At least three vessels have been targeted in hijackings this week off the coast of Somalia in what analysts fear is a replay of past piracy around the Horn of Africa. The area was the world’s most notorious hotspot for piracy in the early to mid-2000s, with an international naval coalition eventually subduing the threat…
As our plane descended toward Jigjiga, the regional capital of Ethiopia’s Somali Region, I felt a wave of excitement. I had heard so much about the Somali Region: its proud pastoral heritage, the security challenges it has faced and overcome, and its journey toward stability. During my stay, I engaged with regional leadership and gained…
Passenger airlines get the romance. They get the water-cannon salutes, the ribbon cuttings, the national colours painted on tails, the speeches about connecting people and opening markets. Cargo rarely gets that stage. It moves at night, in warehouses, behind airport fences, in the bellies of passenger aircraft and the holds of freighters that most travelers…
The Iran war is pushing up jet fuel prices, forcing African airlines to raise ticket prices, cancel flights and rethink operations to stay financially viable. The global aviation industry – including Africa’s rapidly growing sector – is struggling to cope with the economic fallout from the Iran war. One of the most immediate pressures comes…
Turkey and Israel are intensifying competition in the Horn of Africa, with Somalia and Somaliland emerging as key battlegrounds for oil, military influence and control of vital Red Sea trade routes. Turkey has consolidated its position through formal agreements with Somalia’s federal government, securing major offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration rights alongside a…
A strategically important Somaliland air base and port have been offered to the U.S. as a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz begins and Iran-backed threats target the key Red Sea choke point of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Top U.S. military officials, including the commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Gen. Dagvin Anderson, recently visited…
The global aviation industry is facing significant turbulence following a dramatic surge in jet fuel prices, driven by the escalating US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Costs have rocketed from approximately $85 to $90 per barrel to an alarming $150 to $200 per barrel in recent weeks. This represents a substantial financial hit for carriers, where fuel…
China recently pledged to expand military support to Somalia in its fight against al-Shabaab militants. Beijing has promised equipment, training and closer security cooperation with Mogadishu. This marks a shift from China’s traditionally cautious and small presence in the country. Brendon J. Cannon has researched how external powers – including China – engage with sub-Saharan…
An African Union Fact-Finding Mission visited and stayed in Somaliland from 30 April to 4 may 2005, to see the prevailing situation (political, socio-economic, security, humanitarian and other related issues) in the country and listen to the concerns of the leadership and people of Somaliland, and duly report back the findings of the Mission to…
أكتب هذا المقال بصفتي مواطن من جمهورية صوماليلاند. لا أحمل كراهية لأحد، ولا أبحث عن خصومات، لكنني – مثل أي مواطن يحترم نفسه وبلده – حين تتعارض المبادئ والمصالح أضع مصلحة بلادي فوق الجميع. هذا ليس تشدداً ولا عناداً، بل منطق الدول والشعوب: كل دولة في العالم تجعل مصالحها أولاً، وتركيا نفسها تفعل ذلك. .ومن…
