West Africa

MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud hosted an iftar meeting at the Presidential Palace with leaders of political organizations, days after high-level talks with the opposition-aligned Somali Future Council collapsed without agreement, officials said. The gathering at Villa Somalia centered on Somalia’s political trajectory and efforts to advance the country’s fledgling democratic process, according to a statement from the presidency. The administration framed the session as a forum for open dialogue on…

North Western State of Somalia condemns Iran’s strikes on Gulf states, warns of threat to regional stability HARGEISA — North Western State of Somalia has condemned Iran’s latest missile and drone attacks across the Gulf and Middle East, calling them unprovoked acts of aggression that endanger regional peace and stability and pledging solidarity with countries targeted. In an official statement posted on the Foreign Ministry’s X account, the government said it “stands in full solidarity with Arab Gulf countries and rejects…

Mogadishu (AX) — The European Union on Thursday announced €63 million in new humanitarian funding for Somalia as 6.5 million people face severe hunger driven by drought, conflict and shrinking global aid, according to new food security projections. The EU said the money will be directed to the most vulnerable communities affected by ongoing insecurity, displacement, worsening drought and soaring food prices. Assistance will be channeled through EU humanitarian partners to speed delivery and ensure aid reaches areas with…

U.S., Israel launch major strikes on Iran as Trump urges uprising; Tehran fires missiles at Israel, U.S. bases The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes across Iran on Saturday, opening a new chapter of military confrontation as President Donald Trump urged Iranians to “seize control of your destiny” and rise up against the Islamic Republic’s leadership. Within hours, Iran said it fired a “first wave” of missiles and drones toward Israel and targeted U.S. military sites across the Gulf. Strikes reported near…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Lawmakers representing the Buurhakaba constituency have accused Ethiopian troops serving under the African Union mission in Somalia of meddling in local politics in Southwest State, alleging pressure on district officials and a failure to prioritize security in a volatile area. In a letter dated February 27, 2026, and addressed to the Chairperson of the African Union, three federal MPs — Saadad Mohamed Nur Aliyow, Fowsiyo Mohamed Sheikh, and Mohamed Ali Hassan — said Ethiopian forces operating in Sector…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s opposition-aligned Somali Future Council said it will convene a high-level meeting on April 10 to consider “measures to save Somalia’s statehood,” escalating a confrontation with the federal government after talks between the two sides collapsed last week. In a statement issued following a conference in Mogadishu attended by members of the Federal Parliament, political figures and representatives from civil society, the Council alleged the government’s push to amend the Provisional Constitution violates…

Somalia, Saudi Arabia align positions at OIC emergency talks in Jiddah Jiddah, Saudi Arabia — Somalia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ali Mohamed Omar, held a bilateral meeting Friday with Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji on the sidelines of an emergency session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The talks coincided with an open-ended Executive Committee session at the level of foreign ministers convened to address recent developments in the…

Türkiye Diyanet Foundation delivers Ramadan food aid to 8,250 Somali families amid deepening drought MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Turkish humanitarian organization has delivered food assistance to 8,250 families across drought-affected parts of Somalia during Ramadan, Turkish officials said Friday, as prolonged dry conditions continue to strain access to food and water in the Horn of Africa nation. Türkiye Diyanet Foundation (TDV) said it distributed aid to families in seven states and 13 regions under its Ramadan relief program,…

A digital lifeline for Somalia’s children: Inside Mogadishu’s experiment with an electronic immunization register On a bright morning in Kahda, a district on the southern edge of Mogadishu, a young mother stands at the immunization desk without the small, creased card that once governed her child’s medical future. For years, that paper card—easily misplaced during eviction, flood or displacement—was the only proof a child had been vaccinated. When it disappeared, health workers guessed which doses had been given, repeated…

On a bright morning in Kahda, a fast-growing district on the southern edge of Mogadishu, a young mother steps to the immunization desk without the small, creased card that once governed her child’s medical future. Nurse Naima Muse turns from a crying toddler, taps a number into a desktop computer and summons the child’s vaccination record in seconds. “Before, if a mother lost the card, we had nothing,” she says. “Now, we just search.” The change is powered by Somalia’s Electronic Immunization Register, or EIR, a digital…