Author: Omar Salad

Based in Mogadishu, Omar is an IT specialist with a unique perspective shaped by his studies in political science. He applies this combined expertise to Somalia's recovery process, having facilitated and contributed to numerous strategic meetings on the subject.

Chaos in the Chamber: Somalia’s Parliament Under Fire

For a nation battling both political infighting and an unrelenting insurgency, the last thing Somalia needed was a broken parliament…

Farhan Qarole: The Tragic Loss of a Hero

General Farhan was mostly on the front line whether leading a fight against terrorists and other criminal organizations or working with the people and his superior to improve the national security. He was one the rare officials who did not spend his time meeting foreign diplomats in Halane.

Could Dispute between Federal and Regional Leaders Derail Debt Relief?

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s first four months at the helm of Somalia have been marred by conflicts on his own making. The latest conflict with regional states had been simmering for some time and erupted late last month. A concerted message came on August 31 from regional state governments, particularly their finance ministries, stating that […]

Why a Terror Leader is Appointed Minister in Somalia

The long-awaited cabinet’s announcement last week, since the selection of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud last May, left the Somali public reeling, but was greeted by representatives of Western nations in Somalia. Mukhtar Robow, former Al-Shabab deputy leader and spokesman who has been detained for the last four years, has been appointed Somalia’s Endowments and Religious […]

Controversy over Somali Soldiers Stranded in Eritrea Unlikely to Fade with A Visit

A Visit Fraught with Controversy Villa Somalia has seen no respite since, against all odds, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took a trip to Eritrea on July 10 to visit Somali soldiers in training there and, in the process, signed bilateral agreements with his Eritrean counterpart. The Somali President was welcomed by President Isaias Afeworki […]

A Nation’s Gratitude: Somalis Unite to Honor President Farmajo

President Farmajo’s integrity is an oddity in a country plagued by endemic corruption

New NISA Chief Stormed Fahad Yasin’s Residence

The new director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), Mahad Salad, stormed Fahad Yasin’s residence, grabbed any valuables he could find there, then ransacked the place while the former spymaster was on a trip. This incident happened yesterday. Fahad Yassin’s bodyguards, NISA agents themselves, had in their possession two armored vehicles. The vehicles […]

Public Anxiety As Somalia Awaits Presidential Election

There is one day left until the May 15 presidential election and anxiety is mounting with uncertainty over who will be Somalia’s next president. The indirect election, which has dragged on for a year and a half, has created unease throughout the country, especially since the people have no control over the process. A dozen […]

Somalia Elects Parliament Speakers Amid Controversy

Following a tumultuous week, the two chambers of the 11th Somali parliament, whose members were sworn in on April 14, finally elected their speakers…

Abdi-Aziz Laftagareen: Loyalty, Integrity And Patriotism

Kormeeraha Team has picked Abdi-Aziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, Somalia’s Southwest State president, as the most outstanding Somali leader for the month of March. Last month, President Laftagareen was the first president of a regional state to finish Somalia’s elections on time. He did it without requesting special accommodation or delays. Southwest’s members of parliament election […]

Canadian Forces Abuses In Somalia, 29 Years Later (15,943)
Canadian soldiers sent to Somalia as part of the global humanitarian effort captured a 16 year-old child named Shidane Abukar Arone and viciously tortured him to death in their camp.
The Reason Behind the Erroneous Assumption that Somalis are Caucasian (15,510)
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a belief known as the Hamitic theory gained popularity as an anthropological and linguistic theory.
Dila Massacre 1991 (14,683)
The Dila Massacre, the focal atrocity, involved a series of clan-based mass executions carried out by rebels of the Somali National Movement (SNM), dominated by the Isaaq clan, against the townspeople just after the collapse of the Somali government in early February 1991.
Borama Massacre: The Right To Remember (13,789)
After three decades, the right to remember the victims of the Borama massacre and to speak publicly about the killings committed by the SNM militia is still banned by the self-declared Republic of Somaliland.
How Foreign Lobbying for Somaliland Ignores a Tinderbox (10,867)
Foreign lobbyists campaigning for Somaliland base their arguments on carefully selected clichés or guided tours in Hargeisa...
Why the 1969 Revolution is still relevant today (8,627)
Today is the anniversary of the October 21, 1969 revolution that put the armed forces in control of Somalia. It all started with a bloodless coup after the assassination of the first democratically elected president, Abdirashi Ali Sharmarke, on October 15, 1969.
How Las Anod Killings Initiated SSC Self-rule (7,256)
By attempting to violently stifle the power of the people, the oppressive secessionist regime of Somaliland not only hastened its downfall but began the countdown to self-rule for Sol, Sanaag and Cayn (SSC).
The Flag Martyrs Of Somaliland (7,101)
Young people, girls and boys, who were celebrating the country's independence on June 26 outside the city of Borama were seized by police and then were taken to Hargeisa, Gabiley and Mandera Prison...
Factors Impeding Somalia-Somaliland Talks (6,969)
the issues I have discussed will provide readers with valuable insights into the factors impeding Somalia–Somaliland talks. I believe this will empower them to challenge the political elites who benefit from the status quo...
Awdal to Break Free from Somaliland (6,895)
Now that Las Anod regained its freedom, all eyes are on Awdal to break free from Somaliland oppressive choke-hold.
The 4.5 Clan Model: A Somali-owned Solution (6,418)
For decades, Somalia has been using a clan-power sharing model known as “4.5”. Some believe the model has an external origin (Sodere, 1997) and was institutionalized in the Arta (2000) peace process, in Djibouti. In reality, the initial shape of this model was locally devised in January 1991.
How Roble Prepared For His Coup Attempt (5,934)
Few people expected that Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, described as a peacemaker for his apparent neutrality and his apolitical past, would be at the origin of this new crisis.
Somalia Elects Parliament Speakers Amid Controversy (5,929)
Following a tumultuous week, the two chambers of the 11th Somali parliament, whose members were sworn in on April 14, finally elected their speakers...
How Abiy’s Red Sea Speech Aims to Reshape the Horn of Africa (5,832)
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's obsession with access to the Red Sea came to light after the broadcast, on October 13, of a speech to parliamentarians...
The Irir Samaale Ploy to Divide and Perpetuate Chaos (5,747)
The clan-based political alliance around Irir Samaale, hatched by the Djiboutian president and his allies in Somalia, the president of the federal government and the head of the separatist region of Somaliland, has recently caused concern among the Somali public...