This week, Somalia’s Banadir government and al-Shabaab held what appeared to be rival public relations stunts–or public health interventions depending on the interpretation. Authorities in Mogadishu said they seized expired aid imported by the World Food Programme during inspections at its warehouses. In addition, 14… Read More ›

Somali Government
Somalia’s New Federalism Deal Is A Disaster (And It’s Everyone’s Fault)
On 30 July 2014, Somali government officials and foreign diplomats officially inaugurated their third straight fiasco during the country’s controversial federalism process. A ceremony was held in Mogadishu to announce the intent to form an interim Central State administration consisting of Mudug… Read More ›
Shulman Rogers, Somalia, and the Great Corruption Carousel
A newly leaked United Nations monitoring group report on Somalia came to the same conclusion as ex-Central Bank chief Yusra Abrar in alleging the president, several advisors, the ex-Foreign Minister, and American law firm Shulman Rogers conspired to divert government… Read More ›
Why Al-Shabaab Ally “Atom” Surrendered to the Somali Government
Ex-Puntland militia leader and al-Shabaab ally Sheikh Mohamed Said “Atom” surrendered to the Somali government in a Mogadishu press conference on 7 June 2014. In his short pre-written statement (possibly crafted with the help of the Somali government), Atom condemned… Read More ›
Can Somalia’s MPs Actually Impeach The President?
While aid agencies warn of another catastrophic hunger crisis amid low Gu rains, Somalia’s political cycle is in full swing. Over 100 MPs have signed and presented a petition to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud asking him to resign, citing 14 points of failure. And by… 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 ›
Full Text: UN Somalia/Eritrea Monitoring Group Memo on Arms Diversion
SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE PURSUANT TO RESOLUTIONS 751 (1992) AND 1907 (2009) CONCERNING SOMALIA AND ERITREA S/AC.29/2014/COMM.13 6 February 2014 ORIGINAL: English Letter dated 6 February 2014 from the Coordinator of the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group addressed to the Chair… 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 ›
Somalia Seeks Weapons Amid Gun-less Training In Kismayo and Clan Fighting
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud recently revealed the government bought weapons to bolster domestic forces and also asked for an extension to the one year partial relaxation of the 1992 arms embargo issued by the UN Security Council in March 2013. Some steps… Read More ›
Somalia’s New Cabinet – Between Constitution, Clan, Comrades, and Quality
On 21 January 2014, Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed’s new cabinet was approved by a large margin of Somalia’s parliament with 186 MPs voting in favor, 46 against, and 1 abstaining. The enlarged cabinet consisted of 25 ministers, 25 deputy ministers,… Read More ›
Sentencing in New Rape-Journalist Case Raises Legal, Political Questions in Somalia
On 9 December 2013, the Banadir regional court in Mogadishu sentenced a female journalist to house arrest as part of a six month suspended sentence on charges of “defamation and lying” after she claimed in an interview that she was raped by… Read More ›
Somalia’s New Rape-Journalist Row Adds to Government Pressure
Only 8 months after conclusion of the last infamous rape-journalist case, Somalia police reportedly arrested on defamation charges Radio Shabelle journalist Mohamed Bashir Hashi and a 19-year-old woman he interviewed (above) who says she was raped by journalists from the the… Read More ›
Alleged Resignation Letter of Somalia’s Ex-Central Bank Chief Released
The alleged resignation letter of Somalia’s former Central Bank governor Yussur Abrar was published recently on the site Saadaal News. Thought its authenticity has not been confirmed, passages of the text match excerpts previously cited in the initial Financial Times report. Abrar’s abrupt resignation… Read More ›