'African Biden': Somaliland president slammed for disastrous US interview

Somaliland's President Abdirahman Abdullahi Mohamed has come under criticism for his recent performance during an interview at a US think tank. The interview, hosted by the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC, saw the Somaliland President giggling, wheezing, and struggling to articulate his responses. This comes as Somaliland seeks to obtain recognition from the US and Israel, with Israeli and US news outlets suggesting that the President will present potential deals to US administration officials.

One particularly embarrassing moment for Abdullahi was when he was asked about the critical minerals that Somaliland could offer the US in exchange for recognition. Instead of providing a clear answer, he laughed and said he was not a geologist, then jokingly responded, "Maybe everything."

Another challenging question was about the ongoing conflict in Sudan, a conflict that has drawn in regional powers. Abdullahi responded by saying the conflict was "too far away" and compared Sudan to Venezuela in terms of distance from Somaliland. While the moderator then clarified that Sudan is only 750km away, Abdullahi moved on.

Cameron Hudson, a former US intelligence official who specializes in African affairs, commented on social media that Abdullahi appeared to be "a frail and ageing leader not fully able to deliver the brief that he came here to deliver to a skeptical Washington audience."