Somaliland Military awarded Taiwan security scholarships

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) and Taiwan ambassador to the country Allen C. Lou on Saturday presented the 2025 Taiwan Security Scholarships to seven outstanding officers from Somaliland’s military and police forces.

These scholarships, designed to enhance Somaliland’s national security capabilities, are part of a broader initiative endorsed by the United States and other international partners.

The Taiwan Security Scholarship program, which began in 2023, aims to provide professional military and law enforcement training. This year marks a milestone, as the scholarship has expanded to include both military and police officers. With this initiative, Somaliland has become the largest beneficiary of the program among other partner countries, receiving seven scholarship slots, the largest allocation to date.

During the meeting at the Presidential Palace, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi highlighted the government’s unwavering dedication to modernizing and enhancing the capabilities of Somaliland’s National Armed Forces. With a focus on continuous higher education and advanced training, this initiative reflects the joint government’s commitment to strengthening the knowledge and skills of the armed forces.

The President first expressed his gratitude to the Government of Taiwan for the educational grants and development projects provided to Somaliland, stating that Taiwan would continue to expand its support.

The President congratulated the officers who earned the prestigious scholarships, praising their hard work, perseverance, and high educational standards. He explained that the knowledge and experience they will gain from the scholarship will guide them in leading the new generation of Somaliland’s military with ambition and vision. He further encouraged the officers to represent the values and integrity of Somaliland, assuring that they would excel in their studies and return with fresh ideas on how to modernize and improve the armed forces. This scholarship opportunity is seen as crucial for equipping the officers with the skills needed to contribute significantly to the nation’s security and defense.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Lou expressed his deep gratitude to the President for hosting the event and praised the selected officers for their dedication and achievement. He emphasized that Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, which oversees the scholarship, had worked diligently to increase the scope of the program. This year, the scholarships are available not only to the military but also to the police force and intelligence agencies, reinforcing Taiwan’s long-term commitment to strengthening Somaliland’s security capacity.

“The Taiwan Security Scholarship to Somaliland is a national security capacity-building initiative endorsed by the USA and other like-minded partner countries. Hosted by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and associated schools, the program has offered acclaimed professional training to an accumulated total of nine Somaliland military officers since its inception in 2023, including the newly appointed Military Chief of Staff, Niman Yusuf Osman, and Head of Military Operations, Mustafe Abdi Hassan. This year, we have the pleasure to further increase the number to seven, made exclusively available to Somaliland with the support of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense,” Ambassador Lou said.

Ambassador Lou further reflected on the strong relationship between Taiwan and Somaliland, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. He recalled that over the past five years, the collaboration between the two nations has fostered mutual success and growth, particularly in the development of young Somaliland talents who are now prepared to play key roles in the country’s future.

The ceremony also coincided with International Women’s Day, and Ambassador Lou took the opportunity to celebrate the inclusion of a female officer in this year’s scholarship group. Acknowledging the importance of empowering women in defense and security roles, he shared an African proverb: “If you educate a man, you educate an individual; if you educate a woman, you educate a nation,” underscoring the critical role women play in the advancement of Somaliland.

In his closing remarks, Ambassador Lou urged the scholarship recipients to embrace their educational opportunities in Taiwan, serve as cultural ambassadors, and return to Somaliland with new knowledge and ideas to contribute to the country’s ongoing development. He also expressed his hope that the enduring friendship between Taiwan and Somaliland would continue to flourish.