Navigating

OP-ED: Somalia’s 2026 Transition: Steering Through a Proxy Election Before National Collapse Somalia’s 2026 presidential transition is no longer a contained domestic debate about electoral mechanics. It is an inflection point where a stubborn internal deadlock meets a widening geopolitical contest, raising the risk that the vote becomes a proxy battleground — and that fragile state-building gains unravel. Months from the national vote, there is still no agreed framework for how to elect a president. The long-sought…

This past Sunday, a mortar attack rocked a military base in central Mogadishu, frequented by officials from the African Union (AU), United Nations, and various international entities, tragically ending the lives of at least two individuals and injuring several others. The terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, immediately claimed responsibility for the assault, highlighting their unyielding aggression in destabilizing Somalia’s government and infrastructure. Despite some headway in the federal government’s offensive to subdue…

    This week's episode of The Horn features an intriguing discussion as Alan sits down with Omar Mahmood, the senior analyst for Eastern Africa at Crisis Group, to delve into the growing tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, the new Egypt-Somalia defense agreement, and the outlook for peacekeeping missions in Somalia. Kicking off the fresh season of The Horn, Alan converses with Omar Mahmood about the complex web of regional frictions involving Somalia, Egypt, and Ethiopia. They're set to examine the uncertain future of…