Author Archives
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Somali President’s Mandate Extension: Brilliant Strategy or Grave Misstep?
This week, Somalia’s president Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmaajo” signed an unconstitutional Lower House resolution extending his term for two years and mandating One Person-One Vote (OPOV) elections to be held in 2023. The move is the latest controversy in elections that… Read More ›
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Analysis: Somalia’s President and Opposition Battle for International Support Amid Delayed Elections
On March 8, in a letter to Somalia’s key foreign partners, the Council of Presidential Candidates (CPC) demanded the president hand over key powers to the prime minister, alleging Villa Somalia can no longer negotiate a path to holding elections… Read More ›
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Somali Government Announces New Election Timeline As Parliament’s Mandate Expires
Amid ongoing delays in holding timely elections, Somalia’s Federal Electoral Implementation Team (FEIT) announced an updated timeline for Upper House (December 31 – January 6) and Lower House polls (January 7 until an unidentified date.) Who’s the Spoiler?: Despite no… Read More ›
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Somalia’s Turkish-Trained Special Forces Are Being Politicized Ahead of Elections
As the Somali electoral crisis continues, the country’s special forces risk becoming politicized in an emerging violent conflict between the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and rival forces in Jubaland’s Gedo region. Open source flight data from December 19 and… Read More ›
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Somalia’s President May Worsen Electoral Impasse Without Foreign Pressure
Pressure from foreign donors, rather than public protests, is more likely to force Somalia’s president to cease stifling the opposition, interfering with electoral committees, and diverting blame for electoral delays. Background Following previous agreements on an alternative process for one… Read More ›
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Around the Horn: Somalia’s Coronavirus Cases Now Among Highest in East Africa
Djibouti’s “Return to Normal” Djibouti will begin “unlocking the country” in one of the most recent examples of a nation relaxing quarantine measures over social fatigue and economic distress rather than victory over the virus. For example, South Sudan is… Read More ›
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Somalia Gets Ventilators, Kenya Mass Tests in Poor Areas, and More East Africa Updates
Djibouti As of May 4, Djibouti has confirmed 1,116 positive coronavirus cases from 14,222 tests. Somalia Journalism on the coronavirus in Somalia continues to explore the operational tempo of grave sites and ambulance drivers as a means to understand the… Read More ›
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Unexplained Deaths in Tanzania, Somalia’s Coronavirus Data Gaffe, and more East Africa Updates
Djibouti Via Mohamed Salh: Djibouti reported 8 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the country’s total confirmed cases to 1,097. It has reported two deaths and 672 recoveries. Somalia Both Somaliland and Puntland confirmed the first deaths… Read More ›
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East Africa Coronavirus Roundup: April 30, 2020
Djibouti The US military base in Djibouti is on lockdown after a second case of coronavirus was confirmed (via RFI): Camp Lemonnier, which provides the US military with a strategic foothold in east Africa, will go on indefinite lockdown to… Read More ›
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First Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Emerge in Somalia’s Southwest Region and AMISOM
On April 28, Somalia announced 48 new coronavirus cases, including the first confirmed positive tests in the Southwest region. The total case load in the country has reached 528, with 28 confirmed deaths. The new cases in the Southwest region… Read More ›
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Somali Government Continues Onslaught Against Domestic Rivals With Impunity
Similar to previous administrations, the FGS has prioritized the defeat of its domestic political opponents during the last months of its mandate rather than creating a conducive environment for elections and defeating al-Shabaab. The political disruption that the Federal Government… Read More ›
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Kenyan Troops “Hid in the Grass” During Al-Shabaab’s Airstrip Attack at U.S. Base
Kenyan troops “hid in the grass” during al-Shabaab’s January 5 attack on the Camp Simba airstrip, providing fresh doubt about the capability of the military to respond quickly and capably to high-profile terrorist attacks. Via NYTimes: “Surprised by the attack, American… Read More ›
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Weekend Note: Al-Shabaab and Kenya’s Tit-for-Tat Destruction of Telecom Infrastructure
The war between Kenya and al-Shabaab is not just being waged on remote bases like Camp Simba, highways, and city streets. It is taking a toll on telecom infrastructure as well. Via Reuters this past week: “Four Kenyan school children… Read More ›
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