Somalia

Al-Shabaab, buoyed by military success, cultivates its image

The jihadist group Al-Shabaab is seeking to win the hearts and minds of local populations in the areas of Somalia it controls. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for his part is trying to fight back by finding new allies after a string of military defeats.

National football team coach quits over unpaid salary

Appointed in July 2023, Rachid Loustèque has not received his monthly salary of €5,000 since last May. The coach has decided to resign from his position and take his case to Fifa.

Mogadishu prepares for the return of its development bank

First established in 1968 and then abandoned, the Somali Development and Reconstruction Bank was revitalised in 2024 and will be making its first investments this year. The authorities are currently seeking to attract international funds.

The New Guard
Libya, Somalia, South Africa

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

LibyaAhmed Albibas, civil rights champion

SomaliaFathi Bashe, youth ambassador for the Horn of Africa

South AfricaMqokeleli Gomba, chief engineer at Richards Bay

Trump's return brings uncertainty for Friends of Somalia

The "Friends of Somalia" group has not met since last October. Although a meeting was due to be held in Mogadishu, no date has been given to the five member countries, which include the United States.

New AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia to be discussed in Addis Ababa and Doha

A meeting between all the parties involved in Aussom, the African Union's new support and stabilisation mission in Somalia, is due to take place on 24 and 25 February in Addis Ababa.

Puntland's battle against Islamic State hampered by the Yemeni connection

Amid a rapprochement between Houthi rebels and armed groups operating in the Horn, the president of the autonomous Puntland region, Said Deni, is also having to contend with Mogadishu's plans to appoint a new ambassador in Aden.

Thanks to Turkish mediation, AUSSOM might include Ethiopian troops after all

The meeting between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on 11 December in Turkey helped to ease relations between their two countries after a year of extreme tension.

National football coach takes pay complaint to FIFA

Rachid Loustèque is owed some €30,000 in back pay.

Paramilitary defectors alter security balance between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu

A few months after Ethiopia released their leader, several members of the Liyu Police, suspected of numerous abuses, returned in numbers to neighbouring Jubaland in Somalia. And the Somali president has just appointed one of these ex-paramilitaries to head the army.