West Africa

Somalia’s New Envoy to Damascus Signals a Calculated Bet on Arab Re‑engagement Somalia’s appointment of Abiib Muse Farah as ambassador to Syria is more than a personnel change. It’s a deliberate statement about where Mogadishu sees itself in a region tentatively stitching old ties back together. Farah presented his credentials in Damascus this week to Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan al‑Shaybani, stepping into a post that had been nurtured back to life by acting ambassador Dahir Mohamud Muse. The move consolidates a…

AFRICOM says U.S. troops take indirect fire near Kismayo, Somalia; no casualties reported What we know U.S. forces in southern Somalia came under indirect fire near the port city of Kismayo on Friday, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said, reporting no injuries or damage. “U.S. and African partner forces took indirect fire near Kismayo, Somalia today. No U.S. injuries or casualties reported. No reports of damage to the base or Coalition property at this time,” the command said in a brief statement posted on its official X…

The Hemorrhage: Africa's Battle Against Illicit Financial Flows As the sun rises over the sprawling cities of Africa, it casts a light on an urgent issue plaguing the continent: illicit financial flows. While Africa is rich in resources and potential, it is estimated to lose a staggering U.S.$88 billion each year due to tax evasion, money laundering, and corruption. This figure, a steep jump from U.S.$50 billion just eight years ago, paints a bleak picture of a continent struggling against forces that siphon away its…

Somalia’s Emergence: A Glimmer of Hope in the Global Peace Index For the first time in years, Somalia has climbed out of the shadows of the world's most insecure nations, according to the latest Global Peace Index. The country now ranks 151 out of 163 countries, moving away from the notorious bottom ten. While this new ranking signifies a step forward for a nation long defined by conflict, it simultaneously highlights the multifaceted challenges that remain in achieving lasting peace. A Milestone Amidst Turbulence…

Somalia and Saudi Arabia team up on AI and space rules — a small deal with outsized stakes In a week dominated by big speeches about the future of the internet, one of the more consequential announcements came quietly from the sidelines. Somalia and Saudi Arabia have agreed to build a framework for cooperation on regulating artificial intelligence and space technology — two domains racing ahead faster than most governments can write the rules. The agreement, signed in Riyadh by Mustafa Yasin Sheikh, Director General of…

New AFRICOM chief in Mogadishu pledges deeper U.S. support against al-Shabaab and ISIS Mogadishu—On a humid Wednesday on the Indian Ocean, as traffic in the capital thinned for afternoon prayers, the new commander of U.S. Africa Command slipped into Villa Somalia for a first meeting with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. General Dagvin R. M. Anderson, newly in charge of America’s military footprint on the continent, promised that Washington will sustain—and sharpen—its support for Somali forces battling al-Shabaab and a…

On a Mogadishu Parade Ground, a First for Somalia’s Future The sun was already high over Mogadishu when the cadets squared their shoulders and stepped forward, eyes fixed, uniforms pressed to a razor’s edge. Families craned for a glimpse from beyond the rope line. A drumline fell quiet. And then, across the parade ground of the Türkiye–Somalia military academy, eleven young women took their oaths as officers — the first in Somalia’s history to do so. For a country that has endured war, state collapse, and a long…

Somalia Brings the Prophet’s Birthday Back Into the Sun Streets of Mogadishu turn green and white Before dawn on Thursday, Mogadishu’s sea breeze carried a different kind of chorus. It rose from mosques and courtyards, from balconies draped with fabric the color of limes and spring leaves. By midmorning, the capital’s streets swelled with thousands of worshippers—many young and dressed in white—waving bright green flags and singing devotional poetry in the rolling cadence of Somali Arabic. Loudspeakers crackled with…

Disqualified candidate arrested after fatal election clashes shake Somalia’s northeast LAS ANOD, Somalia — Security forces in Somalia’s northeast have arrested a wealthy businessman who was disqualified from a regional presidential race, accusing him of mobilizing armed supporters who battled police during an August 29 vote at a hotel in Las Anod. The violence left several people dead, according to local elders, and delayed burials as families spar over where and how to lay their loved ones to rest. What happened Police…

Somalia inches up the Global Peace Index — but the peace dividend remains out of reach In Mogadishu, markets open before sunrise, as vendors arrange tomatoes beneath corrugated roofs and scan their phones for security alerts with the same routine as checking prices. That small, practiced caution has defined Somali life for a generation. This week, a global metric offered a sliver of encouragement: Somalia has improved slightly on the 2025 Global Peace Index, edging to 151st out of 163 with a score of 2.983 — its first dip…