Ahmed Ismail Samatar

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2024: a look back at Africa’s big election year

Jan 17, 2025 | geeska.com | Suhaib Mahmoud |Ahmed Ismail Samatar

2024 was dubbed Democracy’s Super Bowl by The Guardian. “A record-breaking 40-odd countries, representing more than 40% of the world’s population and a significant share of global GDP, are due to hold national elections in 2024,” wrote Simon Tisdall, a columnist for the British newspaper. Africa had its part in the banquet with nearly a third of the continent’s countries holding presidential or legislative elections—or both—leading, in some cases, to pivotal outcomes.
Samar al-Bulushi on Kenya and the War on Terror

Jan 13, 2025 | geeska.com | Faisal Ali |Ahmed Ismail Samatar

When Kenyan president William Ruto stood alongside US president Joe Biden during a press conference in Washington in May, he likely saw it as his opportunity to shine, being the only African leader to be extended a visit to the White House during the Biden administration. Kenya had just stepped onto the global stage, anticipating designation as a major non-Nato ally by the US.
A requiem to Boroma, a Somali education hub

Jan 4, 2025 | geeska.com | Mahbub Abdillahi |Ahmed Ismail Samatar

“The city we once knew and grew up in has changed,” a long-time resident of Borama reminisced, lamenting the transformation of his hometown, which had once been a safe haven for thousands of Somalis from across the country but has changed dramatically in the last two years. “The diverse community that made this city welcoming and unique is no more. It feels like many other isolated, single-clan-dominated cities now,” he says.
Nageeye’s Vendetta by Ibrahim Hawd - how dictatorships destroy societies

Dec 16, 2024 | geeska.com | Suhaib Mahmoud |Ahmed Ismail Samatar

Nageeye’s Vendetta, a novel by Somali writer Ibrahim Hawd, who is recognised as a pioneer of Somali short stories, carries the weight of a world sculpted through his sharp, poetic lens. Published years ago as part of a trilogy titled Cirsan Ka Yeedh, which hints at a mythical bird of promise—of peace and plenty—this story embarks on a journey through a tough, crumbling landscape, where survival itself is a war.
Frenemies tied at the hip: Eritrea & Sudan

Dec 5, 2024 | geeska.com | Mohamed Omer |Ahmed Ismail Samatar

Sudan’s army (SAF) chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also serves as chair of the Sovereignty Council, paid a one-day visit to Eritrea on 26 November 2024. Photos released by Eritrea’s press agency showed Burhan being warmly received by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and paraded around Asmara with a large entourage. The visit is the latest indication of a growing alignment between Asmara and Khartoum.
The problems with climate justice and finance

Nov 21, 2024 | geeska.com | Mahbub Abdillahi |Faisal Ali |Ahmed Ismail Samatar

The 29th Conference of the Parties (Cop29) opened this year in a subdued atmosphere in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The recent re-election of Donald Trump—who, during his previous term, withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement and repeatedly dismissed the climate crisis as a “hoax”—has cast uncertainty over the US’s role at this year’s conference.
Ahmed Ismail Samatar interviews Nuruddin Farah

Nov 17, 2024 | shorturl.at | Ahmed Ismail Samatar |Faisal Ali |Mohamed Gabobe |Ibrahim Osman

Neither Nuruddin Farah nor Ahmed Ismail Samatar requires an introduction for Somali readers. Farah, a novelist, and Samatar, an academic-turned-politician, are two of the most incisive interpreters of the Somali odyssey through the postcolonial era.
Are the Houthis really working with al-Shabaab?

Nov 15, 2024 | shorturl.at | Faisal Ali |Ahmed Ismail Samatar |Mohamed Gabobe

On 11 June, CNN reported that discussions had been taking place between al-Shabaab and Ansar Allah (the Houthis) in Yemen regarding the possibility of the latter supplying weapons to the former. CNN cited three anonymous American officials, who stated that the US security establishment had learned of the talks, which were being treated with “considerable seriousness”.
Oliver Tambo: “imperialism does not localize”

Oct 28, 2024 | shorturl.at | Ahmed Ismail Samatar |Faisal Ali |Mohamed Gabobe

In 1973, Josie Fanon interviewed then-ANC president Oliver Tambo about Israel and apartheid South Africa. Originally printed in French, it is now available in English for the first time. In July 2021, the chair of the African Union Commission granted observer status to Israel. Several member states immediately condemned the decision, with South Africa and Algeria emerging as the most vocal opponents.
How did the West get away with Lumumba’s assassination?

Feb 5, 2024 | geeska.com | Faisal Ali |Ahmed Ismail Samatar

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. Patrice Lumumba, the former prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (then known as the Republic of Congo), holds a near-mythical status among people across Africa and beyond.