MOGADISHU, Somalia — Opposition leaders in Somalia accused security forces loyal to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday of preparing operations aimed at former military chief General Odowaa Yusuf Rage and other prominent opposition figures, a claim that has sharpened fears of renewed unrest in the capital. The Somali Future Council, an opposition alliance, said it had obtained information suggesting that members of the Somali National Army and intelligence services were involved in plans directed at General Odowaa,…

Saturday June 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali security forces have moved into Mogadishu’s Abdiaziz district in a targeted sweep to recover illegal weapons allegedly used by armed groups in the capital’s recent clashes, police said Saturday. The Banadir Regional Police Command said the firearms were believed to be concealed in multiple locations across the district, and officers were carrying out searches as part of a broader push to restore calm in Mogadishu. “It will not be acceptable to store or hide illegal weapons in…

Saturday June 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Fierce clashes in Somalia’s capital between federal government forces and an armed group aligned with the opposition have left at least 13 people dead, 189 injured and roughly 12,500 households displaced, according to a Protection of Civilians note compiled by the Protection Cluster and UNHCR Somalia. The June 4 report said the violence erupted on the evening of June 3 near Dabka junction and quickly widened into some of Mogadishu’s most crowded districts, including Hawlwadaag,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Mogadishu began to settle down on Saturday after two tense days of fighting and security stand-offs pitted federal government forces against troops aligned with opposition figures. By morning, residents said the capital looked noticeably quieter. Military convoys had thinned out, while traffic and ordinary street life slowly returned to major roads after security personnel and armed groups pulled back from several areas that had become flashpoints. Former Somali president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former…

By Tal Shalev and Tim ListerSaturday June 6, 2026 North Western State of Somalia's Ambassador to Israel, Mohamed Hag, left, meets with Israel's President Isaac Herzog, right, after presenting his credentials at the presidential residence in Jerusalem, on May 18. Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Washington, DC — Israel quietly sent elite military and intelligence units into Azerbaijan during its war with Iran, positioning them at a string of covert sites across the Middle East that helped support operations against Tehran, according to…

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia’s federal government is moving to reopen dialogue with opposition leaders as the country heads toward political gatherings in the regional capitals of Dhusamareeb and Jowhar, according to sources familiar with the talks on Saturday. The latest push for mediation is being backed by Turkey, the sources said, as officials look for a way to lower political temperatures in Mogadishu, where tensions have recently contributed to security unrest. During discussions on Friday, the government reiterated…

Saturday June 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A fragile pause in Mogadishu’s latest political standoff emerged June 4, after Somali traditional elders and international representatives helped secure a preliminary accord between the federal government and former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed’s Himilo Qaran party, the party said Saturday. According to Himilo Qaran, the understanding calls for an unconditional ceasefire, the withdrawal of troops, a return to political talks, the recovery of vehicles and equipment damaged in the…

MOGADISHU – Somalia’s government said on Friday that security forces had re-established control in two districts of the capital following a day of gunfire between state troops and militias aligned with opposition politicians, clashes that sent some residents fleeing. The unrest erupted this week as tensions rose over planned demonstrations against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s decision to stay in office after his term expired last month. Those protests never materialized. In March, parliament approved constitutional…

By Hussein Mohamed and Matthew Mpoke BiggHussein Mohamed reported from Mogadishu, Somalia, and Matthew Mpoke Bigg from Nairobi, Kenya.Friday June 5, 2026 Smoke drifted above Mogadishu on Thursday as heavy fighting engulfed parts of the Somali capital, where residents said the violence was the most intense in years. The U.S. Embassy called the clashes reckless and appealed for calm. Credit...Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Gunfire and explosions shook Somalia’s capital on Thursday, with residents describing the clashes as…

Friday June 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a move that could ease rising political friction in Somalia’s capital, former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire on Friday left the temporary homes they had taken up in two Mogadishu neighborhoods, according to sources familiar with the situation. Sharif had recently relocated to Mirinaayo in Abdiaziz district, while Khaire had been staying in the Bermudo area. Opposition figures said the relocations were tied to efforts to mobilize supporters…