In the early 2010s, Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government ordered a new family of banknotes to be printed in Sudan, (presumably by Sudan Currency Printing Press, the state printer). By 2013, Somalia’s new federal government declared that the introduction of the notes was postponed until an unspecified later date, pending the strengthening of financial institutions in Somalia. It is unknown if Sudan had printed any notes for Somalia at this time.
According to an article on Hiiraan Online dated 13 June 2018, Bashir Isse Ali, governor of the Somalia Central Bank, indicated that the government and the International Monetary Fund was preparing to spend $41 million to print new 5,000-, 10,000-, 20,000-, and 50,000-shilling notes with advanced security features. In earlier interviews he said 1,000- and 2,000-shilling notes were also being considered.
According to an article on Hiiraan Online dated 20 March 2021, Abdusalam Omer Hadliye, a former governor (January to September 2013) of the Somalia Central Bank, said that huge amounts of Somali shilling notes remained in a Sudanese warehouse. He indicated the notes were printed by a German firm, (presumably Giesecke & Devrient) and have seven security features.
In 2023, a civil war broke out in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Subsequently these unissued Somali notes began to appear scattered on the streets of Khartoum.
B318 (PNL): 2,000 shilin (shillings)
Green, yellow, and blue. Front: Arabic and English; river scene. Back: English and Somali text; banana trees; Somali coat of arms. Windowed security thread with demetalized Central Bank of Somalia and Arabic text. Watermark: Pixelated lion and electrotype 2000. Printer: (Sudan Currency Printing Press). 120 x 58 mm. Paper.
a. 2010. Sig. 7: Unknown/Unknown. Prefix BA. Unissued.
Courtesy of Vladimir Buravlev, Alex Zlotin, and Thomas Augustsson.