Omar Mahmood Senior Analyst, Somalia Please submit all media inquiries to media@crisisgroup.org or call +32 (0) 2 536 00 71 Crisis Group Role As the Senior Analyst for Somalia, Omar conducts field research, provides written analysis, proposes policy recommendations and engages in advocacy efforts. Professional background Omar has previously worked as a senior researcher focusing on the Horn of Africa for the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Addis Ababa, and as an international consultant covering Boko Haram and the Lake Chad Basin. Prior to that, he obtained his Master’s degree from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso. Languages English (native) French (conversant) Urdu (conversant) Select Publications Overlapping claims by Somaliland and Puntland: the case of Sool and Sanaag, ISS Africa, December 2019 Competition, cooperation and security in the Red Sea, ISS Africa, September 2019 In The News 15 Apr 2022 The swearing-in of MPs [in Somalia] is certainly a major step whose significance goes beyond symbolism. Irish Times Omar Mahmood Senior Analyst, Somalia 12 Jan 2022 As long as the election cycle and current tensions [in Somalia] drag on, the attention of the political elite will be more inwardly focused, while other priorities lag behind. The New York Times Omar Mahmood Senior Analyst, Somalia 27 Dec 2021 When the political elite [in Somalia] are focused on each other, attention turns away from the battle against al-Shabab. The Washington Post Omar Mahmood Senior Analyst, Somalia 22 Jul 2021 Al Shabaab is fully embedded in Somali society, especially in areas under their control, where local populations have little choice but to engage the group. VICE News Omar Mahmood Senior Analyst, Somalia 27 May 2021 Through these specific talks [in Somalia], Farmajo really didn’t play much of a role, but that doesn’t mean that he permanently is sitting out the campaign period. The Washington Post Omar Mahmood Senior Analyst, Somalia 20 May 2021 Any intervention [by ANISOM] during renewed fighting [in Somalia] will be seen as partial to one or the other, while the cost of doing nothing can see the reversal of security gains. The New Humanitarian Omar Mahmood Senior Analyst, Somalia Latest Updates Podcast / Africa 27 May 2022 New President in Somalia, New Opportunity for Reconciliation This week on Hold Your Fire! Richard Atwood talks to expert Omar Mahmood about the election of Somalia’s new president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whether he can repair some of the division stoked by his predecessor and prospects for dialogue with Al-Shabaab Islamist insurgents. Podcast / Africa 2 December 2021 The Search for an African Union Exit Strategy from Somalia This week on The Horn, Alan talks to Crisis Group expert Omar Mahmood about the future of AMISOM, the African Union’s mission in Somalia, as its backers search for an exit strategy. Commentary / Jihad in Modern Conflict 27 October 2021 How Islamist Militants Elsewhere View the Taliban’s Victory in Afghanistan While Islamist insurgents around the world are inspired by the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, the question of whether and how they will benefit as a result is more complicated, as Crisis Group experts explain in this 360-degree view. Podcast / Africa 24 September 2021 Avoiding Another Afghanistan: Could Al-Shabaab Seize Power in Somalia? In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood and Naz Modirzadeh talk with Omar Mahmood, Crisis Group’s Somalia expert, about whether the pullout from Somalia of foreign troops – in this case African Union forces – could open the door for the Islamist militants Al-Shabaab to seize power like the Taliban have in Afghanistan. Op-Ed / Africa 22 September 2021 Could Somalia Be the Next Afghanistan? A similar rapid collapse of state institutions awaits if Somali elites and Western governments don’t alter their approach. Originally published in Foreign Policy Load more