Authors: Jamal Mohammed & Prof Abdirisak Arale Nunow Introduction A turbulent history of conflict, state collapse and external interventions marks Somalia’s state-building landscape. Many scholars have attempted to understand the reasons for state failure in the country. The country has often been analysed and intervened within a framework of a ‘Failed State’ that cannot perform...
Category: History
Manufactured Identity, Territorial Claims, and the Displacement of Somalis: How the Oromo Regional State Oblitrated the Somali Regional State
By Faisal Roble Introduction This report is a cursory review of “MINOR DEMARCATION, MICRO-DAMS – MAJOR DRAMA” (Micro-Dam) prepared by the Rift Valley Institute (RVI) of the Ethiopian Peace Research Facility (EPF).[1] This review is not to extensively discuss the history of the region, nor is it to go into a detail discussion about the...
Somaliland’s Secession: Revisiting the Historical Foundations
By Abdiweli Garad, PhD Introduction: Echoes of Dissent in a Fractured Landscape Somaliland’s secession from Somalia has been a contentious issue since the collapse of Somalia’s central government in late 1991. Recently, this topic has gained renewed attention in Somalis’ discussions on social media, resonating with some non-formally secessionist regions that show sympathy for it....
Competing/Complementing Political Visions: Sayyid Maxamed Cabdille Xasan and President Aadan Cabdulle Cusmaan
By Abdukadir Osman Farah, PhD In a recent Aljazeera English documentary, the editors of the program sketch the history of the legendry Sayyid Maxamed Cabdille Xasan. A leader who resisted the British Empire for over two decades (the longest anti-colonial war in Africa). The program profiles him as “the father of Somali nationalism”[i]. In a...
These trees exist in only one place on Earth Now climate change and goats threaten their survival
SOCOTRA, Yemen (AP) — On a windswept plateau high above the Arabian Sea, Sena Keybani cradles a sapling that barely reaches her ankle. The young plant, protected by a makeshift fence of wood and wire, is a kind of dragon’s blood tree — a species found only on the Yemeni island of Socotra that is...
Declining Political and Scholarly Charisma: Mohamed A. Eno’s “Horizontal Aberration”[i]
By Abdulkadir Osman Farah, PhD Ali Jimale Ahmed considers the Somali society unsettled due to a departure from its traditional roots. Tradition that historically served as protection against colonial influence and preserved its organic cultural identity[i]. Such society rested on decentralized/localized consultations and consensus in which leaders delegated decisions by sharing tasks and authority. In...
Revitalizing and Reclaiming The Somali Heritage: A Foundation for Justice, Unity, and Governance
By Anwar Maxamed Diiriye “Culture is the soul of a people—when it is preserved, identity lives; when it is lost, even freedom feels foreign.” Unknown. Introduction As Somali people, we come from a land rich in history, culture, and values that have guided us for generations. Our unity through a shared language, faith, ethnicity, and...
Distorted History, Stolen Land: How the West Erased Somalis
By Faisal A Roble The erasure of Somali history began with the downfall of Islamic powers and the triumph of Christianity following the end of the last Crusade in the 15th century. The Somali Peninsula was left without a major benefactor as the Ottoman Empire’s power waned in the 19th century, whilst the “Scramble for...
Obituary: Brigadier General Ahmed Suleiman Abdalla (Dafle) – A Legacy of Courage, Wisdom, and National Service
By Abdiweli Garad, PhD Brigadier General Ahmed Suleiman Abdalla, affectionately known as Dafle, passed away on 10 April 2025 and was laid to rest on 15 April 2025 in Muscat, Oman, at 87, leaving behind a wife, four adult children and four grandchildren. His departure marks the end of an era of steadfast leadership, unwavering dedication...
Maxaynu Ka Baran Karnaa Ibraahin Ismaaciil Uurcad iyo Sheekadiisa Faaftay ee Badmaaxnimo?
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...