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Mohamed Osman

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Sep 22, 2026, 11:58 PM

Be a Mountain—or Lean on One: Somaliland’s Path from Resilience to Recognition

The Somali proverb “Buur ahow ama buur ku tiirso”—be a mountain or lean on one—offers a practical philosophy of survival. Either develop the strength to withstand hardship and shelter others or have the humility to align with something dependable....

Sep 21, 2026, 7:53 PM

When Statehood Is Not Enough: Somaliland’s Battle for Recognition

Mohamed Osman’s The Unrecognized Republic asks a difficult question: what happens when a territory behaves like a state, governs like a state, and endures like a state—but the world refuses to call it one? Somaliland declared the restoration of its...

Sep 19, 2026, 5:04 PM

From Clan to Citizenship: Somaliland’s Next National Compact

Somaliland’s hybrid political system once offered exactly what the country needed. By combining customary clan consensus, xeer, and elder leadership with constitutional democracy, it helped communities disarm, reconcile, and rebuild after 1991. That achievement deserves respect. Yet the institutions...

Sep 18, 2026, 5:17 AM

A Currency Without a Country: Somaliland’s Fight for Monetary Sovereignty

Somaliland has many of the institutions associated with a state: elections, a functioning administration, its own currency, and a record of relative stability. Yet its lack of broad international recognition keeps it outside the global financial system. That diplomatic...

Sep 17, 2026, 4:41 AM

Somaliland, Somalia’s E-Visa, and the Battle Over Border Authority

The Check-In Counter Conflict: Somaliland, Somalia’s E-Visa, and the Battle Over Border Authority For many passengers bound for Hargeisa, the hardest part of the journey is not immigration on arrival. It is persuading an airline agent at the departure airport...

Sep 16, 2026, 12:17 AM

The Somaliland Advantage: Why Washington Should Rethink Recognition

A strategic case for updating U.S. policy in the Horn of Africa For more than three decades, Somaliland has governed itself without international recognition. It runs its own elections, currency, security forces, and public institutions, yet Washington still views it...

Sep 14, 2026, 7:02 PM

The Arab Revolt and the End of the Ottoman Middle East

Two Betrayals, One Collapse: The Arab Revolt and the End of the Ottoman Middle East Few episodes in the modern Middle East carry as much emotional weight as the Arab Revolt of 1916–1918. In Turkish memory, it is often framed...

Sep 13, 2026, 9:25 PM

Can Arming Somalia Deliver Security Without Deepening Conflict?

Saudi support for Somalia’s federal forces may strengthen Red Sea security—but without political guardrails, it could sharpen tensions across the Somali peninsula. Saudi Arabia wants a stronger security partner across the Red Sea. Its reported financing and training of more...

Sep 12, 2026, 5:07 PM

Berbera at the Crossroads: The Case for a US–Somaliland Partnership

Why location, security, and diplomacy are pushing Washington and Hargeisa closer. The proverb “a friend in need is a friend indeed” offers a useful way to view relations between the United States and Somaliland. Washington needs reliable access near a...

Sep 11, 2026, 6:23 PM

The Hidden Leverage of Gulf Capital in Western Policy

Financial interdependence rarely looks like coercion—but it can quietly narrow the choices available to Western governments. When people think about foreign influence, they often picture lobbying campaigns, diplomatic pressure, or military threats. Gulf influence in the West is usually more...

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About Me

Mohamed Osman, a retired physician and public health specialist from Somaliland, is a Canadian citizen who has worked with Ottawa Public Health and Alberta Health Services. He is also recognized for supporting Somaliland's recognition.