Vol 57 No 23 | SOMALIA ISIS's Puntland stunt 18th November 2016 The brief seizure of Qandala by Da'ish supporters was made possible by a rupture in the clan alliances governing Puntland After long seeking a foothold in Somalia, ISIS's Somali followers finally pulled off a coup by seizing the port of Qandala on 26 October. Capturing the Puntland...
Vol 57 No 23 | ETHIOPIASOMALIA Shabaab fills Ethiopian vacuum 18th November 2016 Ethiopia has been withdrawing forces from Somalia in order to help restore order at home, say military observers, and Al Haraka al Shabaab al Mujahideen has moved in...
Vol 57 No 20 | SOMALIA Electoral roads to federalism 7th October 2016 As the country goes to the polls, the base is broader but will the government that emerges be more legitimate than its predecessors? Four years ago, general elections took place in Mogadishu in a hectic atmosphere created mostly by an international community determined to show that the political transition was over....
Vol 57 No 20 | SOMALIAUGANDA Coordinated exit 7th October 2016 In June, General Edward Katumba Wamala, Chief of the Defence Forces, announced plans to withdraw Ugandan troops from Somalia by the end of 2017. That echoed recent signs...
Vol 57 No 12 | KENYASOMALIA Stand-off over Dadaab 10th June 2016 Refugee experts and diplomats are divided on whether Kenya is serious about its stated intention to close down the huge Dadaab refugee camp in November, Africa Confidential is...
Vol 57 No 10 | SOMALIA US comes to struggling Amisom's aid 5th May 2016 The African Union member countries are at odds, leaving US air power – and some propaganda – to make up for military failures The international coalition against Al Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen has been relying recently on a war of words – as well as United States drones and Special...
Vol 57 No 5 | SOMALIA Amisom struggles 4th March 2016 A funding gap and a string of defeats head a long list of problems for the African alliance fighting Islamist militants The health of the African Union Mission in Somalia is still in question after the leaders of the troop-contributing countries ended a crucial summit on its financing and...
Vol 57 No 2 | SOMALIA Al Shabaab sees off Da'ish 22nd January 2016 Al Qaida's loyalists ruthlessly purged the militia of Da'ish sympathisers after they tried to take over For many Somali government officials, the recent visit by a senior British general confirmed what many already knew: sticking to the Western agenda of security fears earns more...
Vol 57 No 1 | SOMALIA Division all around 8th January 2016 Special interests hamper the federal project, while a split in Al Shabaab threatens devastating consequences for Kenya This was supposed to be the year Somalia moved to a national electoral register and elected a president. Instead, the scene is set for rising tension among the...
Vol 56 No 24 | SOMALIA The Brits are coming 4th December 2015 Curiosity is growing as to why business people close to the Conservative Party are so interested in such an unstable part of the world Somalia has long been seen as too risky for even the hardiest foreign investors but now a new band of British money-men, adventurers and politicians is setting up...