Thoughts

Today, Somali religious scholars are no longer confined to their historical role of uniting people. Instead, they enforce their own sectarian interpretation of law and mislead by globalising problems that have local roots.

Ethiopian Muslims are more visible than ever—but is visibility the same as belonging? A faith once sidelined still negotiates its place in the nation’s story.

He has time, money and zero obligations. The Somali politician is living the 21st century dream.

Israel viewed Somali nationalism as a threat across the Horn of Africa and secretly collaborated with Ethiopia to contain it.

The failure to archive the poetic and literary production of our forebears has deprived Somalis of a crucial moral and artistic resource, argues Mahbub Abdillahi. And judging by our political culture, it shows. 

In his book Mayor of Mogadishu, journalist and author Andrew Harding recounts Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 1972 visit to Mogadishu. We have republished the passages with the author’s permission.

Western media coverage of the DRC conflict is riddled with inaccuracies, oversimplifications, and racial bias—reinforcing dangerous narratives rather than informing the world.

During the Ogaden war, Somali heeso united Somalis across borders, serving both as a cultural bond and a psychological weapon. Through music and poetry, artists fuelled patriotism, turning words into a powerful force.

Tribalism in Nigeria is a political chameleon—once embraced, later rejected, yet always lurking in the background, shaping the nation's fate. Achebe dissects how it has fractured national unity and hindered true progress.