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 ›

Jubaland
Analysis: Does Somalia’s Jubaland Leader Deserve Another Term?
By the end of this August, clan elders from Somalia’s Jubaland region will select a new assembly whose parliamentarians will vote for a regional president. It is accepted as a virtual certainty that the incumbent president, Ahmed Madobe, will retain… Read More ›
Methodology or Misinformation: What’s Driving Dadaab Refugee Camp Numbers Down?
The population at Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp has plummeted by 60,000 people in the last two months, according to data provided by UNHCR, begging the question — what are the factors driving such a drastic reduction in the population could… Read More ›
Analysis: Dadaab Refugees Stopped on Return to Somalia, Raising Repatriation Questions
On Monday, Jubaland regional authorities in Somalia stopped a convoy of refugees from transiting to their destination due to a lack of humanitarian assistance to support their return, raising further questions of how refugees can leave Kenya’s Dadaab camp safely and sustainably. VOA has the latest:… Read More ›
As Madobe Wins the Presidency, Jubaland Politics Remain Highly Contested in Somalia
On 15 August, the Interim Jubba Administration’s (IJA) parliament — which federal MPs attempted to dissolve in June due to a contested selection process — elected Ahmed Madobe as regional president in a landslide victory garnering 68 of 74 votes. Madobe’s supporters,… Read More ›
Jubaland Suspends Relations With Somalia’s Government — What’s Next?
Taking a page out of Puntland’s political playbook, the Interim Jubba Administration (aka Jubaland) said it has suspended relations with the Somali Federal Government (SFG) after the federal parliament passed a vote of “no-confidence” against the process to select IJA’s regional… Read More ›
Putting the Puzzle Together: What Does the Future Hold for Somalia’s Military Forces?
The prospect of AMISOM forces leaving Somalia in the coming years depends on the capacity of the country’s regional and federal military forces to finally cooperate and unite under a Somali National Army that looks much differently than the current… Read More ›
Somalia’s Federalism Woes Challenge Stability Amid Military Offensive
Federalism was supposed to help decentralize power from the Somali federal government (SFG) in order to give more authority to potentially more effective local administrations. So far, the process has led to a fight among local and foreign elites over… Read More ›
Analysis: Baidoa Becoming the Next Crisis in Somalia’s Federalism Process
After patting itself on the back for putting a pause on the “Jubaland” crisis, Somalia and its international partners in IGAD and UNSOM will soon have to address the next federalism row in the country emanating from the Bay region… Read More ›
Jubaland Reborn: A Look at Jubba and Somalia Post-Addis Agreement
The Somalia Federal Government (SFG) led by State Minister for the Presidency Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir and the Jubba delegation headed by Ras Kamboni leader Ahmed Madobe recently concluded a deal that on paper was one step intended to resolve the… Read More ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›