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Somalia
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's return marks key win for MbZ over Doha

The new Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud and his Emirati counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. © Feisal Omar/Reuters/Balkis Press/Abaca via Reuters Connect

The day after his inauguration as president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan landed himself a new ally in the Horn of Africa, where his influence has been growing to the detriment of Qatar. [...]

Published on 19.05.2022 at 05:00 GMT Reading time 4 minutes

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Diplomacy

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Abiy Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud
Al-Jazeera
DP World
Dubai Ports World
Fahad Yasin Haji Dahir
Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir Mohamed
Farmajo
Hassan Ali Khaire
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
Isaias Afwerki
Ismail Omar Guelleh
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed
Mohamed Hussein Roble
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Muse Bihi Abdi
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke
Said Abdullahi Deni
Silanyo
Tigray Defense Forces
Tigray People's Liberation Front

Somalia, United States
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.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 23.01.2023

Somalia
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.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 16.01.2023

Somalia
Ex-PM Roble plays go-between for HSM and Emirates

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Free Defence Diplomacy 01.12.2022

Former Somalia's Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, in London, on 29 July 2021.

Djibouti
Afar sultan coronation puts Ismail Omar Guelleh in a pickle

In Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti, the Afar are a minority which their respective governments have to pander to. In Djibouti, a dispute over the coronation of the new Afar sultan, scheduled for the end of October, has added fuel to an already burning issue.

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Somalia
President Hassan Sheikh bets the house on containing Al-Shabaab

As well as carrying out a rare attack on Ethiopian territory, the Al-Shabaab terrorist group is taking advantage of the disarray among the security forces to take up position around the Somali capital. Somalia's recently elected president is looking to secure the resources he needs to wage the open war he has declared against it.

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Somalia
Mogadishu wants to join US-Africa trade treaty

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Somalia
Hassan Sheikh and MbZ lay ground for future cooperation

Last week, the Somali and Emirati presidents agreed on a number of issues that had been left unresolved since the 2018 falling out between the two countries.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 01.07.2022

Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud met with UAE president Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on 22 June 2022.

Ethiopia
Abiy cornered due to inter-ethnic violence in the West

The alliance between the head of government and the Amhara political elite is hanging by a thread. The massacre in Tole and the explosion of ethnic violence between the Amhara and Oromo in the west of the country have made life difficult for Abiy Ahmed Ali in Addis Ababa.

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Ethiopia, Somalia
Abiy irked by choice of Somalia's new PM

Appointed on 15 June by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre is a new thorn in the side of his Ethiopian counterpart.

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Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud (right) appointed Hamza Abdi Barre as Prime Minister on 15 June.

Egypt, Somalia
Farmajo-foe Egypt sees hope in Hassan Sheikh's election

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The new Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud.

Somalia
Jubba Airways under threat of liquidation

The fate of the Somali airline Jubba Airways, which operates in several countries in the Horn, will be decided this month by the Kenyan courts.

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Somalia
Abiy alliance takes a hit after Farmajo defeat in Somalia

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has regained possession of the Villa Somalia presidential palace, five years after the end of his first term in office. His election is likely to upset the balance of regional alliances.

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Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud's ties to the Tigrayan TPLF could usher in a new era of Somalia-Ethiopia relations.

Somalia
How Puntland president Said Deni plans to take down Farmajo

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Puntland president Said Abdoullahi Deni.

Somalia, United Arab Emirates
MBZ unsure of which of three presidential candidates to back

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UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (MBZ).

Inner circles | Somalia
How Fahad Yasin patiently forged his reputation as Farmajo's all-powerful spymaster

President Farmajo's National Security Adviser has made a mark on both his country and the Somali region of Ethiopia and has been able to deflect attacks from the president's enemies as well as certain Gulf states thanks to his robust network of influence.

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Spotlight | Eritrea, United Arab Emirates
Emirates quits its Assab military base

The Emirati armed forces stationed at the Assab base in Eritrea since 2015 have discreetly been packing their bags in recent days. Their departure, which is connected Abu Dhabi's decision to withdraw from the conflict in Yemen, could have repercussions as far afield as Tigray.

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Set up email notifications for these topics

Abiy Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud
Al-Jazeera
DP World
Dubai Ports World
Fahad Yasin Haji Dahir
Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir Mohamed
Farmajo
Hassan Ali Khaire
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
Isaias Afwerki
Ismail Omar Guelleh
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed
Mohamed Hussein Roble
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Muse Bihi Abdi
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke
Said Abdullahi Deni
Silanyo
Tigray Defense Forces
Tigray People's Liberation Front

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