Abukar Arman

If I could think of any tactfully discreet and diplomatically clear way to describe the outcome of the 15th Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government on Somalia without compromising the essence of my message, I would have simply chosen that approach. Therefore, going crude is the appropriate way: As…

Nowhere in the world is Shariah more contested (yet seldom debated) than in war-weary Somalia where each of the entities competing for power claims to have embraced it while condemning its detractor, or rather, its enemy, as a dangerous imposter. All the colorful politics motivating each contender aside, the most pressing question begging an answer…

Make no mistake, the proliferation of piracy in the Somali coast is a serious problem- not only for the international community but for Somalian general, and more specifically, for the current Islamist led government of national unity. After all, Islamic law has zero tolerance for banditry, whether sea-based or land-based. That said: piracy in Somalia…

In light of the rampant extremism and militarism around the world, nothing proves more dangerous than the manipulation of truth for political ends. This tactic facilitates the demonization process that blurs ideologies and beliefs in both the West and the Islamic world. And, no concept is more abused by both sides than the concept of…

Somalia has a new government that many consider to possess what it takes to spearhead sustainable peace and bring the lawlessness of the past two decades to an end. However, this article is not about that, or about the so-called Somali piracy. This article is about mysteriously disappearing Somali boys ages 14-21. It’s also about…

By now, most of the world is aware of the horrific news of death and destruction that has been visited upon the people of Gaza. Millions have watched in utter shock the footage depicting Israel’s indiscriminate and disproportionate bombing of Gaza. This brutal military campaign that already took the lives of over 300 people, including…

If you ever felt this whole saga of these invincible maritime desperadoes getting away with the most fantastic piracy operations along the Somali coast is so incredibly bizarre, you are not alone. Regardless of what many media groups have sensationally been reporting, there is not enough information available to adequately explain the nature of this…