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MOGADISHU — Somali religious scholars led thousands of demonstrators in Mogadishu on Wednesday to protest Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, denouncing the move as foreign interference that threatens Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and religious identity. The demonstration, staged at Daljirka Dahson in the heart of the capital, drew clerics, traditional elders, intellectuals and residents from across Mogadishu. Protesters carried banners and chanted that North Western State of Somalia — the northwestern…

U.S. suspends assistance to Somali government, alleging destruction of WFP warehouse and seizure of 76 metric tons of food aid WASHINGTON — The United States has suspended all assistance to Somalia’s federal government, alleging Somali officials destroyed a U.S.-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and illegally seized 76 metric tons of food aid meant for vulnerable people, according to a State Department announcement Wednesday. The State Department cited the destruction of a WFP warehouse and seizure of aid as the…

U.S. suspends all aid programs to Somalia over corruption, theft of food relief MOGADISHU, Somalia — The United States has suspended all ongoing aid programs benefiting the Somali people, citing systemic corruption and “unacceptable behavior” by Federal Government officials, including interference with international relief operations, U.S. officials said. The decision follows specific allegations that Somali authorities destroyed a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse funded by the U.S. and illegally seized 76 tons of food…

MOGADISHU — A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition fighting in Yemen said Thursday that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the head of the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council, slipped out of the country via North Western State of Somalia after skipping planned peace talks in Riyadh — a development that could deepen a widening rift between the coalition’s two most powerful members. In a statement, the coalition said al-Zubaidi departed the southern port city of Aden late Wednesday aboard a vessel bound for Berbera in…

Saudi-led coalition says STC chief al-Zubaidi fled Yemen via North Western State of Somalia to UAE, skipping Riyadh talks ADEN, Yemen — The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said the head of the Southern Transitional Council, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, slipped out of the country overnight after skipping planned peace talks in Riyadh, traveling by sea to North Western State of Somalia before flying on to the United Arab Emirates. In a statement, the coalition said al-Zubaidi abruptly disappeared ahead of the talks and left late…

Somalia graduates new Gorgor Special Forces at TURKSOM as push against al-Shabab builds MOGADISHU — Somalia on Thursday graduated new units of its elite Gorgor Special Forces after completing training at the TURKSOM Military Training Academy, a milestone officials framed as pivotal to intensifying military operations against al-Shabab in the south. Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, speaking at the ceremony, praised Somali National Army (SNA) leadership for sustained efforts to professionalize the force and strengthen…

ICE officer fatally shoots legal observer in Minneapolis; protests erupt as officials dispute self-defense claim MINNEAPOLIS — A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman identified by the Minneapolis Star Tribune as a legal observer, during an immigration enforcement operation Wednesday, igniting street protests and sharp disagreement among federal, state and local officials over what happened. DHS says the officer fired “defensive shots” after Good allegedly…

‘I have nowhere to turn’: In Somalia, unpaid debts can mean years behind bars — and a grassroots effort to buy back freedom When Abdifatah Mohamed Dhaqane walked out of Mogadishu Central Prison in October after three and a half years behind bars, there were no charges to clear and no sentence to complete. His freedom depended on a single number: $590 — the debt he failed to repay after robbers snatched seven phones from his small mobile trade in June 2022. A court in Afgoye had ruled in favor of his suppliers and ordered him…

ADEN, Yemen — The Saudi-led coalition said Wednesday that Aidrous al-Zubaidi, leader of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council, fled to an unknown location after failing to travel to Saudi Arabia for talks aimed at defusing escalating violence in the country’s south. Date: Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 Coalition says Zubaidi skipped a planned flight for talks and later “fled” without notifying colleagues Limited pre-emptive strikes reported near al-Zand camp in al-Dhalea to disrupt armed units Presidential Leadership Council moves…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Somalia as part of a Jan. 7-12 African tour that also includes Ethiopia, Tanzania and Lesotho, Beijing said Wednesday, underscoring the Horn of Africa’s growing diplomatic weight amid tensions over North Western State of Somalia. Wang, who also serves on the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee, is slated to attend the launch of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges at African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. The…