To survive, the new government must widen its support base and bid farewell to Ethiopia's soldiers
Ethiopia was always confident of an easy victory over
the Supreme Islamic Courts Council, despite the SICC's support
from international Islamist volunteers and Eritrea. Addis
Ababa had planned for no more than a few weeks in Somalia. Once
the SICC lau...
The arrest of three Italian journalists by the Supreme
Islamic Courts Council on 2 December in Mogadishu points to growing
sensitivity to the SICC's jihadist reputation and to reports of
Eritrea's military support for its campaign against President
Ab...
The draft resolution on Somalia to be put to the United Nations
Security Council by the United States this week, proposes
the deployment of a regional force to support Somalia's Transitional
Federal Government (TFG) in Baidoa against attacks by the Mog...
A UN investigation shows how foreign suppliers of arms and
fighters are fuelling a regional conflagration
Sheikh Hassan Abdullah Hamid Turki, leading radical in Somalia's Supreme Islamic Courts Council (SICC) and high on the United States'
terrorist list, is reported to have been wounded in recent fighting in
Buuale. This follows a very bizarre episode
at ...
Mogadishu's Islamists threaten Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti,
as well as their own country
In Vol 47 No 16, Africa Confidential reported that the BBC Somali Service and its head, Yusuf Garad,
had been criticised for supporting the Supreme Islamic Courts Council
regime in Mogadishu. Our correspondents have heard such criticisms from
former an...
Rising tension between the regimes of President Yusuf and Chairman
Aweys could escalate into a regional war
An American private security company, Select Armor,
has been planning military operations in support of President
Abdullahi Yusuf's Transitional Federal Government in Somalia
and raising questions about an attack on Mogadishu, according
to documents o...
| 
Alternatively, 
Sign up to receive fortnightly email alerts listing the latest headlines, with extra news and commentaries from Africa Confidential's Editor, 
Request a printed example of our fortnightly Africa Confidential newsletter