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 ›

puntland
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 ›
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 ›
More Pro-ISIS Militants Break from Al-Shabaab
Jahba East Africa has emerged as the newest pro-ISIS splinter group to break away from al-Qaida affiliated al-Shabaab, which has tried to stifle the growth of a pro-ISIS elements in Somalia. In a press statement, the group pledged loyalty to ISIS leader Abu… Read More ›
Analysis: Puntland and the Somali Government Reach an Election Deal. What’s Next?
This week, the Somali government and Puntland agreed on a basic framework for elections. The deal comes after months of disagreement between the government and regional leaders on how Somalia could hold a transition process at the end of the… Read More ›
New “Breakaway” Administration Forms in Somalia In Latest Federalism Dispute
On 25 December, three districts in Somalia’s Bakool region formed a breakaway administration after claiming its communities were marginalized by the Interim Southwest Administration (ISWA). Upper Bakool (aka Bakool Sare) – including representatives from Yeed, Aato, and Ceel Barde districts… Read More ›
Al-Shabaab Fighters Clash Over ISIS Allegiance in Puntland
Pro-ISIS militants in al-Shabaab who want the group’s leader Ahmed Diriye to pledge loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi are finding it difficult to find a safe haven from rival jihadists. On Thursday, al-Shabaab militants attacked a group of pro-ISIS militants near… Read More ›
UPDATE: Somalia Discusses Complicated Next Steps for 2016 Elections
From 19-20 October, Somalia held the next phase of its National Consultative Forum (NCF) in order to determine an election format for 2016. The event came after international and Somali officials previously declared that one person-one vote polls were not… Read More ›
Somalia Ponders Alternatives to One Person-One Vote Elections in 2016
Since March, a Somali Cabinet Minister, UNSOM’s Nick Kay, and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud have stated in different forums that there likely will not be one person-one vote elections in 2016, raising the question of how Somalia will handle the end of… 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 ›
Key Takeaways from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s Visit To Somalia
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Mogadishu’s highly fortified airport base on Tuesday for about three hours before reportedly returning to Nairobi. During that time, he met with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and regional leaders Ahmed Madobe (IJA), Sharif Hassan Sheikh… 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 ›
Analysis: Puntland Details Conditions for Talks with Somalia’s Federal Government
Somalia’s Puntland region “re-suspended relations” with Somalia’s federal government after a controversial agreement hailed by the international community was signed to form an interim Central State administration with Mudug and Galgaduud regions. The interim Central State administration would ostensibly set the… Read More ›