In early May at a week-long summit in Garowe, Somali leaders failed to agree on a myriad of issues related to security, elections, political meddling, and revenue sharing. There is no way forward for resolving the key policy differences between the… Read More ›

galmudug
3 Potential Reasons for Al-Shabaab’s Departure from Key Somali Port Town
What happened: Al-Shabaab vacated the port town of Harardheere in Somalia’s Galmudug region, which it controlled for the last 10 years. Potential Drivers: There are at least three reasons why the group may have left the town: 1) Drone Strikes: Local… Read More ›
Can Somalia Seal the Galmudug-ASWJ Peace Deal?
As part of his tour of Somali regional states, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmaajo” visited Dhusamareeb this week to validate the December 2017 peace agreement between the Galmudug administration and Sufi militia Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a (ASWJ). ASWJ, as a multi-clan… Read More ›
U.S. Assists into Counter-Terror Operations in Central Somalia, Posing Risks Again
This week, the United States provided “limited tactical advisory support” in the arrest of five al-Shabaab suspects in the central Somalia town of Galkayo, including a known facilitator named Abdirizak Hussein Tahliil who held a U.S. green card and lived… Read More ›
Political Sands Shift in Central Somalia: Galmudug’s Political Crisis
This week, the Interim Galmudug Administration’s (IGA) parliament voted to oust regional president Abdikarim Guled from office, citing “incompetent leadership” in a no-confidence vote that had been looming for months. Earlier in the week, Guled’s presidential guards reportedly blocked access to the… Read More ›
PHOTO TIMELINE: U.S. Airstrike Stirs Conflict in Somalia
Somali officials have demanded an explanation and investigation into a U.S. air strike just outside Galkayo that they say killed at least 13 members of the Galmudug administration’s regional security forces. Galmudug officials initially blamed its longtime rival Puntland for… Read More ›
Puntland, Galmudug, ASWJ, and the Somali Government Set to Face Off over Federalism Disputes
The process to form a regional administration in central Somalia is in a tenuous state. While it first appeared that building the Jubaland and Southwest administrations would be the toughest assignments in Somalia’s state formation process, the stakes appear even higher in part because it has reignited border… Read More ›
Mohamud’s U.S. Visit Foreshadows Federalism Debate
One issue that stuck out during President Mohamud’s largely successful first visit to the United States was the future of federalism in Somalia. After a warm reception in the Washington, D.C. area, Mohamud encountered significant protests in his subsequent visit to… Read More ›