Author: Abdihakim Siyad

By early 2026, Somalia has crossed a geopolitical threshold that few fragile states ever do: it has become indispensable. No longer viewed solely through the lens of Al-Shabaab insurgency or post-state collapse recovery, Somalia is now the central arena of a high-stakes regional confrontation stretching across the Red Sea, the Horn of Africa, and the Middle East. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s swift diplomatic pivot from the historic inauguration of President Firdhiye in Las Anod to an imminent strategic mission in Riyadh signals not just a foreign policy adjustment, but a fundamental realignment of Somalia’s place in regional power politics. At…

Former Director of Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), Fahad Yasin, has once again thrust himself into the national spotlight after delivering forceful and highly controversial remarks at a public intellectual forum organized by the MAAN Institute in Mogadishu.  The forum focused on the changing geopolitical landscape of the Horn of Africa, with particular attention to Somaliland’s pursuit of international recognition, Israel’s alleged regional ambitions, Somalia’s national security, and the federal government’s political handling of emerging threats. Fahad’s intervention, however, went beyond analysis  reopening old political wounds and triggering sharp reactions from both government officials and the public.   Somaliland, Leadership…

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), long defined by the towering political presence of Raila Odinga, is facing one of the most consequential moments in its history. What was once an ideologically unified party anchored around a single figure has now fractured into competing camps, rival rallies, and sharply divergent interpretations of what Raila Odinga stood for and who, if anyone, has the authority to inherit that legacy. At the center of this political storm is Winnie Odinga, speaking not just as Raila’s daughter, but as a defiant voice against what she and her allies describe as political entitlement, silencing, and…

For years, Laascaanood existed in Somalia’s political imagination as a wound rather than a place. The city endured assassinations, displacement, sieges, and open warfare, becoming one of the most violent fault lines in the Somali political crisis. Control shifted, trust collapsed, and governance evaporated. When fighting in 2023 forced Somaliland’s administration out, the guns eventually fell silent but silence did not bring clarity. That clarity arrived on January 17, 2026. When President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud landed in Laascaanood the first sitting Somali head of state to do so in more than four decades the city’s meaning changed. What had once symbolized fragmentation…

On January 16, 2026, Somalia crossed a political threshold never before witnessed in its modern history. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre arrived on the same day, at the same airport, to attend the same national event in Las Anod (Laascaanood) a moment without precedent since the founding of the Somali Republic. For Las Anod, the symbolism ran even deeper. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud became the first sitting Somali head of state in more than 36 years to set foot in the city. The last time a Somali president visited Las Anod in an official capacity…

The Middle East is once again standing at the edge of a historical rupture, one where a single miscalculation could ignite a chain reaction far beyond the region. What is unfolding is not merely a military standoff between the United States and Iran, but a convergence of unresolved power struggles, alliance anxieties, domestic political calculations, and a collapsing international restraint system. At the center of this storm is President Donald Trump, weighing what his own advisers describe as a “cooling war” with Iran a phrase that dangerously understates the reality that once such a conflict begins, it will not cool, pause,…

For decades, North Eastern Kenya has remained trapped in a cycle of poverty, underdevelopment, and dependency despite billions of shillings allocated through devolution and the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Poor roads, struggling schools, weak health systems, and recurring drought emergencies continue to define daily life for ordinary citizens. Yet beneath this suffering lies a question that many leaders have avoided for years: where did the money go? That uncomfortable question has now burst into national debate following controversial remarks by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who accused leaders from Northern Kenya of presiding over grand corruption while publicly blaming the…

Mandera County is in the grip of yet another devastating drought, but this is not merely a natural disaster. It is the consequence of years of policy failure, weak prioritisation, and leadership that has normalised emergency as a mode of governance. In Rhamu Sub-County, particularly Chabii Barr, the crisis is no longer abstract. Kenya Red Cross teams have documented over 70 dead livestock, a clear indicator of how deeply the drought has cut into pastoralist livelihoods. For families whose survival depends almost entirely on livestock, these deaths represent hunger, school dropouts, displacement, and the erosion of dignity. Humanitarian agencies have…

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s yesterday’s address marks one of the most decisive foreign policy moments of his administration. In a firm and carefully worded speech, the Somali president publicly justified why his government annulled all cooperation agreements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), citing violations of Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and diplomatic norms. This was not a sudden or emotional reaction. Rather, it was presented as the culmination of prolonged diplomatic frustration, repeated warnings, and what Mogadishu views as sustained interference by Abu Dhabi in Somalia’s internal affairs. UAE–Somalia Relations: From Strategic Partnership to Diplomatic Breakdown For years, the UAE positioned…

Illegal migration from North Eastern Kenya toward Europe has reached a disturbing and deeply entrenched phase. What was once viewed by many young people as a risky but hopeful escape from poverty has transformed into a brutal system of exploitation, extortion, and loss. Across Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, and the Dadaab refugee camps, families are watching their children disappear into a transnational trafficking network that now operates with industrial efficiency. This journey locally known as tahriib is no longer driven solely by individual ambition. It is the product of structural neglect, prolonged unemployment, climate-induced displacement, insecurity in Somalia, and a growing…