Somali forces kill 12 al-Shabab fighters in Bay region, Defense Ministry says

Monday April 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali government forces, supported by international partners, killed 12 al-Shabab fighters in a planned operation near Baidoa and Daynuunay in the Bay region, the Ministry of Defense said Monday. According to the ministry, the strike targeted militant positions around the vital corridor that connects Mogadishu and Baidoa. Several other fighters were wounded in the assault, though officials did not release additional details. The ministry said the mission was part of a wider push to…

DR Congo to receive third-country deportees from US under new deal

By Edna Mohamed, Reuters and The Associated PressMonday April 6, 2026 Migrants deported last year by the United States to El Salvador under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown arrive at Simon Bolivar International Airport, in Maiquetia, Venezuela, July 18, 2025 The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) says it is set to take in “third-country” nationals deported from the United States under a new arrangement with the administration of US President Donald Trump. According to a statement released Sunday by the…

Turkish drilling ship to start offshore operations in Somalia this week

Monday April 6, 2026 Türkiye's Çağrı Bey drillship is seen at a port, Mersin, southern Türkiye, Feb. 14, 2026. (AA Photo) Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is on the cusp of a historic first in its offshore energy sector, with Türkiye’s drillship Çağrı Bey due to arrive on April 10 to begin the country’s first deep-sea drilling campaign, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said. Bayraktar, speaking at a gathering in Trabzon on April 4, said he plans to travel to Somalia before the vessel docks. “With the…

Somalia says historic oil exploration has economic, geopolitical significance

Monday April 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is on the verge of its first offshore oil drilling campaign, a move that one senior government official said Sunday carries major economic and geopolitical implications as a Turkish drillship prepares to enter the country’s territorial waters. The vessel, Çağrı Bey, is due to arrive in Somalia on April 10, setting the stage for the country’s inaugural offshore drilling operation and a landmark moment for its energy industry. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Omar said the…

North Western State of Somalia President Irro announces a major cabinet reshuffle

Monday April 6, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro has carried out a wide-ranging cabinet shake-up, removing, appointing and moving a number of senior officials in one of the administration’s most significant personnel changes since taking office. Announced through a presidential decree, the changes reach across several major ministries and top advisory posts. The overhaul appears aimed at tightening the government’s reform drive and improving the efficiency of…

US rescues service member from mountain hideout under fire in Iran

By  SEUNG MIN KIM, MATTHEW LEE and SAMY MAGDYMonday April 6, 2026 A high-risk American rescue operation unfolded deep inside Iranian territory after a U.S. fighter jet was shot down, with one aviator pulled to safety first and a second service member recovered only after hiding for hours in rugged mountains as Tehran urged civilians to help capture him. Behind the scenes, the CIA moved to muddy the waters before the second crew member was located, pushing out false information inside the Islamic Republic that the United…

Southampton stun Arsenal in FA Cup quarters, Haaland hat trick sinks Liverpool

By  STEVE DOUGLASSunday April 5, 2026 Saturday delivered a pair of FA Cup shocks and a statement from Manchester City, as second-tier Southampton knocked out Premier League leaders Arsenal while Erling Haaland powered City past Liverpool with a ruthless 4-0 rout. Arsenal, coming off a League Cup final loss to City before the international break, watched another trophy opportunity vanish in the closing stages when Southampton struck in the 85th minute to secure a 2-1 victory at St. Mary’s Stadium. Southampton entered the…

Southwest State: Villa Somalia’s Baidoa Strategy Faces Test of Peace or Conflict

BAIDOA, Somalia — Southwest State is approaching a decisive political moment, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s talks in Baidoa placing the region squarely between the prospects of peace and the threat of deeper conflict. The president met with traditional elders as tensions mounted over the future of the regional leadership. According to reports, Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, widely known as Lafta-Gareen, has been pushed to the margins amid political maneuvers involving the federal government.…

President Mohamud meets Southwest elders in Baidoa to advance reconciliation

Sunday April 5, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Sunday with traditional elders in Baidoa, stepping into the center of a delicate push to calm tensions and reinforce governance in Southwest State after recent political unrest. According to Villa Somalia, the talks centered on community reconciliation, support for Somalia’s democratization drive, the worsening drought and wider state-building efforts. The meeting comes days after federal authorities assumed control of Baidoa and installed an…

Hiiraan Online Urges Protection of Somalia’s State-Building Progress

By Hon. Ali M OmarSunday April 5, 2026 The Federal Government says it will not accept lessons in democracy from critics it accuses of trying to weaken Somalia’s hard-won political progress. A wave of commentary on Somalia, both online and in other forums, has offered what the government sees as a selective and misleading picture of the country’s politics. The debate over South West State, it argues, has similarly obscured the deeper question: whether Somalia’s federal arrangement can be protected and strengthened. That,…