The Dichotomy of Norway: Preaching Justice, Profiting from Exploitation

As the UN General Assembly convenes, leaders take the stage to preach peace and justice, yet their actions often remain performative, with little accountability or real progress on the ground.

The UN General Assembly's 79th session is currently taking place, world leaders and diplomats are once again addressing conflicts and placing new items on the agenda—while rarely checking off old ones. In rare instances, as we saw this year, a Prime Minister responsible for genocide and ethnic cleansing took to the stage to announce more murders of innocent civilians, assassinations of political opponents, and even threaten an entire region. In other cases, diplomats performatively condemn, “cut ties,” and give speeches about peace and justice without reflecting those values in their own actions.

Such is the protagonist of our story, Norway. It’s hard to listen to Western countries constantly talk about human rights, justice, and peace when their actions speak so much louder than their carefully crafted speeches. For years, Norway has positioned itself as a beacon of moral clarity, constantly condemning the Israeli occupation of Palestine and standing up for the rights of the oppressed—at least, that’s the story they like to tell. But when it comes to their own interests, the mask slips. Nowhere is this facade more blatant than in Somalia, where Norway, is deeply involved in the exploitation of the country’s oil reserves. And in doing so, they’re not only fueling the country’s conflict but also perpetuating the very corruption and inequality they claim to oppose.

Let’s be clear: the Israeli occupation is an international crime. It is illegal under international law, violates the basic human rights of Palestinians daily, and has been condemned by countless UN resolutions. Norway is quick to call out Israel for its war crimes, its disregard for Palestinian lives, for bulldozing homes and building settlements on stolen land. They demand Israel adhere to international law and stop its violent apartheid regime. They posture as friends of the oppressed, defenders of justice. And in Palestine, they might just be.

But it’s not enough to preach morality when it’s politically convenient, only to turn around and trample those same principles in the pursuit of cold, hard cash. While Norwegian politicians stand on the world stage, wagging their fingers at Israel, their hands are deep in the pockets of Somalia, among other countries, extracting wealth from one of the most fragile states in the world. Norway, through state-owned and funded petroleum firms, is mining Somalia’s oil fields, all while the country burns with conflict, driven in no small part by the resources beneath its soil.

For years, foreign companies, have been vying for access to Somalia’s oil-rich regions, particularly in Puntland and Somaliland. These areas are already rife with clan-based conflict, and the introduction of oil wealth has only intensified the power struggles. Local communities, especially in the Nugaal Valley, have seen their land turned into battlegrounds, with warlords, corrupt officials, and foreign companies fighting for control. Instead of bringing peace or prosperity, the discovery of oil has deepened divisions, forcing ordinary people to live in the crossfire while the profits flow elsewhere.

The United Nations has warned that oil exploration in these regions could ignite even more violence, pointing to the overlapping claims by Somaliland and Puntland over the Nugaal Valley, but to no avail. The arrival of foreign companies has exacerbated these tensions, with local and oftentimes, paramilitary leaders making secret deals that enrich a select few while leaving the broader population disenfranchised. Somalis are well aware that their resources are being drained, yet they see no improvements in their daily lives—no new infrastructure, no better schools, no reliable healthcare. The wealth simply disappears.

And the environment? That’s another casualty in this scramble for oil. Somalia’s agriculture and fishing industries, which sustain millions, are already vulnerable. The environmental risks that come with oil extraction—contamination of water supplies—threaten to ruin the livelihoods of countless Somali families. Foreign petroleum firms and those who enable them, aren’t conducting comprehensive environmental impact assessments. The playbook seems to be the usual; extract first, ask questions never.

This is the Western game: speak loudly about human rights when it doesn’t cost you anything, but sell out those same rights when there’s profit to be made. In Somalia, it’s about oil. It’s about money. And it’s about a familiar foe to the people, capitalist greed—the very same greed that strips resources from the “Global South” and leaves a trail of devastation in its wake.

Somalia has been ravaged by decades of war, internal conflict, and political instability. But the moment oil was discovered in Puntland and Somaliland, the vultures descended. Norway, like many Western countries through their firms and corporations, saw an opportunity to profit from a nation too weak to fight back. They swooped in, securing deals that will fatten their wallets while ordinary Somali people continue to suffer. And don’t be fooled—this isn’t just about extracting oil. This is about fueling the very conflicts that keep Somalia broken, for this is what capitalism requires; to always try to eliminate competitors or the possibility of new competitors.

In fragile states like Somalia, oil wealth becomes a weapon—one used by corrupt elites and foreign companies to maintain power and enrich themselves while the rest of the population is left with nothing. Norway’s presence in Somalia isn’t bringing peace or development. It’s deepening divisions, feeding into the same warlord economy that’s torn the country apart for decades. Local communities, whose land and resources are being pillaged, see no benefit from these deals. Instead, the money flows to elites, to foreign bank accounts, and to the very forces that perpetuate violence.

This is the truth that Norway doesn’t want you to see. They’re not in Somalia to help. They’re not there to support development or democracy. They’re there to extract—to take what they can, while they can, and leave behind a nation in even deeper turmoil. Just like the United States and its endless wars in the Middle East, just like the European Union and its neo-colonial trade deals, Norway is playing the same old imperial game under the guise of “helping” fragile states.

They preach justice when they’re not profiting, but when there’s a chance to line their pockets, suddenly the sermons stop. Norway will condemn Israel all day long, but they’re more than happy to fuel the conflict in Somalia if it means padding their sovereign wealth fund. The very same people who talk about ending the Israeli occupation have no problem occupying Somali resources.

And the people who pay the price? The Somali people, those trapped in endless war. They are the collateral damage of Western capitalism, of greed masquerading as morality.