Newly released Department of Justice documents reveal Jeffrey Epstein and his associates explored ambitious business ventures and political lobbying in Somaliland.
These internal records paint a portrait of a disgraced financier seeking influence within the Horn of Africa’s unrecognised coastal borders.
In 2018, DP World executive Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem shared documents regarding the historical quest for Somaliland’s official international recognition.
Correspondence from 2012 suggests Epstein’s circle viewed the region as a fertile ground for untapped water reserves and financial services.
One associate highlighted Berbera’s vast aquifers, proposing a swift pipeline to capture the lucrative and thirsty Saudi Arabian export market.
Creative proposals included “Somaliwood Studios,” a desert-based filming hub designed to produce children’s programming against the region’s starkly beautiful landscapes.
Another email identified a “huge financial opportunity” in developing diaspora transfer systems as traditional banking services faced potential widespread collapse.
Somaliland has governed itself independently since 1991, yet struggled for decades to secure the formal legitimacy of sovereign statehood.
Israel recently became the first nation to grant official recognition, a historic shift that ignited significant diplomatic friction across Africa.
These revelations illuminate the peculiar intersection of high-level global finance and the geopolitical struggles of a marginalized, aspiring nation-state.