Avv. Khalif M Duale Juris Doctor

Ref: GSH/XX/CXA/USCONG_34 Date: 14/03/2026 To: Honorable Members of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations To: Honorable Members of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subject: Request for Congressional Oversight Review of the West Virginia–Somalia Critical Minerals Memorandum of Understanding Dear Honorable Members of Congress, I write to you in my official capacity as a Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of the People of the Federal Parliament of Somalia concerning a recently announced Memorandum of Understanding regarding cooperation on critical minerals signed between the State of West Virginia and the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of Somalia. According to publicly available information, the document was reportedly signed by Kris Warner, Secretary of State of West Virginia, and Dahir Shire Mohamed, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of the Federal Republic of Somalia. While Somalia welcomes lawful and transparent cooperation with the United States in the responsible development of strategic minerals, the circumstances surrounding this agreement raise serious constitutional, legal, and governance concerns that may warrant congressional oversight. The United States Constitution clearly restricts the authority of individual states to enter into agreements with foreign governments. The Compact Clause provides: “No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, enter into any Agreement or Compact with a foreign Power.” The Federal Republic of Somalia is a sovereign foreign state. Accordingly, any agreement between the State of West Virginia and the Government of Somalia that establishes obligations related to mineral exploration, extraction, investment, or supply chains could fall within the meaning of an “agreement with a foreign power.” If the agreement was concluded without congressional consent or federal oversight, it may raise constitutional concerns relating to the encroachment of state authorities into matters reserved to the federal government - particularly foreign policy and international economic relations. Serious constitutional issues also arise under the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Under Article 44, natural resources belong collectively to the Somali people and must be managed through a cooperative framework between the Federal Government and the Federal Member States. Additionally, the Constitution grants oversight authority to the House of the People of the Federal Parliament of Somalia to review international agreements affecting national resources and sovereignty. To date: o No such agreement has been submitted to Parliament for scrutiny or ratification. o No consultation has taken place with Federal Member States. o No public disclosure of the agreement’s terms has occurred. These circumstances raise serious concerns regarding the legality and constitutional validity of the agreement under Somali law. The timing of this agreement further raises concerns about governance. The constitutional mandates of Somalia’s federal institutions are approaching expiration: o The term of the Federal Parliament expires in April 2026. o The mandate of the Executive Branch led by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia, expires on 15 May 2026. International governance standards generally discourage caretaker administrations from entering agreements that could bind future governments on matters involving strategic national resources. Critical minerals are increasingly vital to global supply chains, advanced technologies, renewable energy infrastructure, and national security. Ensuring that any agreements involving these strategic resources are legally valid, transparent, and constitutionally authorized is essential to safeguarding both U.S. and Somali national interests. Congressional oversight would help ensure that cooperation between U.S. entities and Somalia proceeds in a manner consistent with constitutional principles and international best practices. Accordingly, any attempt to authorize mineral development in the Awdal region without consultation with me (Representative of Awdal at the Federal Republic of Somalia the House of People), Grand Chief Suldan Samatar Suldan Ibrahim Suldan Jama (Grand Chief Custodian of Awdal Region), and lawful constitutional institutions would constitute a violation of community rights and customary land governance. Public reports indicate that the delegation representing the Somali government in West Virginia included individuals closely related to Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, including: o Jihan Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, daughter of the President o Mohamed Ibrahim Ali Cajib, Member of Parliament and relative of the President o Dahir Shire Mohamed, Minister of Petroleum and Minerals and relative of the President o Dahir Hassan Abdi, he Ambassador of Somalia to the United States and relative of the President These circumstances raise serious concerns regarding transparency and conflicts of interest in the negotiation of agreements affecting national resources. In light of the constitutional violations described above and the absence of lawful authorization under both U.S. and Somali law, the Memorandum of Understanding must be considered legally null and void. In light of these concerns, I respectfully request that the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs consider reviewing this matter to determine: o Whether the State of West Virginia possessed lawful authority under the United States Constitution to conclude an agreement with the Government of Somalia. o Whether the agreement required the consent of Congress under the Compact Clause. o Whether relevant federal agencies were consulted prior to its execution. o Whether any U.S. laws governing foreign relations, international agreements, or strategic mineral supply chains may be implicated. The Somali people deeply value the longstanding partnership between Somalia and the United States. Our shared commitment to democratic governance, transparency, and the rule of law provides a strong foundation for future cooperation. Ensuring that international agreements respect the constitutional frameworks of both nations will strengthen this partnership and promote responsible development of Somalia’s natural resources. Please accept, Honorable Members of Congress, the assurances of my highest consideration. Respectfully, 📷 Dr. Abdillahi Hashi Abib - BA, MA, MASc, Ph.D Member of Foreign Affairs Committee Leader of Accountability and Transparency Caucus The House of People of the Federal Republic of Somalia E: [email protected] W: + 1-571-436-7586 @wvgovernor @wvsosoffice @JimJusticeWV @wvhouse @SenateForeign @RepJamesComer @RepRobertGarcia @golaha_shacabka @HouseForeignGOP @realDonaldTrump @StateDept @AGPamBondi @TheJusticeDept @HassanSMohamud @TheVillaSomalia @HamzaAbdiBarre @AadanMadobe @TedCruz @SomaliainQatar @MOFAKuwait @UAEinSomalia @ChineseSomalia @KSAmofaEN @US2SOMALIA @EU_in_Somalia @ItalyinSomalia @UNSomalia @TC_MogadisuBE @UNDPSomalia @WorldBankAfrica @IMFAfrica @CanHCKenya @SwissEmbassyKE @UKinSomalia @USTreasury @StateDept @RepGarbarino @BennieGThompson @RepRickCrawford @jahimes @RepChrisSmith @RepSaraJacobs @HouseOversight @HomelandGOP @HomelandDems @HouseIntel @HouseForeign @RollanRoberts

Mr. Tibor Nagy, What you are peddling is not “reality” - it is fantasy dressed up as diplomacy, and it collapses the moment it is confronted with facts, law, and lived experience. You lazily recycle talking points fed to you by a one-clan secessionist administration in Hargeisa, while conveniently using Somalia’s current administration - widely documented as the most corrupt in Somalia’s modern history - as a strawman to justify an illegal secession project. That is not analysis; it is spin. Let me be unambiguous: I was born in Hargeisa. My father served as District Commissioner and Governor. I know that society, its history, and its fractures far better than any lobbyist brief or think-tank memo you have skimmed. The “model democracy” you promote does not exist on the ground outside a narrow clan elite. A “functioning nation” does not: Wage war on its own civilians in Las Anod, resulting in mass civilian deaths and displacement Suppress and marginalize Awdal/Borama communities demanding political inclusion Rule through clan monopoly while branding dissenters as enemies Silence opposition and weaponize security forces against non-Isaaq populations Yet you have never written a single word condemning those atrocities. Not one. That silence speaks louder than your tweets. Your praise also ignores serious allegations that U.S. taxpayer funds and World Bank resources have been diverted to finance foreign lobbying campaigns in Washington, while individuals acting as agents for Hargeisa operate without proper registration under U.S. law. If untrue, transparency should be welcome. If true, it is not diplomacy - it is fraud and influence peddling. So when you ask, “True or not?” - here is the answer: Somalia, despite corruption and fragility, remains a UN-recognized sovereign state, with international legal personality, UN membership, treaty capacity, and constitutional continuity. Hargeisa, regardless of how many op-eds or paid lobbyists it deploys, remains a sub-national administration with zero international legal standing, no recognition, and no lawful path to sovereignty without consent of all affected populations. Calling Somalia an “international beggar” while laundering propaganda for a clan-based secession project is not realism - it is intellectual dishonesty. The only rational conclusion, given your selective outrage and total silence on mass abuses, is that lobby money is talking. And no amount of repetition will turn that fiction into law, legitimacy, or history.