Inside Africa

28/05/2025

After Somalia issued a NOTAM banning the chartered flight meant to carry Somaliland’s president and his entourage to Nairobi, Mr. Cirro and his team were forced to downgrade—hitching a ride on a creaky old Fokker plane used for flying Qat from Nairobi to Las’anod.

Upon arrival in Kenya, they were allowed entry, but the real turbulence came when Nairobi issued a statement humiliating Cirro and his team, declaring it recognizes Somaliland as just another regional state of Somalia on par with Jubaland.

28/05/2025

Eritreans are trapped in a garrison state | Al Jazeera

The world must act to end Isaias Afwerki’s reign of perpetual war.

27/05/2025

: Somaliland Issues Note Verbale After Failed Attempt to Inaugurate Diplomatic Mission in Nairobi Without Kenyan Approval.

Somaliland government has come under scrutiny for attempting to inaugurate what appeared to be a diplomatic mission in Nairobi on May 27, 2025, without the formal approval of the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Despite Somaliland’s subsequent denial in its note verbale, the Kenyan government had already issued a clarification that no such inauguration had been authorized and that Somaliland does not hold diplomatic status in Kenya.

By planning such an event, Somaliland overstepped the boundaries of its permitted operations, as it was only granted the status of a liaison office—not a diplomatic mission.

The move suggests an effort by Somaliland to unilaterally upgrade its presence in Nairobi, bypassing diplomatic protocols and undermining Kenya’s sovereign authority over foreign representations.

26/05/2025

Kenya government has clarified that the planned opening of the Somaliland Liaison Office on May 27, 2025, in Nairobi lacks official approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As a result, the office does not hold diplomatic status and is not authorized to proceed.

26/05/2025

: Somaliland President Humiliated in Nairobi Over Fabricated Invitation.

Kenya embarrasses Somaliland president for making an uninvited visit to Nairobi. Somaliland administration misled its public by falsely claiming that the president had received an official invitation from the Kenyan government.

This embarrassing diplomatic misstep undermines Somaliland’s international credibility and raises serious questions about the administration’s transparency and willingness to mislead the public for political gain.

24/05/2025

: Popular social media personality and political activist Liban Hussein has alleged that he was poisoned during his recent unlawful detention by the Somaliland authorities.

Liban was initially held at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where he claims his food was deliberately tampered with.

Since his release, he claims suffering from severe illness, including persistent vomiting, which ultimately led to his hospitalization as his condition worsened.

If Liban’s allegations are true, they expose a deeply disturbing pattern of abuse within Somaliland’s security apparatus—one that increasingly targets journalists, political activists, and opposition figures.

Arbitrary arrests without charges, politically motivated detentions, and now potential acts of physical harm point to a growing climate of repression that threatens the very foundations of human rights and civil liberties in Somaliland.

24/05/2025

Last week, what began as a small and peaceful protest in Burao against the Somaliland administration ended in bloodshed.

Security forces responded with excessive force, firing live ammunition into the crowd—killing at least two people and injuring 33 others.

This latest incident is a gruesome reminder of the widespread police brutality tolerated, and often encouraged, under the current Somaliland administration.

Any kind of peaceful gathering is routinely met with violence, reflecting a disturbing pattern of repression that undermines Somaliland’s claims to democratic values.

21/05/2025

Mother Hen cries out, “Help! Help!” as an Eagle swoops down and snatches one of her chicks.

The love of a mother.

21/05/2025

Somaliland president’s visit to Djibouti marks the demise of the mutually beneficial MoU signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland last year.

Djibouti strongly opposed the MoU, viewing it as a threat to the $3 billion in annual port revenues it collects from Ethiopia.

11/05/2025

Sahra Halgan’s song highlighting Somalian jealousy over Somaliland’s democratic progress and development, has gone viral on TikTok, with hundreds of influencers using the track and its lyrics in the lead-up to Somaliland’s Independence Day celebrations on May 18, 2025.

10/05/2025

10/05/2025

: Turkey’s Oil Discovery Marks a Turning Point for Somalia’s Energy Future.

Turkey’s recent discovery of up to 20 billion barrels of commercially viable crude oil in Somalia represents a major milestone in the country’s path toward energy independence and economic development.

The breakthrough, achieved in two of the three offshore oil blocks operated by Turkey, has positioned Somalia as a key player in the East African energy landscape.

Signed in March 2024, the bilateral hydrocarbon agreement between Turkey and Somalia is already bearing fruit, laying the foundation for long-term cooperation and investment in the country’s promising oil and gas sector.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has hailed the deal as a transformative step, noting that it will accelerate exploration along Somalia’s vast coastline and attract much-needed international capital and expertise.

With one more block expected to yield commercial reserves by August, the discovery is set to usher in a new era of economic opportunity and energy security for Somalia.