West Africa

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…

Jeffrey Epstein's Connections with West African Elites Uncovered Newly released records from U.S. authorities have shed light on the extensive ties that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein forged with influential figures in West Africa. Noteworthy among these connections are Karim Wade, the son of former Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, and Nina Keita, the niece of Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara. According to the documents, Epstein and Karim Wade first crossed paths in 2010, quickly building a rapport.…

HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro urged Somalilanders to close ranks on Thursday as regional opposition intensifies to Israel’s recognition of the territory, calling unity essential to defend “nationhood and statehood” amid mounting diplomatic pressure across the Horn of Africa. “There are many conflicts going on around North Western State of Somalia. We have not harmed anyone, we have not taken anything from anyone,” Irro said in a speech in Hargeisa. “What is needed is…

Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 HARGEISA (AX) — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro on Thursday called for an immediate end to clan fighting in the Waqdaria and Shidan areas of Lasqoray district in the Sanaag region, urging all sides to respect the sanctity of Ramadan as casualties mounted in days of escalating tension. “I call on those who have been killing each other to stop the fighting, because the blood of Islam is forbidden,” Irro said, framing the appeal in religious terms and stressing…

UNITED NATIONS — Somalia’s hunger crisis is accelerating, with 6.5 million people — about a third of the country — projected to face crisis levels of food insecurity through March, United Nations officials warned Thursday, citing a new assessment that shows sharp deterioration since January. Speaking to reporters via video link from UN headquarters, World Food Programme Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response Ross Smith said the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report for Somalia, released…

‘Justice or rush to judgment?’ Somalia’s rare execution of a woman exposes deep cracks in the system GALKAYO, Somalia — The death of 14-year-old Saabirin Saylaan jolted Somalia long before the firing squad assembled for the woman convicted of killing her. It began on Nov. 12, when, according to police records, Hodan Mohamud Diiriye phoned her husband to say the teenager who had been living in their home was unconscious. They raced Saabirin to a hospital in Galkayo, where staff pronounced her dead and called the police. Less…

Mogadishu — Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Agency said Wednesday it foiled an attempt to smuggle a Somali minor out of the country to Libya after officers flagged irregular travel plans and uncovered a bid to fraudulently obtain travel documents. The agency said the girl, taken from Las Anod, was intercepted at an early stage of the journey after a verification process identified adults traveling with her as suspected members of a human smuggling network. Authorities said the effort to secure false documentation was…