Letter from Mogadishu: Somalia scores diplomatic coup as it embraces Swahili

While Kenya was mired in the 2027 politics, the health of its former prime minister and ODM leader Raila Odinga, down south Tanzania was counting days to the October 29 general elections, Somalia was celebrating a diplomatic coup it scored last year.

The war-torn country which has not known peace and stability since 1991 was basking in the glory of having been elected as a member of the United Nations Security Council and will assume the chairmanship of the powerful world body next January. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was in New York to address the 80^th United Nations General Assembly.

At the UN, Mohamud talked about growth, opportunity, and transformation that he has overseen in the last three years he has been in office. He said he had created necessary development strategies and an enabling environment for trade and investment. And that Somalia is ready to do business with any country.

The Somali leader said at the core of this transformation lies an enabling environment grounded in improved security, institutional reform, and strategic planning. He reminded the world about the milestones his administration had taken to defeat terrorism, stabilize Mogadishu, and restore public trust through the rule of law.

Mohamud talked about propelling the transformation agenda, Somalia having developed the Centennial Vision 2060, and the National Transformation Plan (NTP) as strategic frameworks that chart a clear path toward sustainable development, inclusive growth, and a vibrant economy driven by trade and investment.

He confidently told the General Assembly that Somalia is no longer a country defined by its past difficulties, but by its future possibilities and it was laying the foundations of a strong, dynamic, and diversified economy that will endure for generations.

However, the Somali leader kept the best soundbites for meetings and media briefings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

Basking in the glory of Somalia being a member of the UN Security Council since for the last nine months, the Somali leader disclosed that his country would be the chair of the powerful body in January 2026.

He said Somalia’s role at the Security Council was a bit complex as it was basically there as representatives of the African Union as well as taking care of the interests of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic States where they hold membership.

While the agenda of the Council may not be known in advance it typically revolves based on global events, conflicts and emerging issues. Among the conflicts Somalia may be called upon to deliberate on include the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and other situations in places like Syria and Yemen.

The Council also evaluates and makes adjustments to peacekeeping missions in various countries. Somalia is currently a beneficiary of such a mission with the African Union force which was early this year renamed the United Nations Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

Other issues that might be on the in-tray during Somalia’s term at the Security Council include global security threats like terrorism, nuclear proliferation and cybersecurity.

President Mohamud and his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto were the only regional leaders in New York to address the General Assembly. The other leaders including Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu gave the meeting a wideberth.

While the rest of East Africa politick, Somalia was busy regaling in this newfound diplomatic coup.

The Swahili language spoken by more than 200 million people on the African continent got a major boost this week when Somalia announced plans to accelerate its introduction into the country's curriculum for schools and universities as part of its push for integration within the East African Community (EAC).

Somalia said the language will be promoted to the status of a working and instructional language alongside Somali, Arabic and English to align with its new membership in the regional bloc.

President Mohamud asked Somali universities to champion the teaching and use of Swahili as a cornerstone of regional unity and cooperation.

This is a major decision by Somalia to embrace Swahili. One of the parameters police use to identify Somalis across the border from their Kenyan kith and kin is to ask them to speak in Swahili. Few are able to mumble a word in Swahili and this gives them away.

And Swahili is on the ascendancy if those embracing it are anything to go by. South Africa has introduced Swahili as one of the subjects in their school curriculum while China is also teaching it in some of its universities. Other countries teaching Swahili include the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Canada. Similarly, the African Union has adopted it as one of its major languages apart from English, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish and French.

While Somalia was scoring big for Swahili one of the presidential candidates in the forthcoming elections in Uganda, Mubarak Munyagwa, vowed to ban the language in education and public systems and replace it with-yes, French. How narrow-minded can one be to abandon one of the fastest growing languages in the world to embrace French which is on the wane?