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ALL ARTICLES ON SOMALIA

Politics 29/05/2023

Immigration boss in the hot seat

Abdulkadir Ali was appointed in 2021 to the coveted position of head of immigration services under contentious circumstances. He is now on thin ice and the battle to replace him has already begun.

Diplomacy 23/05/2023

Behind the scenes of the reopening of the Kenya-Somalia border

Kenyan Minister of Interior Kithure Kindiki (L) and Somali Internal Security Minister Mohamed Ahmed Sheikh Ali attend a joint press conference on re-opening the border between Kenya and Somali at Harambee House in Nairobi on 15 May, 2023. © AFP

Defence Diplomacy 18/04/2023

The African Union set for further discussions on ATMIS

The African Union's Peace and Security Council will on 27 April discuss the future of the AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia (ATMIS). The force had been scheduled to withdraw by December 2024 but President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud wants it to stay.

Diplomacy 07/04/2023

Hargeisa treads tightrope with Washington over Las Anod crisis

Somaliland President Muse bihi Abdi. © AFP

Defence 24/03/2023

Physical Risk shakes up private security scene in Mogadishu

Active until now in Somaliland and Puntland, Physical Risk Solutions can henceforward bid for contracts in the rest of Somalia.

Business Diplomacy 22/03/2023

EU provides €5m for humanitarian air links between Mogadishu and Nairobi

The EU will fund air links between Mogadishu and Nairobi, as well as within Somalia, for the next three years in order to maintain its humanitarian aid in the country.

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SOMALIA

Diplomacy 14/03/2023

Former president Farmajo and his inner circle set up home in Qatar

While he waits for the next presidential elections in 2027, former Somalian president Farmajo has decided to take up residence in Qatar, which was the main foreign backer of his regime. His defeat in the elections has not diminished Qatar's interest in Somalia, where it continues to foster its ties.

Former Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.

Defence 08/03/2023

Somaliland conflict takes a regional turn

Somaliland, long seen as a haven of stability in a troubled region, is facing increasing unrest as fighting continues around the town of Las Anod between the breakaway province's army and militias loyal to Somalia and backed by al-Shabaab fighters.

Diplomacy 07/03/2023

AU mission under pressure to up its game

The African Union's Peace and Security Council meets today to discuss the situation in Somalia, and in particular the bloc's multidimensional transitional mission there. Funding and the timing of the mission's drawdown are set to top the agenda.

African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) troops patrol the streets of Baidoa, in southwestern Somalia, on 3 September 2022.

Diplomacy 22/02/2023

UN special envoy to Somalia role draws seasoned applicants

Six candidates are in the running for the position of UN Special Representative for Somalia, which has been vacant since US diplomat James Swan left in October 2022. His replacement has to be approved by all the permanent members of the UN security council.

Diplomacy 15/02/2023

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to travel to Doha

Though he was wary of Qatar at first for financially supporting his predecessor, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will travel to Doha in March just before the UN's LDC5 conference.

Diplomacy 23/01/2023

Somaliland's SSC region enlists US lobbyists to appeal to Washington

Fighting has gripped the east of breakaway province Somaliland since late December. The conflict has regional repercussions and has been the subject of lobbying in Washington.

Business 20/01/2023

EU tackles Mogadishu's business climate

The EU delegation in Nairobi has set aside $2m for a contract to improve Somalia's business environment and attract foreign investors to the Horn of Africa country.

Diplomacy 16/01/2023

Ambassadors close to Farmajo's master spy to be shown the door

The new president of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, will soon name new ambassadors in the Gulf States in order to balance out his political influence in the region.

Diplomacy 13/01/2023

Brussels seeking spin doctor in Somalia

The EU's Nairobi mission and the European Development Fund have allocated €2m to hire a communications and advocacy firm in Somalia.

SpotlightDiplomacy 12/01/2023

Ruto's Somalia pivot

Kenya's new president looks set to step up his fledgling rapprochement with neighbouring Somalia, marking a stark departure from the policy of his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and on the right his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto.

Diplomacy 21/12/2022

Switzerland dispatches special envoy to Horn of Africa

Switzerland, which already had an extensive diplomatic network in Africa, has now been expanded further after the federal department of foreign affairs appointed Sylvain Astier as the country's special envoy for the Horn of Africa.

Defence Diplomacy 14/12/2022

Brussels weighs up support for Somali army

After focusing on the Sahel and the DRC, the European External Action Service is looking towards the Horn of Africa.

Defence 06/12/2022

Security giant Janus appoints Charles Skinner as managing director in Mogadishu

Charles Skinner is to take the helm of Janus Global Operations Somalia, a subsidiary of the US private security giant. He will work closely with Neville Viviers, who remains the firm's country manager in Mogadishu.

Politics 05/12/2022

The chequered past of IOG's future son-in-law Free

Sadak Omar Mohamed, Mogadishu's ex-police chief, is soon due to formalise his marriage to the youngest daughter of Djibouti's president. A harsh critic of former president Farmajo, Mohamed's time with law enforcement was far from plain sailing.

Politics 05/12/2022

Ruto preparing to reopen land border with Somalia

Breaking news published on 05/12/22 at 1:20 pm - The Kenyan and Somali presidents have agreed to reopen the main land crossings between their two countries following intense negotiations between both heads of state. This marks a shift in the bilateral relationship, and in Kenyan security policy.

Defence Diplomacy 01/12/2022