🇸🇴 Somalia Offers What It Doesn’t Control in Desperate Bid for U.S. Support

President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has reportedly written a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, offering exclusive control over key strategic assets in Somalia. The offer includes the ports of Berbera and Bosaso, as well as the airbases of Baledogle and Berbera, in exchange for increased American engagement in the region.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s decision to reach out to the United States comes amidst a rapidly deteriorating security situation in southern Somalia. The FGS has been losing ground in its war against the Al-Shabab militant group, with the government’s control extending little beyond the capital city of Mogadishu.

Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, has long sought international recognition as a sovereign state. The region has established its own government, currency, and security forces, and has been out of Mogadishu’s control for decades.

Similarly, Puntland, a semi-autonomous region in northeastern Somalia, has also refused to recognize the new constitution of 31 March 2024, withdrawing its recognition of the FGS. Puntland has accused the FGS of failing to consult with regional stakeholders and of attempting to centralize power at the expense of the federal member states.

The assets offered by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to the United States are indeed strategically significant. The ports of Berbera and Bosaso are vital for maritime trade and security in the region. The Berbera port, in particular, has been the subject of international interest, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ethiopia both investing in its development as a regional trade hub. The base’s location, close to the Bab el-Mandeb strait, makes it a valuable asset for monitoring maritime traffic and responding to potential threats.

https://thesomalidigest.com/mogadishu-offers-what-it-doesnt-control-in-desperate-bid-for-u-s-support/

🇺🇸🇨🇳🇵🇦 China Halts Panama Port Sale to BlackRock

Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison, led by tycoon Li Ka-shing, will not sign a deal next week to sell its two strategic ports at the Panama Canal to a BlackRock-led group, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday.

The deal was expected to be signed on April 2, according to the sale announcement made on March 4.
It is understood the situation does not mean the deal has been called off, the South China Morning Post added, citing the source.

CK Hutchison and BlackRock did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Chinese authorities have reacted negatively to plans by the conglomerate, while the deal was hailed by U.S. President Donald Trump who wants to retake control of the strategic waterway.

https://gcaptain.com/china-halts-panama-port-sale-to-blackrock/

🇮🇱🇵🇸 IDF says it expanded ground op in southern Gaza, pushing further into Rafah

The Israeli military says it expanded its ground offensive in the southern Gaza Strip in the past few hours.

Troops pushed into the al-Jneina neighborhood of Rafah, as part of efforts to expand a buffer zone along the borders of the Strip, the IDF says.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-it-expanded-ground-op-in-southern-gaza-pushing-further-into-rafah/

🇺🇸🇮🇷 US Military Buildup At Diego Garcia Signals Tensions With Iran

The deployment of B-2 bombers and increased air activity raises concerns of potential military action against Iran amid ongoing conflicts in the region.
A significant amount of US military power has been on the move over this past week, including several B-2 strategic bombers which have landed at the US military base in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, just over 2,000 miles southeast of Iran. According to press reports, this is the most significant B-2 presence on the island in nearly half a decade. Flight trackers are showing increased activity by at least nine KC-135R refueling aircraft in the region. Several C-17 cargo planes have also been spotted by satellites on the island.

The US President has ordered US Carrier Strike Group Carl Vinson to the Mideast. While the Administration continues to escalate its illegal bombing campaign against Yemen—with more than 60 strikes reported on March 29, 2025, alone—speculation is increasing that the Diego Garcia buildup is the beginning of the long process of positioning US military muscle for an attack on Iran. President Trump warned on March 29, 2025, that "if we don’t work it out, bad bad things are gonna happen with Iran."

https://evrimagaci.org/tpg/us-military-buildup-at-diego-garcia-signals-tensions-with-iran-306191

📈 The modern day gold rush:

Gold prices are now up +70% in 16 months with a new record market cap of $20.75 trillion.

In fact, gold is worth $1.25 trillion MORE than the COMBINED value of the remaining top 10 most valuable assets.

What is gold telling us?

(a thread)

https://fxtwitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1906117296919019630

🇸🇸 The world’s youngest country fought for decades to govern itself. Now it’s on the cusp of another civil war

A peace deal ending a conflict that killed tens of thousands in South Sudan is in danger of collapsing, raising fears that the world’s youngest nation — and one of its poorest — could swiftly lapse back into war.

South Sudan split from the rest of Sudan in 2011 after decades of pro-independence unrest but has struggled to keep the peace in its territory, which is divided along ethnic lines.

What’s the current crisis about?

The nation is governed by a coalition government, led by President Salva Kiir and five vice presidents, who include Kiir’s rival Riek Machar, the leader of the SPLM/A-IO party.

Machar was arrested this week, prompting the SPLM/A-IO to issue a statement Thursday saying his detention “effectively brings the (peace) agreement (between him and Kiir) to a collapse.”

“The prospect for peace and stability in South Sudan has now been put into serious jeopardy,” it added.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/29/africa/sudan-peace-deal-cusp-civil-war-intl/index.html

💸 Paper Promises, Golden Truths

The dollar will remain an important player for some time to come. But the era of the petrodollar system, where the dollar was the only way to buy oil, is over.

We are entering a new multi-polar era where countries use their own currencies to buy oil and other goods. And the U.S. is no longer the sole superpower.

Central banks around the world are gobbling up gold and diversifying away from the dollar as debt spirals out of control.

We’re approaching the end game now. This is why we’ve been pounding the table on gold and silver so much lately. And it’s why we will continue to going forward.

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/paper-promises-golden-truths

🇪🇨🇺🇸 Ecuador is preparing for US forces, plans show, as Noboa calls for help battling gangs

Ecuador is laying the groundwork for US forces to arrive, according to plans obtained by CNN – as its president calls on US President Donald Trump to help battle powerful gangs in a country once known as the “island of peace.”

According to a high-level Ecuadorian official familiar with the planning, construction of a new naval facility in the coastal city of Manta is part of that preparation, with barracks-style housing and administration offices designed to support sustained operations and US military personnel. The official requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

“The expectation is that these will be eventually occupied by US troops,” the official told CNN.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has made no secret of his desire for foreign boots on the ground as gangs unleash terror across the country – a request he is expected to reiterate this weekend. Noboa is set to meet Trump in Florida on Saturday to discuss immigration, trade and “security cooperation.”

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/29/americas/ecuador-trump-noboa-gang-intl-latam/index.html

🇺🇸🚢📝 Sal Mercogliano: Remember when US shipyards actually built ships!

The US made the decision to end the symbiotic relationship between the US Navy and the US Merchant Marine.

Instead, they outsourced US commercial shipping and shifted naval construction into private yards like HII and GDNASSCO.

Even now, with calls for reform, we default back to putting naval officers in charge of US maritime reform.

🔗 mercoglianos

🇪🇺💶 "Where will the EU source the funds to re-build its defense base?" - Macro & geopolitical commentators

"Because that's where the money is." -Bank robber Willie Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks.

Where the money is:

🔗 Luke Gromen

🇲🇽🇺🇸 Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called her meeting with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem “fruitful,” saying both nations benefit from a relationship grounded in “respect for each other’s sovereignty.”

🔗 AF Post

🇸🇳🇫🇷 Senegal sees French troops depart as west Africa reassesses colonial ties

France has handed over control to the Senegalese government of two military bases in Senegal’s capital, Dakar that it has used for decades. The move follows an announcement in late 2024 by Senegal’s president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, that all foreign troops would be required to leave the country.

“Senegal is an independent country, a sovereign nation, and sovereignty does not allow for the presence of foreign military bases,” Faye told Agence France-Presse in November.

Unlike in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, where military juntas have expelled French and American troops in recent years, this move comes from a democratically elected leader.

https://theconversation.com/senegal-sees-french-troops-depart-as-west-africa-reassesses-colonial-ties-251978

🇺🇸🇮🇷 Six USAF B-2 Spirit stealth bombers — 1/3 of America’s fleet — forward deployed to Diego Garcia over the last week

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG) continues strike operations against the Houthi. Carl Vinson CSG, en route to the Middle East, is 1-2 weeks out

🔗 Ian Ellis

🇺🇸🇾🇪🇮🇷 Israel Radar: US strikes on Houthi tunnels in Yemen may serve as model for practicing attacks on underground sites in Iran, using stealth bombers & penetrator munitions

🔗 Israel Radar

🇺🇸/🇮🇱 Elliot Kaufman: The Biden State Department and USAID transferred tens of millions of dollars, directly and indirectly, to Israeli NGOs working to bring down the Netanyahu government.

Israel’s coalition government still stands, long after its obituaries were written.

This past week it passed a budget as well as the centerpiece of its judicial reform. None of this was supposed to happen.

https://archive.is/RTM3z

🔗 Elliot Kaufman

🇺🇸✈️ Hundreds of foreign students in the U.S. have been told they must self-deport or they will be forcibly deported for campus activism—including attending protests or posting on social media.

This comes after the launch of AI system "Catch and Revoke", which trawls social media for politically incorrect speech. Speaking to reporters, Rubio said ‘Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas… At some point, I hope we run out.’

There are over 1.1 million international students in the U.S. today.

https://ndtv.com/world-news/us-cracks-down-on-international-students-hundreds-asked-self-deport-over-campus-activism-8038809/amp/1

🔗 WikiLeaks

🇺🇸🇮🇷 U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran with bombings and secondary tariffs on Sunday if Tehran did not come to an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program.

"If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," Trump said in a telephone interview with NBC. "But there's a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago."

🔗 Rapid Response 47

🇮🇱🇵🇸 Netanyahu says Trump's plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza is Israel's "strategy" and that he is "ready to discuss it" at any time

https://trt.global/world/article/aeedb97c86c6