Brief Background on Jubaland Jubaland historically comprised of Lower and Middle Juba states. But military dictatator and ex-President Siad Barre split up the region in 1975, adding Gedo, Bay, and Bakool states. The region has seen decades of conflict due… Read More ›
AMISOM
2013 in Somalia: A Look at Security
This is the first in a multi-part series about Somalia in 2013. In 2012, the Somali National Army and its partners in AMISOM and Ethiopia retook major al-Shabaab strongholds–including the lucrative port of Kismayo–and essentially confined al-Shabaab to the southern… Read More ›
AMISOM Still Working to Counter al-Shabaab Threat in Kismayo
AMISOM, the Somali National Army (SNA), and Ras Kamboni formally ousted al-Shabaab from its lucrative hub in Kismayo in early October 2012, but al-Shabaab has maintained a heavy informal influence in the port city. The group has carried out improvised… Read More ›
Uganda Withdrawal Threat A Reality Check for Somali Security
Uganda’s Security Minister Muruli Mukasa has stated that the country intends to withdraw its troops from Somalia and other conflict hotspots in response to the UN’s allegation that Uganda is supporting M23 rebels in DRC. Ugandan forces in Somalia—estimated to be at… Read More ›
In Somalia, Kenya Must Avoid Political Landmines
Three days after al-Shabaab’s most significant “tactical withdrawal” to date, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), its counterparts in AMISOM, Ras Kamboni, and the Somali National Army (SNA) finally entered the port city in the first week of October to fill… Read More ›
Kenya Defense Forces Officially Integrate into AMISOM to Save Money
According to a press released published yesterday: The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) today assumed formal command of the Kenyan forces in Southern Somalia at a colorful ceremony held at the Kenyan Department of Defense headquarters in Nairobi. A… Read More ›
Somali Government and AMISOM Troops Move Into Balcad in Middle Shabelle Region
Dayniile Online is reporting* that on June 26, 2012, troops from Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and AMISOM have moved into the town of Balcad, about 30 km north of Mogadishu in the Middle Shabelle region. Sources cited in the… Read More ›