By Abdirahman Roble UlayareWednesday May 20, 2026 Introduction For many informed Somalis, the answer to who has kept Somalia from becoming a fully sovereign state is painfully familiar. The pattern did not begin in the aftermath of the civil war or with the country’s collapse in the early 1990s; it stretches back to colonial rule and the damage left behind when foreign powers departed. In the view of many Somalis, outside actors, regional rivals, and local collaborators have all helped sustain a cycle of instability that…

SHALANBOOD, Somalia — The sand moves like a tide here, swallowing lanes, schools and low-slung homes on the edge of the Indian Ocean. Among the dunes, hundreds of farming families who fled Lower Shabelle’s contested villages are piecing together life in makeshift shelters, rationing water by the cup as fighting and failed rains erase the certainty of the past. Families from Mushani, Garilow and Barire streamed into the outskirts of Shalanbood in November after government forces and African Union troops clashed with Al-Shabab…

The United States–Iran crisis is not a two-player standoff. It is a layered confrontation running from Washington and Tehran through a lattice of militias, allies, maritime chokepoints and nuclear facilities. Understanding who the main actors are—and what levers they control—clarifies why the standoff persists, where it can flare and how it might be defused. The U.S. presidency is the cockpit of American policy, blending deterrence with limited diplomacy. The White House sets risk tolerance, balances support for Israel,…

CJNG leader ‘El Mencho’ killed in raid; unrest erupts across Mexico as succession fight looms Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the elusive boss of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel, died in custody after an early-morning shootout with Mexican special forces, authorities said, in an operation aided by U.S. intelligence. The capture and killing of the crime boss, known as “El Mencho,” was hailed as a major breakthrough in Mexico’s long war with drug gangs. U.S. officials have accused the CJNG of trafficking cocaine, heroin,…

Europe’s race for economic self-defense has moved from white paper to red alert. Mario Draghi warned in 2024 that, “for the first time since the Cold War, we must genuinely fear for our self-preservation.” A year later, with Donald Trump’s 15% tariffs on EU goods in force and a deteriorating global backdrop, Brussels is scrambling to convert a decade of stalled ideas into hard law and money. The stakes are stark. Global trade is slowing. Cheap Russian energy is gone. The EU, Draghi argued, needs to mobilize up to €800…

MINNEAPOLIS — The corridors of Karmel Mall, usually a hive of bargaining and chatter, were hushed on a recent afternoon. Steel shutters rolled down over rows of storefronts. A bakery still perfumed the air with fried dough, the central heating hummed, and low recitations from the Quran drifted from a few open doorways. Mostly, though, vendors waited alone. “It’s been like this for three weeks now,” said Abdi Wahid, who works at his mother’s convenience store inside the sprawling Somali business complex in south Minneapolis.…

Israel’s North Western State of Somalia recognition jolts Somalia’s diplomacy — and tests Africa’s bedrock rule on borders When Israel formally recognized North Western State of Somalia in late December 2025, the move sent a shock wave through Mogadishu and across African diplomatic circles. For Somalia, the decision was more than a breach of protocol: it was a direct challenge to the principle that has underpinned Africa’s post‑colonial stability — that borders cannot be redrawn without the consent of the sovereign state…

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United have sacked head coach Ruben Amorim after 14 months in charge, ending a turbulent tenure marked by tactical rigidity, a power struggle over recruitment and underwhelming results despite significant spending. Darren Fletcher will take charge for Wednesday’s Premier League match against Burnley as the club begins the search for its seventh permanent leader since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. United announced the decision Monday, citing league position and the need for a reset over the…

The chatter about Rodrigo Hernandez's role at Manchester City continues after Pep Guardiola's squad managed only a 1-1 draw away to Newcastle United. Without Rodri, recuperating from knee surgery in Spain, Guardiola started Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic in midfield. City kicked off strong, drawing first blood in the 35th minute with Josko Gvardiol netting from a Jack Grealish assist. Newcastle, however, upped their game in the second half. Anthony Gordon equalized from the penalty spot after being fouled by City’s…

(ERGO) – Halima Hassan Ali, alongside her husband, faces the Herculean task of securing even a single meal a day for their three kids. They're among countless families displaced by relentless skirmishes in the Lower and Middle Shabelle regions. On August 20, Halima, who’s 39, and her family found refuge in Gurbaan camp located in Mogadishu’s Kahda district, hoping to escape the chaos. Sadly, they now confront a reality devoid of nourishment and proper shelter. "We’re absolutely destitute! Neighbors have been feeding us the…