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Opinion/Analysis A pragmatic embrace: What Somalia’s deals with Algeria really mean On a crisp day in Algiers, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Algeria’s Abdelmadjid Tebboune signed a set of agreements that, on the surface, read like a conventional exercise in diplomacy: memorandums, scholarship pledges and cooperation pacts. But beneath the ritual of ceremonial pens and ministers exchanging folders there is a subtler story about how fragile, resource-rich states seek partners beyond the usual Western and…

Yemen and Somalia Look to the Gulf of Aden for a Reset — Trade, Flights, and a Security Hedge On a warm Sunday in Aden, inside a government building that has seen more than its share of chapter changes, Yemen’s Transport Minister Dr. Abdisalam Hamid sat down with Somalia’s ambassador, Abdulhakim Mohamed, to talk about rebuilding old routes across a troubled sea. The meeting didn’t produce the flashy, sweeping pledges that crowd the diplomatic calendar. Yet in a region where small steps often foreshadow bigger shifts, their…

Somalia and Ethiopia test a fragile thaw on the shores of Lake Tana At a security forum in northern Ethiopia this weekend, officials from Somalia and Ethiopia stepped into a quiet side room and did something deceptively simple: they talked. In an era when silence can harden into policy, the meeting on the sidelines of the Tana High-Level Forum in Bahir Dar—Ethiopia’s lakeside city ringed by papyrus boats and monastic islands—signaled a cautious shift from confrontation to engagement in the Horn of Africa. The delegations,…

Somalia and Ethiopia test a fragile thaw in Addis Ababa — and the Horn of Africa is watching On a quiet Sunday in Addis Ababa, far from the sirens that so often announce news in this region, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stepped off a plane at Bole International Airport and into a delicate diplomatic dance. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed greeted him before the two moved quickly behind the National Palace’s tall gates. The choreography was deliberate: a handshake, a short walk, a private conversation. The…

Somalia’s turn toward Kiswahili: a classroom move with regional reach MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government has announced a policy shift that could reshape how the country talks to its neighbours: Kiswahili, the East African lingua franca, is to be introduced into the national school curriculum and promoted in Somali universities. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud framed the decision as part of a broader push toward regional integration. “The Somali National University, along with all Somali universities, must take the…

U.S. man from Minnesota pleads guilty to ties with ISIS affiliate in Somalia WASHINGTON — A naturalized U.S. citizen from Minnesota pleaded guilty Monday to charges stemming from his links to an Islamic State affiliate operating in Somalia, authorities said, in a case that underscores persistent efforts by foreign extremist groups to recruit supporters among diaspora communities in the West. Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank in St. Paul. Prosecutors say Hassan tried twice…

Somalia Welcomes Egypt’s Security Pledge — and Steps Onto a Narrow Diplomatic Tightrope Mogadishu’s new embrace from Cairo comes as the Nile dispute looms and Ethiopia watches closely Somalia’s leaders have a way of smiling through storms. In Mogadishu this week, officials welcomed Egypt’s renewed pledge to back the country’s security and state-building — a gesture with history behind it and geopolitics baked into it. On paper, it is straightforward: Cairo says it will support the new African Union Support and…

Strengthening Ties: Somalia and Sudan's Security Partnership in a Troubled Region In a region where instability and conflict often dominate headlines, a significant diplomatic step was taken this week as Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud engaged in substantial discussions with Maj. Gen. Ahmed Ibrahim Ali Mufadal, Sudan's Director General of National Intelligence Service. The meeting underscores a potential pivot towards more strategic alliances in combating shared security threats in the Horn of Africa. A Crucial…

Today, an intriguing diplomatic exchange unfolded as Ethiopia's State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mesganu Arga, sat down for a chat with Vincent D. Spera, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Africa, Sudan, and South Sudan. From the onset, Ambassador Mesganu didn't mince words. He drove home the point that Ethiopia and the U.S. need to crank up their relationship, especially where peace and security are concerned. For Mesganu, the magic word is "economic." He passionately delved into Ethiopia’s…

KISMAYO, Somalia - Recent weeks have witnessed a stormy political landscape in Somalia, as Jubaland has decided to walk away from its relationship with Mogadishu. Alongside Northeastern State, it becomes the second of the five states to voice dissatisfaction with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's leadership and his push for significant constitutional reforms. The leadership of Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe in Jubaland halted collaboration with the federal government, declaring an end to cooperation following a crucial meeting…