By Mohamed A Yasin President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has announced a national consultative conference aimed at bringing together Somalia’s political stakeholders to discuss the country’s future. This initiative comes after nearly four years of persistent calls from various political actors, federal member states (FMS), and civil society groups urging the president to hold an inclusive...
By Abdiqani Haji Abdi A Nation on the Brink—Is There Hope? Under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s leadership, Somalia is not just struggling with governance—it is unraveling. The country is adrift, with a president more focused on consolidating power than addressing its most pressing issues. Land grabs, rampant corruption, constitutional overreach, fractured federalism, an emboldened Al-Shabaab,...
WASHINGTON- The US military carried out an airstrike against Daesh in the Puntland region of Somalia, killing several Daesh operatives, Africa Command said. In a statement, the European-based command said the latest raid was conducted in coordination with the Somali government and hit “multiple Daesh-Somalia targets.”Daesh’s Somalia operation is relatively small compared to the Al...
By Andrew Ochieng & Lucy Fleming BBC News Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland has rejected an attempt by the central government to give the US exclusive control of a port and airbase in Berbera. The city lies on the strategic Gulf of Aden, on the northern coast of Somaliland. The territory, which declared independence in...
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Somalia is prepared to offer the United States exclusive control of strategic air bases and ports, its president said in a letter to President Donald Trump seen by Reuters on Friday. In the March 16 letter, authenticated by a regional diplomat with knowledge of the matter, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the...
By Abdullahi A. Nor The Standoff No One Saw Coming Cabinet reshuffles in Somalia often fail to garner significant attention, as they are widely perceived as superficial and ineffective. Nevertheless, in the grand theater of Somali politics, where power struggles often resemble a well-scripted drama, the latest showdown is unfolding at the Ministry of Defense....
By Isha Qarsoon[1] Introduction Somalia stands at a crossroads. So do its supporters. The international institutions and nations that have invested in Somalia’s institution-building—the United Nations and its agencies, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union, and key European nations such as...
The Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group was on the defensive in 2022 and 2023 after a concerted military push by the government and its international partners. But analysts say those gains are being reversed at a time when support from the United States and African Union is looking increasingly shaky. The group has seized key locations in...
JOHANNESBURG, (Xinhua) – Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s nomination of Leo Brent Bozell III as ambassador to South Africa amid tensions between the two countries, some analysts view this swift appointment as a sign that the Trump administration is ready to engage with South Africa. Local political analyst Sandile Swana on Wednesday described Bozell as...
By Abdulkadir Mohamed Osman Fahad Yasin, a prominent figure in President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed’s administration, held influential roles as Chief of Staff and Head of Intelligence. His immense influence within the government earned him the nickname “Milkeeleh Villa Somalia,” meaning the de facto owner of the government. Fahad’s central role in decision-making and his proximity...