W/Q Axmed Sanwilwilo 1977dii ayay ahay markii qoraa Ingiriis ah oo ku caanbaxay cilmibaadhisyo khuseeya Itoobiya uu soo helay taariikh nololeed laga qoray Ibraahin Ismaaciil oo ahaa badmaax Soomaaliyeed oo ka soo jeeda xeebaha Maakhir. Dr. Richard Panchurst oo ah qoraaga qoraalkan soo helay waxa uu caruurnimadiisii wax ka deganaa guriga qoraa kale oo reer...
By Mohamed A. Abdullahi The Somali language, spoken by over 20 million people across the Horn of Africa and the diaspora, is far more than a tool for communication—it is a carrier of history, wisdom, and cultural identity. As a Cushitic language in the Afroasiatic family, Somali has long been preserved through oral tradition, making...
Dr. Abdurahman Baadiyow I have discovered two significant letters written by Dr. Mohamed Adan Sheikh and Dr. Hussein Tanzani, which serve as primary documents illuminating the early history of the Somali Studies International Association (SSIA). One of these letters, dated August 1, 1979, was authored by Dr. Mohamed Adan Sheikh in his capacity as the...
By Abdulkadir Osman Farah, PhD “A government is an institution which prevents injustice other than such as it commits itself.” Ibn-Khaldun’s definition of a government[i] [Bulshadeenu waa duul Daacad iyo xishood badan Dun xariira weeyaan Cidna uma darraadaan Dar Allay ku dhaqantaa Dareen waw dhegweyn tahay Ogow doqonse maahee Qofka maamul dalabliyo Dabbaal-joogto hoosiyo Dibindaabyo...
Berlin, Germany – The plaque that marks 77 William Street, the building in the German capital where a meeting that forever shaped Africa’s fate took place, is different. Unlike those beside it – official square plaques that tell of Germany’s Nazi history in sombre colours – this one is set awkwardly in front of a tree and bears...
By Khalid Hassan Yusuf Arab historians who wrote about the history of the Horn of Africa region in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries AD, spoke about the division of Muslims before the kings of Abyssinia. These Islamic-style emirates were subject to the control of the kings of Abyssinia, who were forcefully taking royalties from them....
By Faisal A. Roble Understanding the Clan Factor With its open-ended segmentary system, the clan is an enduring political tool in Somali society. The elite uses the clan factor to bargain for power, thus inadvertently hindering the process of state construction. The bondage to the mighty genius Somali clanism by the average person and the...
By Aden Ismail In November 2011, President Obama officially unveiled the pivot to Asia plan to usher in what then-foreign secretary Hillary Clinton called “America’s Pacific Century.” A strategic reorientation meant to shift focus on the economic potentials of Asia, counterbalancing China’s growing influence, checking North Korea’s belligerent behaviours and reassuring regional allies, while simultaneously...
Dr. Abdurahman Baadiyow In the last quarter of the 19th century, extending into the early 20th century, as the European powers extended control in the Horn of Africa, scholars of Islam became leading figures in the organization and leadership of Somali resistance. These scholars saw the defense of Muslim lands against Christian invaders-the Italians, British,...
By Faisal A. Roble Introduction About 47 years ago, the Somali National Army and the Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLF) jointly fought against Ethiopia’s Derg forces over the Ogaden region. As wars leave behind national conflicting myths and narratives they in turn strengthen identity politics and nationalism; so did the 1977-78 Ogaden war. Two issues...