How with economy on its knees and looming threat of terrorism, diaspora remittances keep Somali families afloat
An estimated 40 per cent of Somali households receive remittances, with the funds typically used to cover day-to-day expenses, school fees and emergencies. In 2023 alone, Somalis abroad sent home $1.7 billion – more than the Somali government’s budget for that year, and the $1.1 billion funding received by international aid agencies.
Why humanitarian agencies often confide al-Shabab would be a more efficient partner than the Somali government
Despite this apparent governance success, al-Shabaab faces a crucial paradox: legitimacy without popularity. While Somalis may recognise the group’s administrative competence and align with its ideology up to a degree, it appears most do not want to live under al-Shabaab rule.
Africa pulls ahead of the world as the epicentre of terrorism with Burkina Faso perched at the top
In a speech to the High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat called for a new approach to addressing the “destructive phenomenon [that] is ravaging human lives, infrastructure and institutions.”
Al Shaabab announce death of three Kenyan solders in blast, unusually doesn’t claim responsibility
Al Shabaab controls large swathes of southern and central Somalia and frequently makes cross-border attacks on military and civilian targets, which security analysts say are aimed at pressuring Kenya into withdrawing its troops from peacekeeping missions in Somalia.
Five Ugandan peacekeepers killed in African Union mission crash in Somali capital
The African Union peacekeeping mission, known as AUSSOM, is helping Somali authorities to fight al-Shabaab, a rebel group that opposes the presence of foreign troops in the Horn of Africa nation.
