Sports

‘People and livestock are equal in hunger’: Drought leaves pastoralists in Somalia’s Sanag region without water, medicine or markets In northern Somalia’s Sanag region, a yearslong drought has hollowed out pastoral life. Livestock are dying, markets have stalled, and families who once lived self-sufficiently off goats and camels are rationing water by the cup and living on credit they can no longer repay. For Mohamed Ali Salad, a pastoralist in Gurmale village, the collapse is measured in animals lost. His herd of 200 goats…

Somalia cleared to issue East African Community passports, boosting regional mobility Wednesday February 18, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia has received formal approval to issue East African Community (EAC) passports, a key step in the country’s regional integration and a move officials say will ease cross-border travel for Somali citizens across the bloc. The authorization was conveyed in an official letter presented by Somalia’s ambassador to Tanzania and permanent representative to the EAC, Ilyas Ali Hassan. He handed…

Erdogan says Israel’s North Western State of Somalia recognition would not benefit region as Türkiye, Ethiopia expand ties ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned that Israel’s move to recognize North Western State of Somalia would not benefit North Western State of Somalia or the wider Horn of Africa, urging regional governments to resolve disputes without opening the door to foreign power rivalries. “I would like to reiterate that Israel’s recognition of North Western State of…

Somalia, Tanzania sign migration and travel pact to ease visas, bolster border security Monday February 16, 2026 MOGADISHU — Somalia and Tanzania have signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation on migration management and make travel easier between the two countries, officials said. The agreement was signed by Somalia’s Minister of Internal Security, Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, known as Fartaag, and Tanzania’s Minister of Home Affairs, Patrobas Paschal Katambi. Senior immigration officials from both governments…

Somalia calls for direct sea route with Türkiye as trade outgrows current logistics, minister says ISTANBUL — Somalia’s ports minister said Thursday that establishing direct maritime shipping routes with Türkiye has become a strategic necessity as trade between the two countries expands beyond the limits of existing logistics. “The current level of trade between Somalia and Türkiye has moved beyond the present logistics structure,” Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, minister of Ports and Maritime Transport, told Anadolu on the…

NAIROBI — Kenya and Somalia signaled a renewed push to deepen their economic partnership beyond the traditional exchange of goods, using a Nairobi forum this week to elevate services, diaspora investment and regional integration under the East African Community as central pillars of future growth. Policymakers and business leaders from both countries gathered Feb. 12–13 for the second Somalia–Kenya & Diaspora Trade Week at BBS Mall in Eastleigh, a meeting that organizers said drew more small and medium-sized enterprises…

Somalia’s president condemns Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, urges AU to reject external interference ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Friday urged African Union member states to “firmly reject” external meddling in the continent’s affairs, denouncing Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia as a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and international law during the second Italy-Africa Summit in Addis Ababa. Hassan Sheikh said Africa’s progress must be…

All 55 survive after Somali passenger plane overruns runway, crash-lands on Mogadishu shoreline MOGADISHU, Somalia — An airliner carrying 55 people crash-landed on the shoreline beside Mogadishu’s international airport after overrunning the runway Tuesday, with all passengers and crew surviving, authorities and the carrier said. Starsky Aviation said a technical issue emerged shortly after the Fokker 50 turboprop departed Mogadishu for Puntland State. The crew requested an immediate return, but the aircraft failed to stop…

Opinion: Somalia Is Central to Red Sea Security — and the Arab World Can’t Afford to Overlook It Global markets don’t advertise their weak points; they reveal them when the world’s shipping arteries tighten, energy prices jump and supply chains falter. Few chokepoints matter more right now than the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. And within that corridor, one actor remains consistently underestimated: Somalia. Somalia has long been reduced to a shorthand for fragility. That frame obscures a transition hiding in plain sight.…

In Cairo’s June 30 Stadium, under the bright floodlights and the pressure of a continent watching, Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan took command of the CAF Champions League final between Egypt’s Pyramids FC and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. The match, which Sundowns edged 2–1, had all the urgency the occasion demands. Yet the deeper story was not the scoreline. It was the whistle in Artan’s hand — the first time a Somali official had been entrusted with African club football’s ultimate stage. For Somali sport,…