Heavy Fighting Breaks Out on Baidoa Outskirts Amid Rising Tensions

Baidoa, Somalia — Heavy fighting erupted on the outskirts of Baidoa on Monday between forces aligned with South West State and troops of the Somali Federal Government, according to local reports and eyewitness accounts. Residents reported hearing heavy weapon fire from within the city, highlighting the intensity of the clashes as tensions continue to rise … Read more

Somali Federal Forces Enter Baidoa as Tensions Rise in South West State

Baidoa, Somalia — Preliminary reports and circulating footage indicate that Somali Federal Government forces have entered parts of Baidoa, the administrative capital of South West State, escalating tensions in the region. According to early information, the forces were mobilized from Buurhakaba and began moving into sections of the city. Officials from South West State claim … Read more

Talks underway between Lafta Gareen and Villa Somalia, compromise emerging after shady regional election

According to available information, talks are currently ongoing between Abdulaziz Hassan Mohamed Lafta Gareen and Villa Somalia. Sources indicate that it is highly likely Lafta Gareen will concede the disputed election and agree to step down peacefully from office. Meanwhile, government forces have announced that they have taken control of the area of Deenuunaay. Reports … Read more

Somalia’s President convenes urgent meeting with international partners in Mogadishu

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called an urgent meeting with international representatives and foreign diplomats based in Mogadishu, according to an official communication from the government. In a letter issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, diplomats and international organisations operating in Somalia were invited to attend a high-level briefing at the presidential palace, known … Read more

A Risky Diplomatic Line: Puntland’s President and the Limits of Regional Power

The recent meeting between Said Abdullahi Deni and senior Ethiopian officials in Garowe has sparked renewed debate about the boundaries of authority within Somalia’s federal system. While framed as a step toward strengthening security and regional cooperation, the engagement raises serious constitutional and political concerns about the role of regional leaders in foreign affairs. At … Read more

Why the American far right fears Somali success

The fixation of the MAGA movement and the broader American far right on Somali communities is not accidental. Nor is it rooted in crime, culture, or national security, as their rhetoric often claims. It is rooted in something far more revealing: fear—fear of Somali success, visibility, and permanence in American public life. Across the United … Read more

Somalia’s Troubled Neighbours and the Limits of ‘African Brotherhood’

Somalia’s relations with Ethiopia and Kenya are often framed in diplomatic language that emphasises “regional cooperation” and “African brotherhood.” Yet history, and current realities, tell a far more troubling story—one that Somalia can no longer afford to ignore. Both Ethiopia and Kenya share a dark and unresolved past with Somalia. During the colonial era, large … Read more

Divide and Rule Will Not Work in Somalia

Somalia, like much of Africa, carries a long and painful memory of colonial manipulation. The strategies of divide and rule employed by foreign powers are not abstract concepts buried in history books; they are lived experiences passed down through generations. From the partitioning of territories to the distortion of indigenous governance systems, Africans have seen … Read more

Why Somaliland’s Secession Project Is Impractical: An Awdal Perspective

For more than three decades, Somaliland has presented itself to the world as a peaceful, unified, and consensual breakaway state. This narrative has found sympathy in some international circles, particularly when contrasted with Somalia’s long struggle with instability. Yet when the Somaliland project is examined beyond Hargeisa—through the experiences of regions such as Awdal and … Read more