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ANKARA, Türkiye — Türkiye vowed Wednesday to stand firmly with Somalia and denounced Israel’s recognition of breakaway North Western State of Somalia, with Ankara’s communications chief warning that regional aggression would not be allowed to spill into the Horn of Africa. “Any attempt targeting Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and actions to legitimize them are unacceptable. Türkiye stands with Somalia as it did in the past,” said Burhanettin Duran, head of the Presidency’s Directorate of…

Uganda eyes Tanzania rail link to open new mineral export corridor via Dar es Salaam Uganda plans to connect a new standard gauge railway to Tanzania’s line now under construction, potentially opening a second ocean outlet for its exports through the port of Dar es Salaam and offering a fresh route for gold, copper and iron ore, according to a government document seen by Reuters. The move adds a southern corridor to Uganda’s long-standing plan to tie its Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Kenya’s network that runs from the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government says al-Shabab is facing mounting financial strain after a string of operations that killed senior operatives overseeing the group’s revenue networks and a sustained push to dismantle its funding channels. State news agency SONNA reported Saturday, citing intelligence sources, that the al-Qaida-linked group is struggling to reconstitute income streams amid a coordinated financial offensive aimed at its economic backbone. Independent verification of the internal figures was…

Opinion: Somalia should lead a Horn of Africa economic bloc built on connectivity corridors The Horn of Africa is at a hinge moment. After decades marked by fragmentation and instability, the region faces a practical imperative: build a regional economic bloc anchored in modern connectivity corridors or cede another generation to missed potential. For Somalia, whose Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden coastline sits astride one of the world’s busiest maritime routes, the choice is stark. With recent macroeconomic stabilization,…

Somalia launches East African Community passport, signaling push for regional mobility MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia has officially begun issuing the East African Community (EAC) passport, a step the federal government cast as historic for regional integration and a boost to global mobility for Somali citizens. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said Thursday that the introduction of the EAC passport will expand opportunities in travel, trade and education while strengthening Somalia’s engagement within the regional bloc.…

Somalia and Saudi Arabia on Friday signed a comprehensive maritime transport cooperation agreement in Riyadh, laying out a long-term plan to modernize Somalia’s ports, strengthen shipping services and deepen logistics ties along one of the world’s most strategic sea lanes. The accord was signed by Somalia’s minister of ports and marine transport, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, and Saudi Arabia’s minister of transport and logistics services, Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser. Officials from both governments described the deal as a…

Analysis: U.S.-backed airpower reshapes Somalia’s fight with al-Shabab — but can gains hold as peacekeepers depart? Somalia’s government says a combination of U.S.-supported airstrikes and newly expanded ground operations has shifted the momentum in its long war with al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab. Officials tout battlefield gains, especially the retaking of territory long held by the militants and strikes on leadership nodes and bomb-making networks. The turn comes as African Union peacekeepers draw down and Somali forces assume…

MINNEAPOLIS — In a winter of raids, fear and strobe-lit confrontations, a fried, triangular pastry became an unlikely emblem of resistance. As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in masks flooded the Twin Cities over the past two months, Somali Minnesotans met them not only with phones, whistles and signs, but with sambusas — crisp, fragrant parcels of spiced meat and vegetables — pressed into the hands of neighbors and strangers alike. “Food brings people together in our culture,” said community organizer…

‘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…