Kenya-Somalia Ties Can Be Restored

 Aljazeera published on 11 January 2021 a commentary titled "Somalia and Kenya Still Have a Road to Neighbourly Cooperation" by Abdimalik Abdullahi.  

Last December, Somalia broke diplomatic relations with Kenya "for meddling in its affairs."  The author summarizes the conflicts between Kenya and Somalia, and then argues the two countries can and should begin to take steps to resolve them.  

Impact of COVID-19 on Somali Governance

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published on 17 December 2020 an analysis titled "How the Pandemic Has Laid Bare Somalia's Weak Governing Structures" by Tihana Bartulac Blanc. 

COVID-19 is taxing Somalia's health care system and further exposing the country's weak institutions and governance shortcomings while it has not deterred the al-Shabaab terrorist organization.   

Somalia, Khat, and Covid-19

The Rift Valley Institute published in May 2020 a brief paper titled "Khat and Covid-19: Somalia's Cross-Border Economy in the Time of Coronavirus" by Sahra Ahmed Koshin.

Measures to contain COVID-19 have imposed restrictions on khat imports and consumption that have affected livelihoods of khat sellers.  The reduced supply has hit government revenues and shifted more of the trade to contraband. 

Addis Ababa to Djibouti: Riding the Rails

The New York Times posted on 8 April 2019 a story titled "A Remarkable Rail Journey Into the Horn of Africa's Past, and Future" by Henry Wismayer.

This is a travel account of a trip on the new Chinese-built railway from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to the coast of Djibouti.

Is Yemen Following the Somali Pattern?

The Globe Post posted on 20 July 2018 a commentary titled "Yemen's Fateful Twinship with Somalia" by Abukar Arman.

The author concluded that it is hard to imagine a different fate for Yemen than for Somalia--numerous balkanized political entities cursed with perpetual distrust and hostility. The only way to change this trajectory is to accomplish what Somalia has been struggling with for decades: a genuine reconciliation followed by a rigorous campaign to sacrifice claims of exclusive tribal rights for inclusive equal rights for all Yemeni citizens.

Khat an Increasing Problem for Ethiopian Youth

The New York Times published on 22 July 2017 an article titled "For Ethiopia's Underemployed Youth, Life Can Center on a Leaf" by Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura.

About half of Ethiopia's youth are thought to chew khat, a psychotropic amphetamine-like stimulant. The economic and social damage is considerable although khat is a boon to Ethiopian farmers.

Building Somaliland's Health System

The Lancet published on 30 May 2015 an article titled "Slowly and Steadily, Somaliland Builds Its Health System" by Sharmila Devi, reporting from Hargeisa.

Major Study on Somali Piracy

The World Bank, UN Office on Drugs and Crime and Interpol recently published a book length study titled "Pirate Trails: Tracking the Illicit Financial Flows from Pirate Activities off the Horn of Africa."  The study estimates that between April 2005 and December 2012, pirates claimed an estimated $339 million to $413 million in ransoms.  This massive study looks at the role of criminal networks, distribution of the proceeds, moving the proceeds, investing the proceeds, and makes a series of recommendations for countering the issue of financial flows. 

For journalistic accounts of the report, see "The Horn of Plenty: How Piracy Became a $413m Business" by Nick Kochan in the 4 November 2013 The Independent and "Somali Piracy: More Sophisticated Than You Thought" in the 2 November 2013 The Economist.