West Africa

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…

North Western State of Somalia clans agree to cease-fire after deadly clashes in Awdal and Salal, minister says HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia (AX) — Two clans that recently fought deadly battles in western North Western State of Somalia have agreed to end hostilities after a government-backed reconciliation push, officials said Saturday, as authorities announced arrests and fresh deployments to stabilize the border region. The fighting, which flared in parts of the Awdal and Salal regions, left several people dead…

Mogadishu, Somalia — Former President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmaajo” met Saturday with Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubbaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam “Madoobe” in Mogadishu, urging urgent dialogue to resolve escalating disputes over elections and constitutional reform that he warned could tip the country into a constitutional vacuum. The talks centered on Somalia’s political trajectory and the need for an inclusive settlement amid mounting friction over proposed constitutional amendments and…

ADDIS ABABA — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday praised African leaders for a unified rejection of Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, calling the continent’s stance a clear affirmation that Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are nonnegotiable. Addressing heads of state at the African Union (AU) summit, Mohamud thanked member states for what he described as a firm, collective defense of Somalia’s borders and a recommitment to the principles of sovereignty and noninterference…

Opinion/Analysis: Somalia’s livestock trade thrives without aid — and exposes the architecture of development failure By every conventional measure, Somalia should not have a functioning agricultural export sector. The country lacks effective development bank programs, European Union trade preferences and World Bank value chain projects. It has no subsidized inputs, no donor-funded extension services and no sprawling logframe tying every activity to a dozen indicators. And yet its livestock trade moves more than 5 million…

Saturday, February 14, 2026 MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud accused unnamed neighboring states of trying to leverage Israel’s December recognition of North Western State of Somalia for “short-term interests,” warning that Somalia’s territorial integrity is a nonnegotiable red line. In an interview with the London-based Arabic daily Asharq al-Awsat, Hassan Sheikh said the fallout from Israel’s move had tempted some regional actors to test Somalia’s unity and the wider region’s stability. “Some countries in…

MOGADISHU — The United Kingdom has announced £6 million in additional humanitarian funding to help drought-affected communities in Somalia, as escalating climate pressures deepen food insecurity across the country. The pledge came during the first official visit to Somalia by the UK Minister for International Development and Africa, Baroness Jenny Chapman. Chapman held high-level talks in Mogadishu with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and senior officials, and met humanitarian and security partners. She outlined the UK’s…

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…

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Somalia was elected Wednesday to the African Union Peace and Security Council for the 2026–2028 term, a diplomatic milestone that positions the Horn of Africa nation at the center of decision-making on the continent’s most urgent security challenges. In a statement, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the vote reflects renewed confidence in Somalia’s role and its growing contribution to Africa’s peace and security agenda. The government thanked AU member states for their support, with…

ADDIS ABABA — Somalia’s foreign minister, Abdisalam Ali, on Friday chaired the sixth A3 high-level ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Assembly, as African leaders moved to tighten coordination at the United Nations Security Council. Somalia currently serves as coordinator of the A3 — the three African non-permanent members of the Security Council: Somalia, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo — a role that places Mogadishu at the center of efforts to advance Africa’s priorities in New…