Author: Osman Omar

 President Hassan Sheikh did not reject dialogue. He rejected the idea that Somalia’s internal politics should be managed through a foreign security summit. Sometimes a single sentence captures what an entire nation has been feeling. At the AUSSOM summit in Kampala, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud delivered one of those sentences: “Somalia’s domestic politics must not be internationalized or regionalized.” The summit was convened to discuss Al‑Shabaab, AUSSOM’s financial crisis and the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to Somali forces. The discussion took a different turn, however, when Somalia’s internal political affairs appeared in the draft communiqué. A day before the…

By Osman Omar Somalia’s growing dependence on used and refurbished laptops is driven by a simple economic cause: new computers are expensive, while students, businesses and public institutions urgently need affordable access to technology. The immediate effect is a rapidly expanding market for second-hand devices whose origins, previous owners and repair histories are often unknown. That lack of traceability creates a cybersecurity weakness. A refurbished laptop may contain outdated drivers, an altered operating system or unauthorized programs installed by a previous owner or seller. Most such problems may result from poor maintenance rather than deliberate wrongdoing. However, when the device’s…

Waxaa qoray Osman Omar Baahida sii kordhaysa ee loo qabo tiknoolajiyadda iyo qiimaha sare ee kombiyuutarrada cusub ayaa sababtay in ardayda, ganacsatada iyo hay’adaha Soomaaliyeed ay si weyn ugu tiirsanaadaan laptop-yada la isticmaalay ama dib loo dayactiray. Natiijadu waxay noqotay suuq ballaaran oo ay ku jiraan qalab aan marar badan la aqoon halka uu ka yimid, cidda horay u lahayd iyo waxa lagu sameeyey intii dib loo dayactirayay inta dabana waxaa laga keean wadamada Khaliijka oo lagu yaqaano basaasid xadhaaf ah Taariikhda qalabka oo aan la hubin waxay dhalinaysaa daciifnimo dhinaca amniga ah. Laptop-ka waxaa ku jiri kara drivers duugoobay,…

The campaign for United States recognition of Somaliland is built on an incomplete understanding of Somalia’s political geography. Its advocates present recognition as a simple strategic opportunity for Washington, but they rarely address the wider diplomatic, security and political consequences. Unilateral recognition would not occur in a vacuum. It could place the United States at odds with Somalia’s federal government while creating unnecessary tension with African and Arab states that support Somalia’s territorial integrity. Washington would be creating a major political dispute where none currently exists—and for uncertain strategic returns. As a Somali American with a strong understanding of both…

Baraha bulshada waxay noqdeen fagaaraha ugu weyn ee ay Soomaalidu ku wadaagto wararka, doodaha siyaasadeed iyo dhacdooyinka amniga. Wararka degdegga ah ayaa halkaas lagu baahiyaa, madaxda ayaa su’aalo lagu weydiiyaa, Soomaalida gudaha iyo dibadduna si toos ah ayay macluumaad isku dhaafsadaan. Hase yeeshee, xawaarahaas ayaa sidoo kale fududeeyey in war been ah uu faafo ka hor inta aysan saxafiyiinta, hay’adaha dowladda iyo muwaadiniintu helin waqti ay ku xaqiijiyaan. Maalin kasta waxaa la arkaa sawirro hore oo loo soo bandhigayo sidii dhacdooyin cusub, muuqaallo dalal kale laga soo qaaday oo Soomaaliya lagu sheegayo, hadallo loo nisbeeyo dad aan waligood oran iyo…

Mogadishu, Somalia — July 28, 2026: President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud received U.S. Congressman Darin LaHood at the Presidential Palace during the lawmaker’s official working visit to Somalia. The discussions focused on strengthening the strategic partnership between Somalia and the United States, particularly in peace and security, counterterrorism, trade, and investment. Both sides also explored opportunities to deepen cooperation and support Somalia’s long-term stability and economic development. President Hassan Sheikh expressed appreciation to the U.S. government and people for their continued support for Somalia. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to international cooperation and to creating a secure, stable environment capable of attracting…

GALKAYO, Somalia — Liibaan Ahmed Hassan, the Justice and Solidarity Party’s (JSP) candidate for the Galmudug presidency, is concluding an extensive two-week election campaign in Galkayo, the largest city in the Mudug region. The campaign began in Dhusamareb, Galmudug’s administrative capital, before extending across nearly 1,956 kilometres of the state. Liibaan and his delegation visited Ceeldheer, Harardhere, Hobyo, Cadaado, Balanbale and Abudwak, covering coastal communities in eastern Galmudug and districts throughout western Galgaduud. During the tour, Liibaan met residents, elders, young people, business leaders and local officials. His campaign focused on peace, community reconciliation, security, stronger local government, infrastructure and inclusive…

The Somali National Army launched a new military offensive against Al-Shabaab in the Lower and Middle Shabelle regions on Tuesday morning. According to initial reports, government forces secured the areas of Sumadaale, Qajacle and Buurta Sheekha after clearing Al-Shabaab fighters from the villages. Military operations are continuing as Somali forces push into additional areas where the armed group has maintained a presence. Further details regarding casualties or resistance encountered during the offensive have not yet been officially released.

For more than three decades, some security analysts based both inside and outside Somalia have consistently underestimated the resilience of the Somali people and the capabilities of the Somali Security Forces. Whether deliberately or unintentionally, they have adopted and amplified Al-Shabaab’s narrative, repeatedly predicting that Mogadishu, the nation’s capital, would fall into the group’s hands. One of the clearest examples can be found in the reports and media coverage published during Al-Shabaab’s major Ramadan offensive in 2010. On the morning of August 23, 2010—the twelfth day of Ramadan—the group launched a large-scale assault that it called “The End of the…

Following reports that the United States intends to end its support for UN assistance to the African Union mission in Somalia after 2026, concerns have grown that Al-Shabaab could exploit a security vacuum. Yet testimony from the front line offers a different assessment. Somalia’s National Army is no longer weaker than the insurgency in direct combat. Its real disadvantage is insufficient manpower, mobility and logistical capacity to control the country’s vast rural terrain. Rather than maintaining foreign forces indefinitely, international partners should begin transferring more resources toward building a larger and self-sustaining Somali military. One soldier making that argument is…

Falanqayn uu qoray Somali Insider Warqad furan oo uu Golaha Mustaqbalka Soomaaliyeed 27-kii Luulyo 2026 u diray dalalka ciidamada iyo booliska ku biiriya Hawlgalka Midowga Afrika ee Soomaaliya—AUSSOM. Waxay daaha ka rogtay weji cusub oo uu galay khilaafka siyaasadeed ee Soomaaliya. Goluhu warqadda kuma uusan koobin madaxda Uganda, Kenya, Itoobiya, Jabuuti, Burundi iyo Masar. Nuqullo ayuu sidoo kale u diray Midowga Afrika, IGAD, waddamada Afrika ku metela Golaha Ammaanka, Maraykanka, Ingiriiska, Midowga Yurub, Turkiga iyo hay’adaha Qaramada Midoobay. Dusha sare, farriintu waa mid macquul u muuqata: in heshiis siyaasadeed oo Soomaali leedahay uu saldhig u noqdo kala-guurka amniga. Hase yeeshee,…