusion in emerging global development frameworks and climate financing mechanisms—a move seen as critical to protecting the country’s drought-prone economy.
For Somalia, whose leadership has staked much of its legitimacy on economic recovery, the outcomes from Washington could shape the next phase of its nation-building journey.