Nassir Hussein Kahin, at The Blogs

Oct 1, 2026, 3:06 AM

The Red Sea Shift: When Others Begin Telling Somaliland’s Story

For three decades, Somaliland’s diplomatic argument has lived under the shadow of Somalia. Almost every international discussion began from the same point: territorial integrity, African caution, fear of precedent and the assumption that Hargeisa’s future had to be negotiated through...

Sep 30, 2026, 12:11 AM

The Isaaq Genocide: Remembering the Dead, Rebuilding Peace

From the destruction of Hargeisa and Burao to reconciliation, democratic elections, and the continuing pursuit of international recognition. I am standing at the centre of Hargeisa, a fighter aircraft on a stone monument stands above me as I take a...

Sep 26, 2026, 10:09 PM

Somaliland’s Strategic Moment: Geography Is Not Enough

Somaliland's Strategic Moment: Berbera, maritime security and the changing geopolitical order of the Red Sea. HOASR Original Infographic.

The Red Sea’s changing security order has brought Somaliland new diplomatic attention. President Irro’s challenge is to turn that attention into lasting economic, political and security relationships before regional competition determines the terms. For much of its modern history, Berbera...

Sep 24, 2026, 7:12 PM

The Boy Who Cried Al-Shabaab: How Mogadishu Replaced the Pandora Warning

Mogadishu’s warning has shifted from “Pandora’s box” to Al-Shabaab. A real threat. An untested veto. Original HOASR Infographics Artwork

Why Washington Needs a Separate Somaliland Policy Washington does not have to choose between abandoning the fight against Al-Shabaab and accepting Mogadishu's permanent veto over Somaliland. It can deepen a direct working relationship with Hargeisa, use Berbera for negotiated maritime...

Sep 23, 2026, 6:56 PM

Berbera: The Missing Shore Of The Middle East Defense Shield

Berbera could provide the African-side surveillance and contingency depth missing from the emerging Middle East regional defence network. HOASR original Infographic Artwork

A regional air-defence network is taking shape against Iranian and Houthi missiles and drones. Its southern blind spot places Somaliland and Berbera directly inside the next geopolitical strategic debate. A regional air-defence system is emerging across the Middle East, built...

Sep 22, 2026, 11:57 PM

Short of US Recognition: What Is Next for Somaliland?

An original HOASR Infographics illustration showing Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro at the centre of three Washington pathways: the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch and Congress, and think tanks and policy institutes.

President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro did not secure formal United States recognition during his Washington visit. Judged only by that standard, the trip ended without its largest objective. A closer reading produces a different conclusion. Irro and his delegation...

Sep 22, 2026, 1:30 AM

The Red Sea Map Has Changed. Western Strategy Has Not.

The Houthi breakthrough around Bab el-Mandeb is altering the strategic geography connecting Yemen, Djibouti and Berbera. Original HOASR infographic.

The Houthi breakthrough at Bab el-Mandeb should force Washington and its partners to reconsider an increasingly outdated Red Sea security architecture—and the strategic value of Berbera within it. The most important lesson from the Houthi advance toward Bab el-Mandeb is...

Sep 19, 2026, 5:53 PM

Berbera: From Ancient Port to A Geopolitical Hot Spot

Berbera’s ancient commercial heritage meets its modern port, long runway airfield and strategic role on the Gulf of Aden. Original poster: HOASR Infographics.

Commerce, culture, empire, cold war era and the long making of Somaliland’s most geopolitical strategic city Berbera was a port city long before it became a runway, a naval pier or a point on a satellite image. Its importance began...

Sep 18, 2026, 5:24 AM

The Hudson Backlash: What went wrong and what Somaliland must learn from it

HOASR front-page illustration for “The Hudson Backlash: What Irro Got Wrong, What His Critics Missed, and What Somaliland Must Learn from Washington.” The artwork connects President Irro’s Hudson Institute appearance with congressional engagement, Berbera Port, maritime security and Somaliland’s wider campaign for United States recognition.

The controversy exposed a weakness in Somaliland’s unscripted advocacy. It did not erase the strategic case, and it should not obscure the Washington doors that opened afterward. President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro’s appearance at Hudson Institute was supposed to consolidate...

Sep 17, 2026, 8:28 PM

US vs China in the Red Sea: Berbera, Taiwan, Israel and the Houthis

HOASR geopolitical illustration examining the widening US-China competition across Africa and the Red Sea, including China’s military presence in Djibouti, Camp Lemonnier, Somaliland’s partnership with Taiwan, Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, the Houthi threat around Bab el-Mandeb, Berbera’s strategic position and the global competition over critical minerals, trade routes and clean-energy supply chains.

The contest around Somaliland is part of a wider struggle over trade, critical minerals, infrastructure, political influence and military access. As US–China rivalry deepens across Africa, the Red Sea is becoming one of its most sensitive meeting points. President Abdirahman...

About Me

Nassir Hussein Kahin is a Hargeisa-based geopolitical analyst, educator, journalist, researcher and founder, managing editor and publisher of the independent Horn of Africa Strategic Review (HOASR). A former editor-in-chief of Somaliland Times and senior editor at African Times, he writes on Israel–Somaliland relations, Red Sea security, recognition diplomacy and strategic competition in the Horn of Africa.

Contact Me