Speakers
Maxamed Abu-maye
Assistant Professor, Department of African American and African Studies, The Ohio State University
Samar Al-Bulushi
Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Irvine
Iman Mohamed
President's Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of History, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Michael Woldemariam
Associate Professor and PhD Program Director, School of Public Policy, and Senior Fellow at the Center for International & Security Studies, University of Maryland
Moderator
Lahra Smith
Associate Professor, African Studies Program & Department of Government, and Director, African Studies Program, Georgetown University
About the Webinar
Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has intensified the US military campaign in Somalia against the so-called Islamic State and al-Shabab movement. At home, he repeatedly attacked Representative Ilhan Omar and the Somali American community with inflammatory rhetoric, while his administration launched an aggressive immigration crackdown targeting Somali immigrants in Minnesota.
These developments have unfolded alongside a significant shift in regional geopolitics. On December 26, 2025, Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland, a self-declared breakaway region that occupies a strategic position along the Gulf of Aden—in the process, securing for itself access to maritime trade routes and a foothold in the Horn of Africa. Israel’s move was preceded by economic relations and cooperation between Somaliland and the United Arab Emirates, but it has raised questions about Red Sea security and the future of the Arab world’s security architecture.
In response to these developments, Arab Center Washington DC and the African Studies Program at Georgetown University will convene a webinar to examine the Trump administration’s policy toward Somalia and its regional and domestic implications. The panel will address several key questions, including: What are the goals, and how effective are US airstrikes in countering al-Shabab and the Islamic State in Somalia, and what are the consequences for Somali civilians and political stability? What strategic interests underpin Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, and what are the implications for Red Sea security and Arab collective security? Has the UAE’s relationship with Somaliland helped to facilitate Israel’s recognition of the territory? How do US domestic policies toward Somali Americans intersect with Washington’s foreign policy toward Somalia?
Featured image credit: Shutterstock/danielo
