Siyad Madey

Articles by this Author
A soldier salutes the flag of Somalia.
Middle East Forum Observer
Somalia’s Independence Day Celebrates a Union That Was Always a Mirage
A government that cannot hold its existing federation together has no credible claim over a territory that left 35 years ago
July 1, 2026
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Siyad Madey
President Donald Trump meets with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi at the 2026 G-7 summit in Évian, France.
Middle East Forum Observer
The United States Must Choose Between Egypt and Kenya Over Ethiopia’s Dam
Cairo Went to the G7 in Évian, France, to Slow the Infrastructure, While Nairobi Went to the G7 to Buy More of It
June 30, 2026
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Siyad Madey
U.S. and Kenyan defense officials at the construction site for a runway expansion and airfield infrastructure project in January 2026, at Manda Bay, Kenya.
Middle East Forum Observer
Will Kenya Supplant Djibouti as the Pentagon’s Counter-Terror Hub?
Washington Is Expanding Its Military Footprint with a $71 Million Overhaul of the Manda Bay Airfield in Kenya
June 26, 2026
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Siyad Madey
A file photo of Berbera International Airport in Somaliland.
Middle East Forum Observer
Israel Is Negotiating a Military Base at Berbera
The Houthis’ Leader Has Warned That ‘Any Israeli Presence in Somaliland’ Will Become a Military Target for the Militant Group
June 20, 2026
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Siyad Madey
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in a file photo.
Middle East Forum Observer
Abiy’s Landslide in Ethiopia Is a Starting Gun, Not a Finish Line
Egypt Will Work to Close Every Door Through Which Ethiopian Trade and Military Ambition Might Reach the Sea
June 11, 2026
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Siyad Madey
Berbera Port in Somaliland, located on the Gulf of Aden, is a key strategic seaport positioned along major global shipping lanes.
Middle East Forum Observer
The State Department Just Handed Turkey the Horn of Africa
Washington Utilized the Language of Mogadishu and Ankara, Not That of a Government That Takes Red Sea Security Seriously
June 8, 2026
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Siyad Madey
Turkey dispatched two F-16 fighter jets to Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, in late January 2026.
Middle East Forum Observer
Turkey Holds Somalia’s Constitution Hostage
A Compliant Federal Government in Mogadishu Protects Turkey’s Offshore Concessions, Its Naval Access, and Its Base Facilities
June 4, 2026
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Siyad Madey
A North Korean bulk freight carrier waits in waters off the Somali coast near Kismayo, Somalia, in the Horn of Africa in this file photo.
Iran War Reopens the Piracy Corridor from Hormuz to the Horn of Africa
The Houthis Gave Pirates Better Tools, and Tehran Gave the Houthis Their Purpose and Their Logistics
May 25, 2026
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Siyad Madey
People celebrate Som
Middle East Forum Observer
Somalia’s Islamic Case Against Somaliland Is a Farce
If Recognizing Israel Were Incompatible with Islamic Governance, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Would Be Missing Half Its Members
May 18, 2026
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Siyad Madey
The skyline of Nairobi, Kenya.
Middle East Forum Observer
France’s Kenya Play to Establish Itself near the Horn of Africa
A Five-Year Defense Cooperation Agreement Covers Intelligence Sharing, Joint Exercises, and Reciprocal Troop Deployment
May 18, 2026
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Siyad Madey
Turkish and Somali miltary commanders stand on the shoreline of the Indian Ocean in Mogadishu, Sonalia.
Middle East Forum Observer
Turkey’s Somalia ‘Spaceport’ Is a Missile Range
The Project Is the Newest, Most Consequential Layer in a Turkish Project to Convert Somalia Into a Forward Operating Base
May 11, 2026
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Siyad Madey
The headwaters of the Blue Nile as it leaves Lake Tana in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Middle East Forum Observer
Ethiopia Dams the Nile for Power. Cairo Prepares for War
Three Planned Dams Would Give Ethiopia Total Control over the Blue Nile’s Flow to Downstream States
May 7, 2026
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Siyad Madey
The port of Mogadishu, Somalia.
Middle East Forum Observer
Who Owns Somalia’s Coast?
A Government That Threatens a Global Shipping Lane While Losing Ground to a Jihadist Insurgency Is Not Projecting Strength
April 29, 2026
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Siyad Madey
Somali military members train near the Indian Ocean in March 2024.
Middle East Forum Observer
Turkey Drops the Gloves in Somalia
Displays of Military Capability Project Control, Deter Challengers, and Signal Continuity
April 26, 2026
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Siyad Madey
An oil and gas field survey boat.
Middle East Forum Observer
The $500 Billion Maritime Rift Between Kenya and Somalia
A Technical Maritime Boundary Disagreement Has Evolved Into Geopolitical Confrontation
March 14, 2026
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Siyad Madey
An aerial view of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in March 2024.
Middle East Forum Observer
Addis Ababa at the Center of a Red Sea Power Shift
Is the Diplomatic Blitz on Ethiopia Redrawing the Horn of Africa’s Security Map?
March 6, 2026
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Siyad Madey
Fishing boats are lined up on Kenya's Lamu Island on the Indian Ocean.
Middle East Forum Observer
Kenya-Somalia Maritime Fault Lines in the Horn of Africa
The Maritime Dispute Reflects Deeper Questions About Sovereignty, Institutional Authority, and Geopolitical Alignment
March 3, 2026
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Siyad Madey
Hargeisa is the capital and largest city of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa.
Middle East Forum Observer
Will the African Union Change Its Mind on Somaliland?
For Now, the African Union Maintains Somalia’s Formal Territorial Claim and Tolerates Limited Engagement with Somaliland
February 25, 2026
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Siyad Madey
Flags of the United Arab Emirates and Somalia flutter in the wind.
Middle East Forum Observer
Somalia’s Pivot from the United Arab Emirates
At Stake Is Not Merely a Bilateral Disagreement but a Broader Recalibration Across the Red Sea-Horn Strategic Corridor
February 16, 2026
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Siyad Madey
Oil may not automatically create prosperity for Somalia.
Middle East Forum Observer
Turkey’s Risky Bet on Somalia and the Horn’s Strategic Realignment
By Embedding Itself in Somalia’s Hydrocarbons Sector and Security Architecture, Turkey Positions Itself as a Gatekeeper
February 6, 2026
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Siyad Madey