Eritrea

Ethiopia

Somalia

Egypt

Military & Security

Politics

Egypt, Eritrea and Somalia agreed to advance joint security cooperation at a trilateral summit of the three countries' heads of state, Reuters reported on Oct. 10.

Africa: Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia Advance Tripartite Security Partnership

The president of Somalia's Jubaland state, Ahmed Madobe, rejected proposals by federal President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to attach a term extension to a planned electoral reform, Garowe Online reported on Oct. 7.

Somalia: Tensions Rise Between Federal Government and Jubaland Over Electoral Reform

Islamic State in Somalia, or ISS, has doubled in size over the past year, according to U.S. Africa Command commander Gen. Michael Langley, Voice of America reported on Oct. 1.

Somalia: Islamic State Doubles in Size in Northern Region, U.S. Military Says

Egypt delivered a new consignment of heavy weapons to Somalia, including anti-aircraft guns and artillery, Reuters reported on Sept. 23.

Somalia: Egypt Proceeds With New Heavy Weapons Shipment to Mogadishu  

Ethiopia's Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, expelled Tigray interim regional administration leader Getachew Reda and 15 other senior party officials, citing embezzlement of public funds, Addis Standard reported on Sept. 17.

Ethiopia: TPLF Expels Leader of Tigray Interim Administration as Internal Rift Widens

Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi warned that Somalia might consider supporting Ethiopian rebel groups if Ethiopia moves forward with its Somaliland agreement, which Somalia perceives as a threat to its sovereignty, Garowe Online reported on Sept. 15.

Ethiopia, Somalia: Somalia 'Open' To Supporting Ethiopian Rebels

Djibouti

Economics

Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said he expected Ethiopia to respond positively to Djibouti's proposal to offer Ethiopia "100% management" of the port of Tadjourah, located in northern Djibouti, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 4.

Ethiopia: Djibouti-Ethiopia Port Deal May Not Break Deadlock Over Somaliland

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

In a letter to the United Nations, Egypt accused Ethiopia of violating international law and multilateral agreements by unilaterally proceeding with a fifth filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and threatened to take "all necessary measures" to protect its water security, Addis Standard reported on Sept. 2.

Ethiopia, Egypt: Cairo Threatens Action Over Addis Ababa's Fifth GERD Filling

Media

Podcasts

What does Somalia's security landscape look like for the next five to 10 years?

Essential Geopolitics: The Future of Somalia

Assessments

Internally displaced people walk past the Tigrayan flag at the Tsehaye camp in Ethiopia's Shire, Tigray region, on July 16, 2024. 

Factionalism within the Tigray region's ruling party raises the prospect of resurging clashes in the region, threatening to undermine Ethiopia's recent peace and economic gains.

Tigray's Leadership Tussle Bodes Ill for Ethiopia

Kenya

Haiti

United States

U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden pose with Kenyan President William Ruto (center), alongside his wife and children, as they arrive for a State Dinner at the White House on May 23, 2024. 

For Kenya, stronger ties with the U.S. could unlock new investment and diplomatic opportunities, but bilateral relations could weaken if Nairobi draws down its police deployment in Haiti, or if Trump reenters the White House.

What To Expect From Stronger U.S.-Kenya Ties

A photo of the Somali flag.

As Somalia’s president moves to strengthen the country’s fragile state institutions, disputes over constitutional reforms threaten to deepen domestic and regional challenges.

Somalia's Constitutional Changes Widen Rifts at Home and Abroad

Yemen

China

India

A map of the waters off the coast of Somalia. A sustained resurgence in Somali piracy would put additional pressure on the global shipping industry, but its impact will likely be limited compared to that seen in the late 2000s.

A sustained resurgence in Somali piracy would put additional pressure on the global shipping industry, but its impact will likely be limited compared to that seen in the late 2000s.

The Implications of Resurging Pirate Attacks off Somalia's Coast

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attends a press conference in Rome, Italy, on Feb. 6, 2023. 

The implementation of the deal, which will grant land-locked Ethiopia access to the Berbera port in exchange for recognizing Somaliland's independence, could reshape the politics of the Horn of Africa.

The Drivers and Risks of Ethiopia's Historic Pact With Somaliland

What are the implications of ATMIS' withdrawal from Somalia?

Essential Geopolitics: Somalia's Security Outlook

What do al Shabaab's territorial losses mean for Somalia?

Essential Geopolitics: Al Shabaab's Recent Territorial Losses

RANE global security analyst Charles Thorson talks to Emily Donahue about the growing regional security risks posed by al Shabaab in Somalia.

Essential Geopolitics: Monitoring Al Shabaab

People wait for water with containers at a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Baidoa, Somalia, on Feb. 13, 2022. 

Security

The Jihadist Wars

East African Integration

The crisis could aid al-Shabaab's recruitment efforts and, in turn, its ability to conduct more terrorist attacks against political leaders in the drought-stricken country.

In Somalia, Food and Water Woes Risk Boosting al-Shabaab and Derailing Elections

Snapshots

Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on July 5, 2018, in Djibouti.

This latest in a series of confrontations between the president and prime minister will destabilize an already fragile political environment.

Preelection Tensions Surge in Somalia as President Curtails Premier's Powers

Columns

On Security

Burkina Faso

Mali

Niger

Iraq

Syria

Afghanistan

Pakistan

A British soldier leaves the Hombori area aboard a Chinook helicopter on March 28, 2019, during the start of the French Barkhane Force operation in Mali's Gourma region. In the short term, the Taliban victory will provide a significant propaganda victory for global jihadist groups; the long-term outlook for global jihadism is much less certain. 

War, Insurgency & Terrorism

The Fight Against the Islamic State

In the short term, the Taliban victory will provide a significant propaganda victory for global jihadist groups; the long-term outlook for global jihadism is much less certain.

Jihadist Terrorism After the Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan

The War in Afghanistan

Located on the Horn of Africa, Somalia shares borders with Djibouti to the northwest, Ethiopia to the west and Kenya to the south. To the north and east along the Indian Ocean, the country has the second-longest coastline in Africa.    Many have classified Somalia as the ultimate failed state, as civil conflict has gripped the country for decades. Some of Somalia's problems stem from the artificiality of the country's borders, as large ethnic Somali populations reside on the other side of the border in Ethiopia and Kenya. This weakness precipitated frequent external challenges to the country, especially during the Cold War when the United States and the Soviet Union staged proxy battles for influence in   Ethiopia and Somalia.    Somalia's biggest challenge lies in addressing a potent Islamist insurgency, followed closely by the need to reconstruct extremely fragile or nonexistent institutions. In addition to the threat posed by Islamist groups such as al Shabaab, deep-seated clan divisions have hindered efforts to foster unity. For example, the Somali National Army has received foreign financial support and training for many years, but it is largely incapable of defending the country amid its own internal divisions.    Furthermore, Ethiopia, the region's landlocked giant, is eager to prevent Somalia from re-emerging as a regional threat, as it did in the 1970s. The massive internal and external challenges facing Mogadishu suggest that international efforts to stabilize the country will continue for years to come.

SITUATION REPORTS

Africa: Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia Advance Tripartite Security Partnership

Somalia: Tensions Rise Between Federal Government and Jubaland Over Electoral Reform

Somalia: Islamic State Doubles in Size in Northern Region, U.S. Military Says

Somalia: Egypt Proceeds With New Heavy Weapons Shipment to Mogadishu

Ethiopia: TPLF Expels Leader of Tigray Interim Administration as Internal Rift Widens

Ethiopia, Somalia: Somalia 'Open' To Supporting Ethiopian Rebels

Ethiopia: Djibouti-Ethiopia Port Deal May Not Break Deadlock Over Somaliland

Ethiopia, Egypt: Cairo Threatens Action Over Addis Ababa's Fifth GERD Filling

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