March 12
Somalia: Lessons From the Missed Opportunity in Puntland's Polls
Elections in the Somali state of Puntland were a mixed bag. The vote was peaceful, but it followed an indirect model in which most have no voice. The re-elected president should… Read more »
March 06
Somalia: The Stakes in the Ethiopia-Somaliland Deal
A preliminary agreement with Somaliland giving landlocked Ethiopia access to the Gulf of Aden has heightened tensions in the Horn of Africa, a region already in turmoil. In this… Read more »
February 07
East Africa: Somalia, Somaliland and the Explosive Port Deal
This week on The Horn, Alan speaks with Omar Mahmood, Crisis Group's Senior Analyst for Eastern Africa, about the implications for Somalia of a possible port deal between Ethiopia… Read more »
January 30
Somalia: Somalia - Making the Most of the EU-Somalia Joint Roadmap
The Somali government aims to "eliminate" Al-Shabaab by the year's end, marking a crucial point in its sixteen-year war with the insurgency. In this excerpt from the Watch List… Read more »
September 25, 2023
Somalia: Avoiding a New Cycle of Conflict in Somalia's Galmudug State
Polls likely due in 2024 could unsettle Galmudug, a building block of Somalia's federal project, increasing frictions along clan and other lines. State and federal authorities have… Read more »
May 19, 2023
Somalia: Time for Somaliland and the Dhulbahante to Talk
Somaliland's army and Dhulbahante militias are fighting for control of the town of Las Anod. The Dhulbahante want to join Somalia rather than be part of Somaliland's state-building… Read more »
March 21, 2023
Somalia: Sustaining Gains in Somalia's Offensive Against Al-Shabaab
In conjunction with clan militias, the national army has dislodged the Islamist insurgency Al-Shabaab from swathes of central Somalia, marking a breakthrough in the fifteen-year… Read more »
January 11, 2023
Somalia: Somalia's Offensive Against Al-Shabaab
This week on The Horn, Alan speaks with Omar Mahmood, Crisis Group's senior analyst for Eastern Africa, about the government offensive backed by local clans that is making gains… Read more »
November 10, 2022
Somalia: Overcoming Somaliland's Worsening Political Crisis
Somaliland is going through considerable political turmoil. The government and opposition disagree over the sequencing of two forthcoming high-stakes elections, and both sides are… Read more »
October 20, 2022
Somalia: What the White House Use of Force Policy Means for the War in Somalia
The new White House policy, as reported by Charlie Savage of the New York Times, is meant to put limits on operations in places outside of "areas of active hostilities," but it is… Read more »
June 21, 2022
Somalia: Considering Political Engagement With Al-Shabaab in Somalia
The war with Al-Shabaab's Islamist insurgency has dragged on for fifteen years. As it reviews its options, Somalia's new government should look into what room there might be for… Read more »
May 31, 2022
Somalia: A Welcome Chance for a Reset
It took sixteen months, but Somalia's elections have finally concluded - and without major incident. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Omar Mahmood looks at the challenges… Read more »
May 27, 2022
Somalia: New President in Somalia, New Opportunity for Reconciliation
On 15 May, Somali Lawmakers Voted in New President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. the Peaceful Vote and Transfer of Power Drew a Line Under What Had Been a Fraught, Long-Delayed and… Read more »
August 06, 2020
Somalia: A Halting Embrace of Dialogue for Somalia and Somaliland
Ethiopia, the U.S. and the EU have brokered surprise talks between the Somalia and Somaliland administrations, which are historically opposed, though progress has stalled while… Read more »
October 08, 2012
Somalia: Assessing Turkey's Role in Somalia
Turkey is the newest country to intervene in Somalia and its involvement has produced some positive results. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's courageous visit to Mogadishu in… Read more »