Topic: Union of Islamic Courts

Somalia: A timeline of change in a troubled country

Here is a timeline of changes, intervention, and mediation in 5 bite-sized bits.

Somalia's Al Shabab Islamists are on the run

But the Somali officials, backed by international forces, are too busy fighting among themselves to govern.

What is Somalia's Al Shabab?

The international community has more questions than answers about the Somali militant group Al Shabab, the target of Kenya's military incursion into Somalia. But they know how it affords food for its troops – and it's not from piracy.

African Union lays siege to Al Shabab-controlled market in Somalia's capital

African Union troops aim to deny the militant Islamist group Al Shabab funds it receives from taxing shopkeepers and traders. An apparent surge of AU peacekeepers is challenging Al Shabab's tacit control of Somalia.

Uganda bombings: Obama mustn't meddle in Somalia

The Uganda bombings are a sad reminder of the ways that Washington’s intervention has exacerbated problems in Somalia.

Is Al Qaeda in Yemen connected to Al Qaeda in Somalia?

In the wake of the Christmas Day Northwest airlines bombing attempt, some are wondering if the Al Qaeda branches in Yemen and Somalia are linked. Most experts don't see evidence of coordination – not yet.

UN suspends food aid to southern Somalia

The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) pulled out of southern Somalia on Tuesday, citing repeated threats and raids by commanders of Al Shabab, the Al Qadea-linked Islamist militant group.

A US pipeline for jihad in Somalia?

Somali-American men are returning to their homeland to fight alongside Al Shabab, an insurgent group with ties to Al Qaeda. Some experts think an organized recruiting effort is responsible for luring them back to Somalia.

Shelling in Somali capital takes fresh toll

Tuesday, battles between government forces and Islamist militias in Mogadishu killed seven civilians. Experts say some of the militias might be open to dialogue with President Sharif.

How one youth was drawn to jihad in Somalia

Like the Somali-American from Minnesota who was killed this weekend, Tawakal Ahmed was recruited through mosques in Kenya to fight for Islamic militants in Mogadishu.

As more flee Somalia, world's largest refugee camp feels the pressure

Five hundred people are arriving daily at an overcrowded aid camp in Kenya. Fighting has driven more than 159,000 from Mogadishu.

Islamists battle for Somalia

Somalia: East African bloc calls for a UN blockade and no-fly zone

The group wants to prevent Islamist militias from getting arms. Meanwhile, Ethiopia's apparent renewed involvement in support of the government carries risks.

Is Somalia in Ethiopian Army's crosshairs again?

Somalis near the border with Ethiopia say that country's troops have crossed over, raising speculation of another battle with the militant Islamists closing in on Somalia's government.

Somali government encircled by hardline Islamists

After five days of assault by better-armed Al Shabab militiamen, pro-government fighters have apparently begun to retreat.

Leading opposition figure returns to Somalia

Sheikh Hassan Aweys, whom the US accuses of having ties to Al Qaeda, says he wants to unite warring Islamic factions.

Moderate Islamists take on hard-liners in battle for Somalia

Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, a moderate, was elected president last week by Somalia's transitional parliament. But hard-line militant Islamists are fighting to take over the country.

Even in exile, Somali journalists face death

Since 2007, at least 13 journalists have been killed while working on stories and more than 50 have been forced to leave the country, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists and the National Union of Somali Journalists.

Piracy raises pressure for new international tack on Somalia

The world is not willing to allow this strategic nation to remain ungoverned. Can a coordinated effort create a stable government?

Letters to the Editor

Readers write about a return to a gold standard, suppressing piracy through rule of law, how a tax on gas would help the Big Three automakers, and why California's Prop 8 should be reconsidered.

Who are Somalia's pirates?

A Monitor Q&A reveals who's behind the modern-day pirates, how they got so good at taking ships, and what's being done to stop them.

To turn the tide on piracy in Somalia, bring justice to its fisheries

A coalition force tasked with fishery protection would address a root cause of the crisis.

Stolen tanks add urgency to piracy fight

U.S. warships surrounded the hijacked MV Faina and its military cargo off Somalia's coast Monday.

Pirates help fund Somali warlords

Gunmen hijacked four ship within 48 hours last week. Cash retrieved from ransoms is paying for weapons and salaries of fighters on both sides of Somalia's conflict.

War-torn Somalia braces for fresh violence amid shaky peace accord

Failed talks and the killing of yet another aid worker highlight the growing humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa.