Baraawe City

Barawe violence: Clan Expansionism or Blunder of Unruly Troops?

Over the past couple of weeks, outbreaks of violence and clan conflict have escalated across Somalia from north to south and erupted in areas hitherto spared from such violence in recent years. The violence in Barawe, the official capital of Southwest State, has exposed the critical flaws in federal leadership in the Lower Shabelle region. […]

Read More
Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Erdogan’s Journey to Restructure Turkish Society

The Turkish nation has, for the first time since the founding of the republic in 1923, voted overwhelmingly and gave President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the mandate to continue his journey of restructuring Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s century-old legacy in Turkey. But are fears about an Islamist agenda justifiable? Is a total break with the severe secularism […]

Read More
Biixi iyo Taani

Should Somaliland be saved from Musa Bihi?

Since Musa Bihi Abdi was elected as the head of the breakaway “Republic of Somaliland” based in the northern Somali city of Hargeisa, he has worked to extend his term. This project was opposed by the civil society and the two official opposition parties of the same clan. After two years of political chaos over […]

Read More
NCC members

Public outcry after Somali leaders’ decision to extend their mandate

On the evening of May 27, the National Consultative Council (NCC) announced that a decision had been made by its eight participants present to overhaul the constitution, opening the way to direct voting. Despite the laudable goal, this has prompted an almost consensual public outcry as it appeared that the president and his pals are […]

Read More
Arday girl

Arday: A Cultural Revolution Unveiled in Somali TV Series

In the embryonic but promising realm of the Somali film industry, a TV series called “Arday”, which means “student” in Somali, has risen as an innovative and boundary-breaking phenomenon that has captivated online audiences. Despite its groundbreaking nature, this remarkable show has not been exempt from both praise and criticism. This article aims to explore […]

Read More
Deni Olole

Political Feud over Puntland Leadership, between Collision and Collusion

The political feud between President Hassan Mohamoud and Said Deni escalated on May 8 when Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre of the federal government attacked Deni’s leadership of Puntland. The feud, however, has raised many eyebrows and even left some wary of the real purpose of this conflict. Prime Minister Barre accused Deni of obstructing […]

Read More
Borama Protest1

Why and How Awdal Uprising Started

A massive public uprising in Borama, Awdal, started at 8:00 in the morning today. Shortly after, it spread out to different districts and towns in Awdal Region. So far, the protests have taken place in Borama, Dilla, Garbadadar, Lowyada and Boon, which makes it the biggest uprising in Awdal recently. Also, this is the second […]

Read More

The Reason Behind the Erroneous Assumption that Somalis are Caucasian

As a young Somali high school student, I was once referred to as a “black Caucasian”. I had never heard that term before, so it puzzled me. That day, I was told that I didn’t possess the characteristics required to be a “real African,”. After that encounter, I began learning about what it meant to […]

Read More
The Irir Samaale Leaders

The Irir Samaale Ploy to Divide and Perpetuate Chaos

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, who see it as a political ploy to divide and perpetuate chaos in Somalia. The […]

Read More

Controversy around the Presidential Envoy on Somaliland

Saturday’s presidential appointment of Abdirashi Guled as special envoy for Somaliland relations sparked an outcry among the Somali public who sees it as poor leadership and gross injustice towards the victims of Hargeisa’s secessionists in the Sool region. Hiring an old friend Abdirashid Guled is considered to be close to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud. He […]

Read More