Hargeisa: Abdul Rafay Afzal, international journalist, policy advisor, and Editor-in-Chief of The Advocate Post, held a high-level meeting with Cali Cige Maxamuud, Director General at the Ministry of Local Government and Urban Development Somaliland, at his office in Hargeisa.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders, including Prof. Ismail and Hassan Ahmed Yusuf, Technical Advisor to the Diaspora Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Somaliland. The engagement focused on strengthening municipal-level cooperation between cities of Somaliland and international counterparts.
Discussions centred on developing frameworks for city-to-city partnerships, institutional linkages, and knowledge exchange mechanisms aimed at enhancing urban governance, service delivery, and sustainable development. Particular emphasis was placed on leveraging diaspora engagement and international networks to facilitate technical cooperation, capacity building, and investment opportunities within Somaliland’s municipal sector.
Director General Cali Cige Maxamuud highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to modernising local governance structures and expanding international collaboration at the municipal level. He underscored the importance of strategic partnerships in areas such as urban planning, infrastructure development, waste management, and digital governance.
Abdul Rafay Afzal, drawing on his role in international cooperation and media diplomacy, reiterated the potential of cross-border municipal diplomacy as a pragmatic avenue for fostering development partnerships. He noted that structured engagement between cities can unlock targeted solutions, encourage policy innovation, and create pathways for sustainable urban growth.
Prof. Ismail contributed insights on academic and institutional collaboration, particularly in integrating research-driven approaches into urban development planning. Meanwhile, Hassan Ahmed Yusuf emphasised the role of the diaspora in bridging international connections and supporting knowledge transfer initiatives.
The meeting concluded with a shared understanding to explore formal mechanisms for cooperation, including potential memoranda of understanding (MoUs), pilot partnership programmes between selected cities, and coordinated outreach to international municipal networks and development partners.
This engagement reflects a growing emphasis within Somaliland’s governance architecture on decentralised international cooperation, positioning municipalities as active actors in global development dialogue and partnership-building.
