Politics
Congo’s minerals are crucial for the green energy transition, yet instead of benefitting, they fuel conflict and keep it at the bottom of the value chain.
Suhaib Mahmoud examines Africa’s pivotal election year, where nearly a third of the continent’s countries went to the polls, turning up several surprises outcomes.
For more than a decade, leaders in Jubaland have resisted the imposition of federal authority. This has been detrimental to Jubaland, but it has also undermined the extension of the federal project.
As Somaliland and Taiwan deepen ties, Mogadishu has concurrently strengthened its relationship with Beijing, as both recognised and unrecognised states vie for influence in the Horn of Africa.
The Sudanese civil war, nearing its second year, has caused the world’s largest humanitarian disaster, sparking debate over the need for foreign intervention. Here are some views.
Opinion
Mogadishu has long drawn on the architectural styles of the age, from Swahili influences to Italian and later tropical modernism. But poor urban planning and climbing high-rises now threaten its aesthetic identity & coastal character.
Burundian soldiers made a vital yet underappreciated contribution to the peacekeeping missions in Somalia. As they withdraw and prepare to return home, they can look back with pride on a job well done.
The smooth conclusion of Somaliland’s election and Irro’s promises of change have raised public expectations for what the incoming administration will bring. However, Somaliland requires deep, not superficial, reform.
As Somaliland prepares for its 4th presidential election—a significant milestone—an old threat lurks: clan-based politics. Politicians are marshalling the clan, but it poses long-term threats to Somaliland’s cohesion and its institutions.
Somaliland has long valued its rare democratic ideals of wada-tashi iyo isu-tanaasul (consensus and compromise), but clan divisions and election delays now threaten this fragile progress.
Culture
Ethiopia’s Najashi Mosque is one of Africa’s oldest, containing the tomb of the famous Ethiopian king and the Prophet’s companions. However, the mosque and the community that maintains it are suffering from neglect in the shadow of the Tigray war.
Borama is a city renowned for its outsized role in Somali education and for the brilliant minds that have passed through its institutes. But distant clan conflicts have led some in the city to leave, fearing for their safety.
Jimmy Carter is widely regarded as one of the greatest US presidents for his commitment to equality and justice. However, a fateful decision during the cold war has left him a more complex legacy in Somalia, where he is blamed for not supporting the country during its war with Ethiopia.
Zeinab Ahmed, who moved to Damascus in the late 1990s, reflects on being raised in the city prior to the uprising and the repressive atmosphere that eventually fueled the revolt.
Yusra Abdullahi, a historian of African activism at the UN, explores how the SYL leveraged the organisation to challenge colonial domination and advocate for Somali self-determination.
Mohamed Osman Sheikh explores the tension of being Somali and Muslim while growing up in America.
Abubakar Asheikh navigated political upheaval and migration to expand his musical repertoire and become an icon of Eritrean and Ethiopian music.
Nageeye’s Vendetta, by Somali novelist Ibrahim Hawd, explores the death and collapse of the Somali state through the competing perspectives of its victims and those responsible for its downfall.
Multimedia
Professor Hakim Adi, the first professor of the history of African heritage in the UK, speaks to Geeska about Pan-Africanism, Africa’s relationship with China, and his belief in history as a tool for change.Professor Hakim Adi is a prominent British-Nigerian pan-African.
Why have I dedicated myself to this arduous task, you may wonder? Well, as Fanon himself eloquently stated in his treatise, “Each generation must discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it, in relative opacity.”
Stuart Reid’s new book, The Lumumba Plot, revisits Patrice Lumumba’s assassination, with strong insight into the role of the US in assassinating Lumumba and bringing down the government of one of Africa’s most iconic leaders.
Leaders across the Horn of Africa have touted the innumerable benefits of building ports for their people, putting them at the heart of their projects to develop their regions.
South Africa’s decision to take Israel to the ICJ on charges of genocide could cost his country, says former South African ambassador and anti-apartheid activist Ebrahim Rasool, but is an act of “enormous integrity”
Interviews
Samar al-Bulushi, a professor of anthropology at University of California, Irvine, speaks to Geeska about her new book on Kenya and the so-called War on Terror.
Somali filmmaker and director IBrahim CM reflects on what it felt like for his films to premiere at the opening of the Somali National Theatre and his goal of making “meaningful” content for Somali audiences.
Abdullahi Qarshe, a legendary Somali musician, playwright, and poet, left an enduring legacy in Somali culture.
Somali academic Ali Ahad interviews the acclaimed, award-winning Somali author Nuruddin Farah about the Somali civil war, his work as a writer, and the challenges faced by Somali refugees.
In 2008, Ahmed Ismail Samatar had a conversation with Nuruddin Farah, discussing a wide range of topics, from his journey into literature to state collapse and the responsibilities of Somali intellectuals.