Author: Osman Omar

Soo-jeedin Qaran oo Lagu Xoojinayo Amniga Habeenkii ee Muqdisho “Askari dhulka jooga wuxuu ilaalin karaa meesha uu taagan yahay. Technology-gu wuxuu ka caawin karaa inuu arko meel ka baxsan indhihiisa.” Muqdisho waxaa habeen kasta ilaaliya ciidamo Soomaaliyeed. Askari ayaa checkpoint taagan. Mid kale wuxuu ilaaliyaa xarun dowladeed. Boolis ayaa waddooyinka gaaf-wareegaya. Sirdoon ayaa xog ururinaya. CCTV ayaa meelo badan duubaya.Dhammaantood waxay qabtaan shaqo muhiim ah. Laakiin marka qorraxdu dhacdo, waxaa jirta su’aal ay tahay in madaxda amniga qaranku maanta isweydiiyaan:

The return of piracy off Somalia’s northeastern coast is triggering an increasingly heated debate among Somalis online. Across TikTok and X, one question keeps coming up: if Puntland has the security capacity to fight Al-Shabaab in some of the region’s most difficult terrain, why does it appear unable or unwilling—to stop pirates operating from the same general area? Much of the criticism is being directed at Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni and his administration. The argument is not simply that piracy has returned. What is attracting attention is where it is returning and the apparent absence of a response proportionate to the threat. Puntland’s…

Both organizations reported the fighting, but neither fully investigated the evidence behind allegations that Al-Shabaab and Laftagareen-aligned forces participated in the same operation. By Osman Omar | The weakness in the international coverage of the Baidoa attack was not necessarily that every reported fact was wrong. The deeper problem was that the most important security question was left largely unexamined. Were fighters loyal to former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen acting independently, or was their assault connected to the simultaneous Al-Shabaab attack reported by Somali authorities? Reuters and Al Jazeera English reported the fighting, casualties, and use…

Somalia’s aviation sector is experiencing rapid growth as several airlines prepare to serve Mogadishu. Ahmed Moallim Hassan, Director General of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority, announced that SalamAir of Oman, RwandAir, and flynas of Saudi Arabia are expected to operate flights to the Somali capital. He also said tickets for Somali Airlines could become available by mid-September. The expansion will give Somali diaspora communities traveling from cities such as London and Minneapolis more convenient connections. Those visiting Mogadishu will also have improved access to Saudi Arabia through Jeddah or Madinah for Umrah. This is encouraging news for passengers and another…

Is Al-Shabaab Considering a Taliban-Style Political Transition? Reports of a new debate within Al-Shabaab’s media circles have raised an important question: Is the group preparing for negotiations, or simply testing Somalia’s reaction? By Osman Omar A new discussion appears to be taking shape within Al-Shabaab’s media and ideological circles. For the first time, writers connected to the group are reportedly asking whether it should follow a path similar to the Taliban’s by entering negotiations, seeking political influence, and eventually engaging with the international community. A security report published on August 14 identifies a writer named “Eng. Kurtun Hassan” as one of the…

By Osman Omar On August 12, 2026, something special happened for Somalis watching football around the world. In Salzburg, Austria, Omar Abdulkadir Artan walked onto one of European football’s biggest stages as the referee of the UEFA Super Cup. For many people, it was simply another major football match. For Somalis, it meant something more. There was a Somali at the center of the field, trusted with one of the biggest responsibilities in European football. The 34-year-old Somali referee has been on FIFA’s international list since 2018 and was named CAF Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025. He did…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur (Jaamac) was elected Speaker of Somalia’s House of the People. On Monday, August 10, he secured 142 votes against 30 for his opponent, Abdulkadir Omar Macallin (Daada). Nur arrives at the Speaker’s office with experience across several important institutions of the Somali state. Educated in International Relations at Ankara University, he began his government career in diplomacy at Somalia’s embassy in Türkiye. He later served as Deputy Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), senior adviser to the Speaker of Parliament, Minister of Justice, Minister of Defense and, most recently, Minister of Ports…

Inclusivity must protect citizens’ right to participate, not give every boycotting politician the power to halt the country. Every time Somalia approaches an election, completes a constitutional reform or begins to recover from a political crisis, a familiar ritual returns. Several political leaders reject the process. Foreign embassies call for “inclusive dialogue.” The Federal Government is told to negotiate again, deadlines are pushed back, and the country is returned to the same political waiting room. The language sounds reasonable. Somalia certainly needs dialogue, lawful government, and protection for political minorities. But an essential distinction has been lost: Inclusion is the…

About 2,500 years ago, the Greek historian Herodotus recorded the story of Cambyses II, the king of Persia, and a distant people known as the Macrobians, a Greek name meaning “the Long-Lived People.” According to Herodotus, Cambyses sent spies disguised as ambassadors before attempting to invade Macrobian territory. The Macrobian king recognized their true purpose and handed them a large bow. He instructed them to tell Cambyses that when the Persians could draw a bow of equal size as easily as he could, they might consider invading. Cambyses ignored the warning and marched his army into unfamiliar territory without adequate…

More than three decades after the collapse of Somalia’s central government in 1991, Mogadishu remains a city shaped by conflict, displacement, and decades of unplanned urban expansion. The capital has become both the political heart of Somalia and a symbol of the country’s long struggle to rebuild functioning institutions. Following the state collapse, hundreds of thousands of displaced families settled wherever land was available. Public and privately owned land alike was developed with little or no urban planning, creating densely populated neighborhoods, blocked roads, weak infrastructure, and limited access for emergency services. The administration of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has…

Madaxweyne Xasan Sheekh ma diidin wada-hadalka; wuxuu diiday in siyaasadda gudaha Soomaaliya lagu go’aamiyo shir amni oo dibadda ka dhacaya. Mararka qaarkood hal weedh ayaa taabata dareenka qaran dhan. Shirkii AUSSOM ee ka dhacay Kampala, Madaxweyne Xasan Sheekh Maxamuud wuxuu si kooban u sheegay arrin Soomaali badan muddo qalbiga ku haysay: “Siyaasadda gudaha Soomaaliya lama caalamiyeyn karo, lamana goboleyn karo.” Shirka waxaa loogu talagalay in looga hadlo dagaalka Al‑Shabaab, maalgelinta AUSSOM iyo sidii mas’uuliyadda amniga loogu wareejin lahaa ciidamada Soomaaliyeed. Laakiin dooddu waxay jihada beddeshay markii war-murtiyeedka lagu soo daray arrimo la xiriira siyaasadda gudaha Soomaaliya. Maalin ka hor kulanka…