Somalia

DNA Study: Medieval Iranian Merchants account for Half of the Ancestry of Swahili People of East African Coast

By Chapurukha Kusimba, University of South Florida and David Reich, Harvard University | – The legacy of the medieval Swahili civilization is a source of extraordinary pride in East Africa, as reflected in its language being the official tongue of Kenya, Tanzania and even inland countries like Uganda and Rwanda, far from the Indian Ocean […]

Africa

Droughts don’t need to result in famine: Ethiopia and Somalia show what makes the difference

The Conversation

By Joshua Busby, University of Texas at Austin | – The Horn of Africa is facing its worst drought in 40 years. Scientists suspect that a multi-year La Niña cycle has been amplified by climate change to prolong dry and hot conditions. After multiple failed harvests and amid high global food prices, the Horn is […]

Climate Crisis

How climate insecurity could trigger more conflict in Somalia and the Horn of Africa

The Conversation

By Andrew E. Yaw Tchie | – Climate change effects such as droughts, flash floods, erratic rainfall, disruption to the monsoon seasons, strong winds, cyclones, sandstorms, dust storms and increased temperature are being experienced across Somalia. These effects are affecting livelihoods, and contributing to local grievances and community tensions. Some of these insights and conclusions […]

Donald Trump

Trump targeted innocent Muslims with Visa Ban on phony pretext of ‘Terrorism,’ then unleashed real White Terrorism on Capitol

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Muslim visa ban that Trump got through on his third try, and in which the Supreme Court to its everlasting shame acquiesced, is no more. President Biden abolished it with a stroke of his pen on his first day in office. That isn’t enough. Congress needs to legislate explicitly […]

Pentagon

You Mean we’re at War in Somalia? The Hidden Costs of U.S. Airstrikes

The Conversation

By Bryce W. Reeder | The US is an active participant in the war against Al-Shabaab in Somalia, efforts that have increased in the last few years under the Trump Administration. The strategy involves using airstrikes to assist Somali ground forces in recapturing territory controlled by Al-Shabaab. In addition, there have been attempts to take […]

Somalia

Slamming Ilhan Omar, Orientalist Sen. Rand Paul confuses Somalia with Game of Thrones

contributors

By David Pechefsky | – (Informed Comment) – US Senator Rand Paul’s recent statements regarding Somalia are absurd on many levels. They are perhaps not worthy of further comment, but given that Paul a) sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and b) the US is fighting a war in Somalia, they shouldn’t be ignored. […]

Djibouti

Turkey to deploy 60,000 soldiers in bases abroad, including in Qatar

contributors

Middle East Monitor |- – 60,000 armed Turkish soldiers will be deployed across four military bases abroad in accordance with a new 2022 plan, The New Khalij reported today. The Turkish National Security Council finalised the plan yesterday, in order to meet Turkey’s military and commercial interests to support its allies. Turkey already has 3,000 […]

Al-Shabab

Nearly 300 dead in Somalia Terrorist Attack (largely ignored by US TV News)

Juan Cole

TeleSur | – – “In our 10-year experience as first responders in Mogadishu, we haven’t seen anything like this,” the Aamin Ambulance service posted on Twitter. Somali officials say the death toll from Saturday’s truck bombing in Mogadishu has risen to 276, with another 300 people injured. Medical personnel in the Somali capital have described […]

Afghanistan

What if we Gave Seven Wars and No Americans Noticed?

contributors

By Andrew J. Bacevich | ( Tomdispatch.com) | – – Consider, if you will, these two indisputable facts. First, the United States is today more or less permanently engaged in hostilities in not one faraway place, but at least seven. Second, the vast majority of the American people could not care less. Nor can it be […]