By Abdirahman Roble UlayareWednesday May 20, 2026 Introduction For many informed Somalis, the answer to who has kept Somalia from becoming a fully sovereign state is painfully familiar. The pattern did not begin in the aftermath of the civil war or with the country’s collapse in the early 1990s; it stretches back to colonial rule and the damage left behind when foreign powers departed. In the view of many Somalis, outside actors, regional rivals, and local collaborators have all helped sustain a cycle of instability that…

Wednesday May 20, 2026 Amin Abdullah, the security guard killed alongside two other people in Monday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, is being remembered as a hero, with police saying "his actions were heroic and undoubtedly saved lives." The attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in San Diego County, was reported shortly before noon local time, according to police. Watch the full video below       

AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State has moved to calm fears while urging caution, issuing a public health alert after the World Health Organization reported an uptick in Ebola cases in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a statement on Wednesday, the health ministry asked residents to stay alert and follow preventive steps to limit the chance of infection, stressing that no Ebola cases have been reported in Puntland State or anywhere else in Somalia. Officials described Ebola as a dangerous and fast-spreading viral…

Wednesday May 20, 2026 The daughter of mosque security guard Amin Abdullah is describing him as the “absolute best dad in the world,” as family and community members came together Tuesday to pay tribute to the man killed while facing gunmen during an attack on a San Diego mosque.

AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni on Wednesday hosted a senior United States delegation in Garowe for talks centered on Somalia’s political transition, security cooperation, and investment prospects in the northeastern federal state, officials said. The delegation was headed by Justin Davis and included U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) officers, among them Col. Shane Jones, who commands U.S. special operations activities in Africa, according to a statement from the Puntland State presidency. Deni,…

By George Obulutsa and Vincent Mumo NzilaniWednesday May 20, 2026 People walk during a strike by public transport operators driven by rising fuel costs, linked to global supply pressures following the war in Iran, in Githurai area of Nairobi, Kenya May 19, 2026. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi Purchase Licensing Rights Kenya’s public transport strike, launched over fuel price increases tied to the war in Iran, was suspended on Tuesday after the government struck an interim deal with associations representing bus and minibus owners.…

Wednesday May 20, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh has sharply rebuked a cultural delegation from Puntland State after its members appeared at North Western State of Somalia’s May 18 commemoration in Hargeisa. Hosh said it was inappropriate for representatives from Puntland State to take part in an event that celebrates North Western State of Somalia’s 1991 breakaway from Somalia, a move the federal government still views as a direct threat to the country’s unity and territorial…

Wednesday May 20, 2026 In a notable diplomatic breakthrough, North Western State of Somalia says it will open an embassy in Jerusalem while Israel prepares to establish its own representation in Hargeisa “soon,” according to Mohamed Hagi, the envoy from Somalia’s breakaway region to Israel. Hagi said the move follows Israel’s formal recognition of North Western State of Somalia’s independence several months ago, describing it on X on Tuesday as evidence of “growing friendship, mutual respect, and strategic cooperation…

Wednesday May 20, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s principal opposition alliance said Tuesday it will begin weekly street protests in Mogadishu on June 4, stepping up pressure on the federal government after negotiations collapsed over the country’s electoral roadmap. The Somali Salvation Council said the demonstrations will be staged every Thursday until the sides reach a political settlement on elections. Opposition leaders framed the rallies as peaceful and urged residents of the capital to join them after the Eid…

Tuesday May 19, 2026 Egypt on Monday pressed Somali authorities to step up efforts to free Egyptian sailors seized aboard the oil tanker M/T Eureka, as the crisis continues to draw concern in Cairo. During a meeting in Cairo with Somali Ambassador Ali Abdi Awari, Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs Mohamed Karim Sherif stressed the urgency of protecting the detained citizens and securing their release as quickly as possible. Awari, for his part, briefed Sherif on Mogadishu’s ongoing high-level contacts and the…