On March 8, in a letter to Somalia’s key foreign partners, the Council of Presidential Candidates (CPC) demanded the president hand over key powers to the prime minister, alleging Villa Somalia can no longer negotiate a path to holding elections… Read More ›

somalia
Around the Horn: Somalia’s Coronavirus Cases Now Among Highest in East Africa
Djibouti’s “Return to Normal” Djibouti will begin “unlocking the country” in one of the most recent examples of a nation relaxing quarantine measures over social fatigue and economic distress rather than victory over the virus. For example, South Sudan is… Read More ›
Somalia Gets Ventilators, Kenya Mass Tests in Poor Areas, and More East Africa Updates
Djibouti As of May 4, Djibouti has confirmed 1,116 positive coronavirus cases from 14,222 tests. Somalia Journalism on the coronavirus in Somalia continues to explore the operational tempo of grave sites and ambulance drivers as a means to understand the… Read More ›
Unexplained Deaths in Tanzania, Somalia’s Coronavirus Data Gaffe, and more East Africa Updates
Djibouti Via Mohamed Salh: Djibouti reported 8 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the country’s total confirmed cases to 1,097. It has reported two deaths and 672 recoveries. Somalia Both Somaliland and Puntland confirmed the first deaths… Read More ›
East Africa Coronavirus Roundup: April 30, 2020
Djibouti The US military base in Djibouti is on lockdown after a second case of coronavirus was confirmed (via RFI): Camp Lemonnier, which provides the US military with a strategic foothold in east Africa, will go on indefinite lockdown to… Read More ›
First Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Emerge in Somalia’s Southwest Region and AMISOM
On April 28, Somalia announced 48 new coronavirus cases, including the first confirmed positive tests in the Southwest region. The total case load in the country has reached 528, with 28 confirmed deaths. The new cases in the Southwest region… Read More ›
Key Updates to Al-Shabaab’s Attack on U.S. and Kenyan Forces
One day after al-Shabaab’s attack on the Camp Simba airstrip in Kenya, many more details are emerging about the casualties and retaliatory responses. Most importantly: Nine years after invading Somalia to confront al-Shabaab, Kenya has failed to secure its border…. Read More ›
Amid New Qatar Allegations, Is Gulf Investment Good for Somalia?
In a span of three days last week, Qatar went from alleged villain to aspiring hero in Somalia. First came the allegation that Qatar had funded a terror attack in Puntland that was later claimed by the Islamic State supporters… Read More ›
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 ›
Somali Regional Leaders Must Present Specific Policy Ideas to Resolve Crises
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 ›
New Data: Main Factors Preventing Dadaab Refugee Return to Somalia
Analysis of new data shows that a range of factors will prevent any prospect of mass returns from Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp, including: [1] an unwillingness of refugees to return, [2] Kenya’s withdrawal of forces to the border, and [3]… Read More ›
Analysis: Ethiopia and the Somali Government Dangerously Escalate SW Election Process
Ethiopian forces, in coordination with Somali police, detained former al-Shabaab senior leader and Southwest (SW) regional presidential candidate Mukhtar Robow in Baidoa and transported him to Mogadishu on accusations of being a “security threat”. In a statement, the Federal Government… Read More ›
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 ›