Author Archives
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A Preliminary Look at Soma Oil and Gas in Somalia
UPDATE: On 21 August 2013, Soma’s website stated that it had hired Philip Wolfe as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) “with effect from16 [sic] September 2013” and lists a part of his bio in the press release: Philip has over… Read More ›
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Al-Shabaab’s Ramadan Activities: War and Peace
Key Takeaway: Al-Shabaab’s promotion of charitable activities and normalcy in its territories contrasts intentionally with the violence it brings to bear elsewhere. Though it may not have a “monopoly on violence,” it portrays itself as a majority stakeholder in military… Read More ›
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Sheikh Aweys, al-Shabaab, and the Prisoner’s Dilemma in Somalia
Amid violent infighting between forces loyal to al-Shabaab top leader Ahmed Abdi Godane and dissenting leaders, media reports and security analysts were quick to pose Aweys’s negotiated surrender to central Somalia’s Ximan and Xeeb administration as a big victory for… Read More ›
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Key Factors Distinguish al-Shabaab’s Internal Divisions, Somalia’s Other Infighting Lots
Key Takeaways: [1] Acute divisions among top al-Shabaab figures is less important than the often existential and broader divisions among other armed groups in Somalia. [2] Training/arming Somali forces is less useful unless deeper divisions are better addressed. On the… Read More ›
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Social Media Reactions to Kismayo Clashes
Militiamen loyal to Colonel Iftin Hassan Baasto–who along with others declared himself Jubaland president after Ahmed Madobe’s initial election–clashed with Madobe’s Ras Kamboni troops reportedly after being denied access to see Somali Secretary of Defense Abdihakim Mohamoud Fiqi for a meeting…. Read More ›
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Nairobi Becomes Center of Recent Jubaland Talks
Ahmed Mohamed Islam “Madobe”–elected Jubaland region President at a conference in Kismayo contested by the Somalia Federal Government and other parties but supported by others–reportedly has arrived in Nairobi, Kenya to address the Jubaland issue. Madobe is likely to meet… Read More ›
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Jubaland and the Future of Federalism in Somalia
Though the Somali government has been looking to lead the country’s rebirth, the maturation of events in Kismayo has jeopardized Mogadishu’s ability to take a leading role. The Jubaland conference supported by Kenya and IGAD finally bore fruit with the… Read More ›
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Assessing Rumors of Omar Hammami’s Death…Again
Yet again, media sources–sparked by a UN-funded Bar Kulan report–are speculating that fighters loyal to al-Shabaab’s top leader Ahmed Abdi Godane (aka Abu Zubeyr) killed embattled American jihadi Omar Hammami (aka Abu Mansur al-Amriki). For a background of the conflict… Read More ›
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Toward an Economic Recovery in Somalia
Below is an excerpt of a report published by a Somalia Newsroom blogger on Sabahi Online. You can read the full analysis here. Somalia’s first permanent government in 22 years faces significant obstacles in getting the nation’s economy back on… Read More ›
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Al-Shabaab Attacks Bring New Forces, Laws to Mogadishu
Since al-Shabaab’s Supreme Court attack on 14 April 2013, the Somali government has been moving forward with efforts to improve security in the capital. Large contingents of Somali soldiers have been training in Uganda, Djibouti, and Somalia by multiple partners—including the United States,… Read More ›
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Journalist, Lawyers Among Dead in al-Shabaab Attack in Mogadishu
As many as 34 people were killed and almost 60 injured in a set of coordinated attacks by al-Shabaab in Mogadishu involving suicide bombers, gunmen, and two separate car bomb attacks. A car bomb was detonated at the entrance of the Supreme… Read More ›
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Explaining Ethiopia’s Curious Strategy in Somalia
In mid-March 2013, Ethiopian troops deployed in the strategic town of Xudur in Bakool region withdrew its forces with little warning to residents or allied forces. Somali National Army (SNA) troops, who left alongside the Ethiopians, could not hold the… Read More ›
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Amid Government Militia Infighting, Somalia Awaits Arms Imports
A delegation has been sent by the Somali Ministry of Interior to address the continued infighting between government-allied militias in the port town of Marka—located 110 km south of the capital Mogadishu. Since 22 March 2013, shootouts have occurred several… Read More ›
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