Implications

Saudi Arabia’s quiet power play in Somalia’s new military pact Somalia and Saudi Arabia have signed a defense cooperation agreement in Riyadh, a move that folds one of the Horn of Africa’s most fragile states deeper into an increasingly crowded contest for Red Sea influence. The memorandum of understanding, announced by Somalia’s defense minister, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, on X, comes weeks after Israel said it would recognize North Western State of Somalia — the northern, breakaway region of Somalia — as an independent state, a…

EU court orders Poland to recognise same‑sex marriages registered in other member states The European Union’s top court this week ordered Poland to recognise a same‑sex marriage that was registered in Germany, a ruling that could oblige other EU countries where same‑sex marriage is not legal to give effect to marriages performed elsewhere in the bloc. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered a broadly worded judgment saying "a member state" must recognise same‑sex marriages lawfully registered in another…

Back in 2006, Ethiopia was the big player in the Horn of Africa. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's leadership brought about a time of unprecedented political stability. The EPRDF held the reins tightly, and the economy was on fire with an average growth rate of 8% annually, thanks in no small part to Western aid. Ethiopia's robust military and economic boom made it a linchpin for the U.S. in the War on Terror, which gave it the green light to meddle in Somalia. Using its formidable military, Ethiopia thrust itself into Somalia…