I write because Somalia deserves honest analysis, not comforting illusions.After serving as Chief of Staff at the Puntland State Presidency (1998–2004) and later with the UN and World Bank Joint Secretariat for Somalia’s Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP), followed by service as National Aid Technical Coordinator (NATCO) with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) … Continue reading About →
A WDM Editorial As fighting unfolds between the Puntland Defence Forces (PDF) and rebellious elements of the Puntland Security Force (PSF), one dangerous temptation must be resisted above all others: do not reduce this confrontation to a sub-clan grievance.That would not merely be intellectually lazy; it would be politically reckless.The bullets flying around Bosaso are … Continue reading Beyond the Gunfire: The PDF–PSF Confrontation Is a Failure of Governance, Not a Clan War →
The significance of Laag extends far beyond a military engagement outside Bosaso. It reaches back to the very philosophy upon which Puntland was founded in 1998.From its inception, Puntland rejected the warlordism that had consumed southern Somalia following the collapse of the Somali state in 1991. While Mogadishu descended into the rule of competing militias, … Continue reading Historical Perspective: Puntland Was Founded on the Principle of One State, One Force →
By WDM Editorial Board History has an unforgiving habit: when its lessons are ignored, it returns—not as memory, but as reality.That is the uncomfortable question confronting Somalia today. Can anyone honestly explain how Mogadishu under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud fundamentally differs from Mogadishu under the old United Somali Congress (USC), when General Mohamed Farah Aydeed … Continue reading Mogadishu Repeating Itself: Has Somalia Returned to the USC Era? →
By WDM Editorial Board Reports of armed confrontation between armed forces in Laag, outside Bosaso City, are deeply disturbing and wholly unacceptable. Whatever the immediate trigger, one fact remains beyond dispute: Puntland cannot tolerate competing centres of armed power. Political disagreements are inevitable in every society; private armies are not. This is not simply another … Continue reading Disarm Them All Before It Is Too Late: Puntland Cannot Afford Another Armed Challenge →
By Ismail H. Warsame The recent agreement between the Puntland Government, DP World (Dubai Ports) and the merchant community over cargo charges at Bosaso Port is a welcome development. After days of tension that threatened to disrupt Puntland’s busiest commercial gateway, the government demonstrated flexibility by reducing the disputed fees, while merchants accepted a compromise … Continue reading Bosaso’s Calm, Garowe’s Warning: Why Economic Compromise Cannot Substitute for Security Cohesion →
-Part II- Learning from Successful States Somalia need not search for solutions in theory alone. History offers numerous examples of societies that successfully reduced the political importance of ethnicity, tribe, religion, or regional identity without attempting to erase them altogether. Singapore inherited a deeply divided society consisting of Chinese, Malays, Indians, and other minority communities. … Continue reading Beyond the Clan: Why Somalia’s Future Depends on Making Citizenship More Important Than Lineage →
By Ismail H. Warsame History rarely begins with catastrophe. It starts with signals—subtle at first, then harder to ignore. Puntland is now at such a moment. A tense stand-off around the Port of Bosaso, renewed reports of piracy along the coast, rising political polarization, and an increasingly rigid approach to conflict management are converging into … Continue reading WDM Editorial: The Gathering Storm in Puntland: Leadership Is Measured by the Crises It Prevents →
Reports have emerged of a suspected sea piracy incident off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea, with early details still sketchy and no official confirmation yet on the full circumstances. A social media post circulating widely on Friday referred to a vessel identified as MT-ASANA, while another post cited coordinates in the Red … Continue reading Breaking: Reports of suspected piracy attack off Yemen coast in Red Sea →
A WDM Policy Essay By Ismail H. Warsame Introduction: The Wrong Debate For more than half a century, Somalia has been arguing over the wrong question. Politicians, academics, civil society activists, and foreign advisers alike have repeatedly asked how the clan can be eliminated from Somali politics. Others, equally convinced of the impossibility of such … Continue reading Beyond the Clan: Why Somalia’s Future Depends on Making Citizenship More Important Than Lineage →
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