My Grandmother’s Faith Was Never in Her Fabric
My grandmother prayed five times a day. She fasted every Ramadan, gave to the poor, and could recite long passages of the Qur'an from memory.
Somalia’s Forgotten 21 Years: A Nation That Refuses to Study Its History Is Condemned to Repeat It
Somalia has failed to learn from one of the most consequential periods in its modern history: the 21 years of military rule from 1969 to 1991.
BLACK OCTOBER: The Month That Bleeds
If Somalia had a national month of mourning, it should be October. No other October in modern Somali history has produced so much death in so short a span.
The Unilateral Gamble: Risking Somalia’s Fragile Unity for a New Constitution
On March 30, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud made a fateful unilateral gamble, forcing through a new constitutional draft in a move that is now risking Somalia's fragile unity.
Why Somaliland Poses an Existential Risk to the Somali Nation
The recent actions of Musa Bihi Abdi, the leader of the breakaway Somaliland region, have sparked significant concerns about the existential risk this renegade region poses to all of Somalia...
Somalia Mourns Loss of Minister Khadija Diriye
The Somali nation mourns the unexpected loss of Khadija Mohamed Diriye, Somali Minister for Women and Human Rights Development, yesterday in Djibouti, at the age of 74. Ms. Diriye was…
How Ethiopians’ abhorrent antics distort Somali history
As an ardent pansomalist who categorically opposes any hegemonic agenda of the Ethiopians, formerly known as Abyssinians, I would like to address the revisionism of our history by chauvinistic Amharas…
Las Anod: Under a Rain of Bullets and Shells
The shelling of Las Anod and surrounding fighting continues unabated, emptying the town of 80% of its residents.
Why the 1969 Revolution Still Matters Today
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 4.5 Clan Model: A Somali-owned Solution
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)…