The Somali Peninsula

Federal Minister of Health (middle) By Hassan Keynan Ethiopia’s latest Notification Note on COVID-19 Situational Update paints the picture of a country that is relatively in good shape and very much in control of the spread of the pandemic across the country: 123 cases and 3 deaths to date. The report also indicates a total of 13,645 laboratory tests carried out. 957 tests were conducted during the past 24 hours, with only one new case confirmed in Jigjiga, the Capital of the Somali Regional State (SRS). These are encouraging numbers. And the temptation to congratulate the leadership of the country, in particular the Minister of Health and her team, is strong, even irresistible. However, two key factors prompt everyone to exercise a great deal of caution. The first concerns the nature and epidemiology of COVID-19. The second relates to what we know about Ethiopian history, sociology, and governance. What We Know about the Coronavirus The novel coronavirus is a new v...

Ethiopia and ONLF delegation during the signing of the Asmara Joint Declaration Hassan Keynan The Somali Regional State (SRS) occupies the second largest territory and has the third largest population in Ethiopia. Its location is very strategic to the security of Ethiopia and the stability of the Horn of Africa Region. Most importantly, the discovery of huge deposits of natural gas in the Ogaden basin constitutes arguably the biggest and richest source of liquidity for Ethiopia's debt-ridden and nearly bankrupt economy. When exporting of the estimated 6.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas begins in 2021, Ethiopia is expected to earn more than $7 billion yearly. Yet, peace and stability in this strategic and economically important region remain at best fragile. After twenty-five years of protracted and costly armed insurgency, Ethiopia and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) signed a Joint Declaration in Asmara, Eritrea, on 21 October 2019. The Ethiopian D...