Tuesday June 2, 2026 Djibouti (AX) — Djiboutian opposition figure Alexis Mohamed Gueldon has accused Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of eroding the country’s federal system, arguing that decisions from Mogadishu have widened political rifts and weakened confidence in federal institutions. In a Monday post on social media, Gueldon said constitutional amendments, political standoffs and strained ties between the federal government and some federal member states have hurt the credibility of Somalia’s federal model. He…

Tuesday June 2, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Somalia’s Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission has set June 10 as the date for Southwest State’s presidential election, laying out a tight sequence of votes that will first determine the regional parliament’s leadership. Under the timetable released Monday, candidates for speaker and deputy speaker of the Southwest State House of Representatives will begin registering on June 2. The commission said the list of contenders for parliamentary leadership will be published on…

Monday June 1, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Southwest State moved quickly on Monday to tighten security in Baidoa, imposing a nighttime curfew and introducing fresh weapons-registration rules after clashes between federal government forces and troops loyal to former regional President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen. Security Minister Mohamed Hussein Hassan Joon announced that the curfew will take effect from 7 p.m. until morning and will stay in place until further notice. He said the restrictions are meant to protect residents,…

Monday June 1, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s widening political standoff drew fresh international concern Monday, as key partners pressed the federal government and opposition leaders to return to talks and settle on an election roadmap without delay. In a joint statement released June 1, the United Kingdom, the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia, the European Union, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway said Somali leaders must place the national interest above partisan divisions at a sensitive moment for…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre is set to head to Dhusamareeb, the seat of Galmudug state, as tensions intensify between regional President Ahmed Abdi Karie (Qoorqoor) and the federal government in Villa Somalia. People familiar with the plan said Barre’s trip is intended to help bridge the widening political divide and push both sides toward a settlement in Galmudug. Over the past several days, the prime minister has held a string of consultations in Mogadishu aimed at easing the standoff,…

Monday June 1, 2026 Seoul, South Korea (AX) — Somalia and Egypt used a high-level gathering in Seoul on Monday to press ahead with closer ties, as Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali met his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, for talks on expanding strategic cooperation. The discussion took place on the margins of the Korea-Africa Ministerial Meeting, giving the two ministers a chance to review the state of relations and look at areas where the partnership could be strengthened. The ministers explored ways to broaden…

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopians headed to the polls Monday for a general election unfolding under the shadow of armed conflict, political friction and the absence of entire regions from the ballot, deepening questions about how representative the vote can be in Africa’s second-most populous country. It is Ethiopia’s seventh election since the military regime was ousted in 1991, but the contest comes at a moment of renewed unrest across parts of the country. Millions of people are unable to vote, including residents of the…

Monday June 1, 2026 Dhusamareb (AX) — Police in Guri’el district have taken a 25-year-old man into custody in connection with the killing of a local resident, according to security officials. The suspect, identified as Ali Abdi Jama, was arrested in a coordinated operation involving Guri’el police and other security forces, including military units deployed in the area. Officials said Jama is suspected of killing Abdishakur Hassan Geledi a day earlier in the Madaraso Sheikh Mohamed area near Ilix. Security officials said…

In a significant development against a rare Ebola strain, five patients have successfully recovered, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Sunday while visiting Bunia, the epicenter of the outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. "Today, four individuals will be released, following another who was discharged just two days ago," Ghebreyesus remarked during the inauguration of a new Ebola treatment center in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province. Ghebreyesus emphasized the ongoing work…

Monday June 1, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Military Court on Sunday opened proceedings in a case involving two Ethiopian nationals accused of ties to al-Shabab, prosecutors said. Military prosecutors named the defendants as Hamza Ibrahim Ali, also known as Abuu Irshad, and Nasri Abdirahman Ali, also known as Abuu Safiya. Both men are from Harar, Ethiopia, and are fluent in Somali, according to prosecutors. Security officials said the pair were detained in Baidoa, the capital of Bay region, during a planned operation…