West-Africa

Sunday May 3, 2026 Nairobi (AX) — Former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen has declared that he still holds the legitimate mandate to lead the administration, saying he expects to return to the region after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term ends on May 15, 2026. In an interview in Nairobi this week — his first public comments since March 30 — Laftagareen spoke at length about the political standoff in South West State and the circumstances surrounding his departure from Baidoa. Laftagareen…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Sunday unveiled the full calendar for the country’s 2026 regional elections, setting South West State on course to open the voting season later this month. Under the newly announced timetable, South West State will be first to vote. Local council and parliamentary elections are slated for May 10, the election of the state parliament speaker will follow on May 18, and the regional president is due to be chosen on May 23,…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The European Union has welcomed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s invitation to the Somali Future Council for a high-level meeting in Mogadishu on May 10, as political uncertainty deepens with the end of his term approaching. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, Francesca Di Mauro, the EU Ambassador to Somalia, said the bloc backs efforts to build agreement on the country’s electoral path. “The EU in Somalia welcomes President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s invitation to the Future…

Mohamed GabobeSunday May 3, 2026 Gulf of Aden (file photo) An oil tanker has been seized by Somali pirates off Yemen’s coast, according to several Somali security officials who spoke to the BBC. Yemen’s coastguard said earlier that the MT Eureka had been hijacked and was being taken toward Somalia. Security sources said the vessel was overpowered by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, close to the port of Qana. The attackers are understood to have left a remote stretch of coastline near the seaside town of Qandala, on the Gulf of…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s opposition leaders say the country is drifting into dangerous political territory, warning that an approaching electoral transition could trigger a constitutional showdown. At a press conference in Mogadishu on Saturday, the politicians said they had spent recent days consulting widely with traditional elders, scholars, women, young people, media figures, and civil society activists about the country’s political climate and the road to elections. “We agreed to safeguard the…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — With his term set to expire in less than two weeks, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called members of the Somali Future Council to a high-level meeting in Mogadishu on May 10, 2026, as political friction deepens over the country’s next steps. In a statement released Saturday, the presidency said the invitation came after the president consulted with a range of social groups in recent days. The planned gathering is expected to examine major national issues, among them Somalia’s…

By Daniel Tari and News AgenciesSaturday May 2, 2026 Pirates appear to be exploiting a widening security gap in the region, with officials saying patrols in the Red Sea have been stretched by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the diversion of commercial shipping lanes. Somalia maritime police from PMPF patrol in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of semi-autonomous Puntland State State in Somalia Yemen’s Coast Guard said on Saturday that it is trying to track down an oil tanker seized off the country’s coast and now…

Saturday May 2, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s labour movement marked International Labour Day in Mogadishu on Saturday with a gathering of more than 1,000 people, turning the occasion into a public display of worker solidarity and shared purpose. The commemoration was hosted by the Federation of Somali Trade Unions, with backing from the International Labour Organization, and formed part of the National Conference on Employment-Intensive Investment and Decent Work. Senior government officials, labour representatives, and…

By: OMAR M ELMI, EconomistSaturday May 2, 2026 North Western State of Somalia sits on one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors, along Somalia’s Gulf of Aden coast where the Bab el-Mandeb strait opens into the Red Sea. | Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images As tensions mount across the Red Sea, North Western State of Somalia is nearing a turning point that could reshape not only its diplomatic ambitions but also its security outlook. For more than 30 years, the self-declared republic has pressed for international…

Saturday May 2, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali pilgrims have begun their journey to the holy sites as the first Hajj flights from Mogadishu and Hargeisa touched down in Saudi Arabia, signaling the opening of this year’s pilgrimage season for nationals from the Horn of Africa. According to Somali officials, the initial flights arrived Friday at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport with 432 pilgrims on board. Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs Mukhtar Robow Ali oversaw the launch ceremony in Mogadishu,…