The Horn of Africa
Saudi Arabia’s Growing Military Influence in Somalia
The NewsSomalia’s federal forces have suffered a series of losses to al-Shabaab across large parts of central Somalia. Reports accuse the government of outgoing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of lacking a reliable army…
The U.S. Will End Its Support for the UN Support Office in Somalia by the End of 2026
The United States has set December 31, 2026, as the date it will stop all support for the UN Support Office in Somalia. Washington says that almost 20 years of investment did not lead to real security reform or political…
Ethiopia’s Sea Access Doctrine: Security or Escalation?
News: Ethiopia has signaled that its pursuit of Red Sea access is no longer just economic policy but a core security doctrine wrapped in deterrence, technology, and national pride. The military establishment has entered…
Somalia — Turkey Enters the Air War Against Al-Shabaab
The Issue Turkish armed forces and the Somali National Army conducted joint airstrikes in the Jowdi area of Lower Shabelle region, targeting caves, weapons depots, and hideouts belonging to al-Shabaab. The official…
Houthis Threaten to Target Any Israeli Presence in Somaliland
The leader of Ansar Allah (the Houthis), Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, has threatened to target any Israeli presence in the breakaway region of Somaliland by all available means, affirming that Yemen will not stand idly by in…
The Houthi–Shabaab Entanglement and Red Sea Security
The growing coordination between al-Shabaab and the Houthis represents an additional dimension that troubles Washington, because it links two distinct yet strategically connected theaters: the Horn of Africa and the Red…
Al-Shabaab and the Fragility of the Somali State
Somalia’s current political crisis goes beyond the familiar bounds of constitutional deadlock and electoral paralysis, intersecting instead with a moment in which al-Shabaab’s influence is rising and the dispute between…
Assab, Cairo, and Addis Ababa: The New Contest in the Horn
The hottest axis is the Egyptian–Eritrean rapprochement facing off against Ethiopia. On June 10, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty met his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh in Cairo, with Egypt affirming that the…
Horn of Africa & the Red Sea Somaliland in Jerusalem
The News Israeli President Isaac Herzog received Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (“Cirro”) at the presidential residence in Jerusalem on Sunday, June 14, 2026 — the first state visit by a Somaliland…
Eastern Sudan: Between Eritrean Expansion and the Risk of a Third Front
The News Mounting evidence indicates that Eritrea is overseeing the training and arming of more than eight armed Sudanese factions on its territory and along the border strip. Forces of the “National Movement for Justice…
South Sudan — Closing the Egyptian Base: Rebalancing Power in the Nile Basin
The News Regional media outlets — without official confirmation from Cairo or Juba to date — are circulating reports that South Sudan has requested the closure of an Egyptian military base in the Jot area of Upper Nile…
Somalia: The Return of Piracy
The News: Since April 20, 2026, four vessels have been seized in Somali and Yemeni waters: the fishing vessel Al-Khairi 2, the tanker Honor 25 carrying approximately 18,000 barrels of oil, the fuel tanker Soward on April…