Mohammed Omer Mulla

Ankara- Mired in 30 years of civil war, Somalia has slowly begun to get back on its feet in the last decade - leaving behind instability and insecurity - with help of the Turkish government, businesses, and nongovernmental organizations. Turkey easily stands out as the country most sensitive to the crisis in Somalia, which was affected by violence, famine and drought. Turkey's unprecedented engagement in Somalia started in 2011 as a response to the catastrophic famine that ravaged the country. In a bid to alleviate the conditions of its people and provide them with tangible development programs, Turkish NGOs and government organizations have provided significant amounts of humanitarian and development aid. Turkish organizations, including the Turkish Red Crescent the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), have so far provided aid worth more than $500 million, helping boost development in the country, according to Anadolu Agency (AA). Turkey opened the Somali ...

Washington-  Over the course of 2018, the Islamic State in Somalia (ISS) significantly expanded its operations since its first claimed attack in April 2016. In addition to the amplification of its military claims, ISS has also expanded into more areas traditionally associated with al Qaeda’s group in Somalia, Shabaab. According to data compiled by  FDD’s Long War Journal,  the jihadist group has claimed 106 attacks in Somalia since April 2016 .  In 2018 alone, ISS claimed 66 operations. While this tally is less consequential than other areas in which the Islamic State operates, this number is more than the total number of claimed operations in Somalia in 2016 and 2017 combined. These claims were collected from Islamic State propaganda channels, such as Nashir and Amaq News, on Telegram. It is important to note that it is unclear exactly how many claims made by the group are legitimate, as very few are independently corroborated by Somali media. In some cases,...