Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud saw his own opportunity to recast the region's power map (AC Vol 65 No 16 Djibouti joins fight against the Abiy-Bihi pact)...

Following a failed meeting with Muse Bihi and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of the Somali Federal Government in December President Guelleh (who is Iise/Mamasan) and his wife Khadra Mahamud Haid (who is Sa'ad Muuse/Haber Awal) tried to reconcile the two men and prevent Djibouti being fought over (AC Vol 65 No 2 Why Abiy and Muse signed a 'memorandum of misunderstanding')...

He also nettled Mogadishu by advising it to focus on internal problems and not to spend money on useless trips abroad echoing the criticisms of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's frequent travels by his local opponents (AC Vol 64 No 7 Mogadishu weighs the ups and downs of its anti-jihadist fight)...

Some suspect the skirmish to be a plot to discredit President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud...

The United Arab Emirates avidly competing with other Gulf States for influence in East Africa is strongly backing the plan – much to the anger of Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud...

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud urged parliament to support it and over 180 MPs voted in favour a strong majority...

TURKEY BROKERS MEDIATION OVER PORT DEAL A secret top-level meeting between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's government and Ethiopia to break the impasse caused by Addis Ababa's memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Somaliland has been scheduled for 30 June in Istanbul Africa Confidential has learned from diplomatic sources...

How Hassan Sheikh fell out with UN envoy Laing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has clashed with Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) to Somalia Catriona Laing...

Dani refused to accept the first four chapters of a new constitution introduced by federal President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to replace the clan-based system of parliamentary representation which has been in operation for 24 years...

But President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is in no mood for hints and whispers...

These failures are more about unaddressed issues in the nearly two years of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's term than any significant increase in the power of the Islamist insurgents...