HEC UK Geopolitics Club: Somaliland the pivot of the “Horn of Africa”?
HEC UK Geopolitics Club
Somaliland: The pivot of the "Horn of Africa"?
Thursday 5th March at 8:30am
HEC UK House, 43 Parker Street, London, WC2B 5PS
Somaliland does not exist – at least not as an internationally recognised country. Still, it has governed itself separately from Somalia since 1991, organising democratic elections and running a functioning government. Why is this territory of only 6 million becoming so geopolitically important ? Somaliland today sits at a confluence of interests – strategic location on an oil route, offering access to the sea for Ethiopia, home to a military base from the United Arab Emirates, recognised by Israel, it is coveted by many powers small and large.
From British protectorate to full independence, this talk will explore why we will hear about Somaliland in the years to come.
 | Our speaker, Saeed Ibrahim, is a UK citizen with a Somaliland background. International development has been the focus of his career. After a MSc in Development Economics and International Development from SOAS and an Executive MBA at Imperial College, he started practicing finance at the Royal Bank of Scotland. He joined the Islamic Development Bank in 2009 as a Senior Country Manager/Economist for East & Central Africa. At the Internal Evaluation Department of EBRD from 2014, he was able to observe the impact of the bank’s investments in its countries of operation. Today, he is the Director, Sustainable Impact, at a major investor in emerging markets. Saeed’s presentation of the geopolitics of the Horn of Africa will be grounded in his personal and professional experience. |
EVENT SUMMARY
- Date: Thursday 5th March 2026
- Time: 8:30 to 9:30pm
- Format: Panel discussion and breakfast
- Ticket: Fee-paying members: £7 / Non-fee paying members & external: £12
