AU Troops Expected to Withdraw from Four Positions in Lower Shabelle↗
MOGADISHU (SD)— African Union troops are expected to withdraw from four locations in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region next week, according to sources. The move is part of a wider plan to reduce African Union forces as Somalia gradually…
Somaliland Launches Major Military Exercise HEEGAN 2026↗
HARGEISA (SD) — Somaliland’s military has launched a large-scale training exercise called HEEGAN 2026 to improve soldiers’ skills, prepare troops for military operations and strengthen cooperation between different units. The exercise…
Somaliland Warns Against Participation in Somalia Politics↗
HARGEISA (SD)— Somaliland’s Ministry of Interior and Security has warned that anyone taking part in Somalia’s political activities, including elections and political campaigns, while in Somaliland could face legal action. In a letter to…
Former Somalia President Suggests Possible Government–Al-Shabaab Plot Against Opposition↗
MOGADISHU (SD) — Former Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has accused the federal government of putting pressure on opposition leaders. He called on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to stop using state institutions against…
Somali Future Council Discusses Participation in Upcoming Political Talks.↗
MOGADISHU (SD)— The Somali Future Council has agreed on three steps to help decide whether to take part in upcoming talks called by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to discuss Somalia’s political situation and elections. According to…
Ethiopia Hosts Regional Maritime Security Forum Without Somalia’s Federal Government Present↗
ADDIS ABABA (SD)—Ethiopia is hosting a four-day regional maritime security forum in Addis Ababa, bringing together naval commanders from Yemen, Oman, Djibouti, Somaliland, and Puntland, according to a press release from the Ethiopian…
Somalia’s Opposition Questions Legitimacy of Hassan Sheikh’s National Consultation Platform↗
MOGADISHU (SD)— Opposition politicians have questioned the legitimacy and purpose of a national consultation platform convened by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, as political tensions continue over Somalia’s electoral process and the…
Could Somalia’s Response to the Trump Administration’s Investigation of Ilhan Omar Strain U.S.-Somalia Relations↗
MOGADISHU (SD) -The Federal Government of Somalia has expressed concern over what it views as political targeting of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, raising a sensitive issue that could introduce diplomatic tensions between Mogadishu and…
Somaliland Bans Airline Tickets Issued Through Somalia’s BSP System↗
HARGEISA (SD) – The Somaliland Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Development has prohibited airlines from accepting tickets issued through Somalia’s Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) system for flights departing from Hargeisa and…
Somali Journalists Syndicate Condemns Government Warning to Media Covering South West Conflict↗
MOGADISHU () —The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) has condemned a warning issued by Somalia’s Ministry of Information to media organizations covering the conflict in South West State, saying the government’s statement risks increasing…
Surge in US Air Strikes in Somalia Raises Concerns Over Civilian Casualties↗
MOGADISHU (SD) —An increase in United States air strikes in Somalia has renewed concerns about civilian casualties, displacement and the long-term impact of counterterrorism operations, as families affected by fighting in the southern town…
Somaliland Aviation Minister Denies New Airspace Agreement with Somalia↗
HARGEISA (SD) — Somaliland’s Minister of Civil Aviation, Fu’aad Ahmed Nuuh, has denied that Somaliland has reached a new agreement with Somalia’s federal government on airspace management, contradicting a statement by the director of the…
Somali Future Council Threatens Legal and Political Action Against Federal Election Plan↗
MOGADISHU (SD) – The Somali Future Council (GMS) has announced plans to pursue constitutional and political measures to challenge what it describes as unilateral electoral decisions by Somalia’s Federal Government, warning that the…
Netanyahu’s Regional Alliance Map Places Somaliland and Puntland in Different Strategic Camps↗
JERUSALEM (SD) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has presented a map illustrating competing political and security alignments across the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, placing Somaliland and Puntland in a different category…
Somali Parliamentary Speaker Questions Ethiopian Troops’ Role Amid South West State Conflict↗
MOGADISHU (SD)— Somali parliamentary Speaker Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur has questioned the role of Ethiopian troops serving in Somalia’s peacekeeping and security operations after forces loyal to former South West State President Abdiasis…
Somali Civil Society Urges Federal Government and Opposition to Reach Political Agreement↗
MOGADISHU (SD) — Somali civil society has urged the Federal Government and opposition leaders to return to negotiations and reach an immediate political agreement, warning that continued disagreements over elections could undermine…
Dispute Over Five Parliamentary Seats Deepens the Rift in Northeastern Administration↗
LAS ANOD(SD) — A political dispute has reportedly emerged between Northeastern Somali Regional State President Abdikadir Ahmed Aw Ali Firdhiye and Vice President Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril over the appointment of five members to fill vacant…
Ethiopian Ambassador Warns Somaliland Recognition Could Complicate Fight Against Al-Shabaab↗
TEL AVIV (SD)— Ethiopia’s ambassador to Israel, Tesfaye Yetayeh Anteneh, has warned that recognizing Somaliland could complicate Ethiopia’s security cooperation with Somalia and create opportunities for Al-Shabaab to expand its attacks…
Former U.S. Ambassador Raises Alarm Over Somalia’s Political Crisis and Fighting in South West State↗
MOGADISHU (SD) — Former U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Larry André Jr. has urged the international community to increase pressure on the Somali federal government to halt hostilities in South West State, accusing President Hassan Sheikh…
U.S. Sanctions Settlement With Bank of America Involves Apparent Somalia Violations↗
WASHINGTON ( )— The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has reached an $11.66 million settlement with Bank of America, N.A., over 475 apparent violations of U.S. sanctions programs, including those…
Somalia’s Supreme Court Ratifies Results of Galmudug Parliamentary Re-Run Election↗
MOGADISHU (SD)— The Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Somalia has formally ratified the results of the re-run election for the Galmudug State House of Representatives held on September 30, 2026, concluding the judicial review…
Trump Calls Somaliland a ‘Totally Different Country’ but Suggests It Rename Itself↗
WASHINGTON (SD) — U.S. President Donald Trump has described Somaliland as “a totally different country” from Somalia and suggested it should change its name, remarks that have drawn attention to Somaliland’s longstanding campaign for…
Somalia Claims Neutrality Amid Escalating Tensions Between Ethiopia and Eritrea↗
MOGADISHU (SD) — Somalia’s federal government says it remains neutral in the escalating dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea, rejecting suggestions that its participation in a recent regional summit alongside Egypt, Eritrea and Sudan…
Somaliland President Urges Trump to Recognize Somaliland, Citing Strategic Partnership↗
NEW YORK (SD)— Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “Irro” has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent country, saying the American leader could make history by extending…
Somali Government Deploys Troops Near Opposition Leaders’ Residences in Mogadishu↗
MOGADISHU (SD) — Somali government forces have reportedly deployed troops and military vehicles around the residences of former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire in Mogadishu, while security…
Former Somalia Foreign Minister Says Some Countries May Reconsider Recognition of the Mogadishu Government↗
MOGADISHU — Former Somali Foreign Minister Abdisaid Muse Ali has claimed that several countries may be considering withdrawing recognition of Somalia’s Federal Government, raising questions about the country’s political legitimacy and the…
UK Raises Concerns Over Journalist Arrests in Somaliland, Urges Media Protections↗
HARGEISA (SD) — The United Kingdom has expressed concern over the growing number of journalist arrests in Somaliland, warning that repeated detentions could undermine the territory’s democratic reputation and calling for stronger…
U.S. Warns Houthis May Be Seeking a Foothold in Somalia for Regional Operations↗
MOGADISHU (SD)— Yemen’s Houthi movement is seeking to expand its presence into Somalia, potentially creating a new platform for attacks on regional shipping and increasing risks to U.S. forces in the Horn of Africa, according to a report…
Ethiopia Criticizes President Hassan Sheikh’s Position at Egypt Summit↗
ADDIS ABABA (SD) — Ethiopia has criticized Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s participation in the four-party summit of Egypt, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan, arguing that Mogadishu’s support for the resulting joint declaration could…
Egypt, Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea Strengthen Regional Coordination as Ethiopia and Somaliland Respond↗
CAIRO (SD) — Egypt, Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea have agreed to strengthen political and security coordination following a four-party consultative summit in Egypt focused on developments in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea and the Nile basin.…