Somalia

By Nuri AdenTuesday April 7, 2026 A wave of anticipation is sweeping across Somalia as the country prepares to receive the Turkish drilling ship Cagri Bey, due in Mogadishu from April 9 in a development officials say could mark a turning point in Somalia’s oil and gas quest. In an exclusive interview with TRT Afrika, Somalia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Dahir Shire Mohamed, called the arrival a historic moment for the nation. “This is something that, as Somali people, we have been yearning for a very long…

Basillioh Rukanga and Richard KagoeTuesday April 7, 2026 Somalia is poised to launch its first offshore oil drilling campaign, with a Turkish government-owned drillship due to reach its waters on Friday. The step comes after a Turkish research vessel completed seismic surveys last year, helping map the area’s underground potential. In a post on X, Somalia's Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire called the approach to the country’s first offshore drilling effort a "historic milestone in our offshore energy journey... A new chapter…

Somalia is preparing to launch its first offshore oil drilling campaign, with a Turkish government-owned drillship due to reach waters off the Somali coast on Friday. The milestone comes after a Turkish research vessel completed seismic surveys last year, laying the groundwork for the next phase of exploration. In a post on X, Somalia's Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire called the advance toward offshore drilling a "historic milestone in our offshore energy journey... A new chapter begins." The foreign ministry said a…

BAIDOA, Somalia - Somalia’s defense minister, Ahmed Moallin Fiqi, on Monday toured the Sector 3 headquarters of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia in Baidoa, where Ethiopian troops serving under the mission are stationed, officials said. Fiqi used the visit to meet Sector 3 commander Teklu Hurisa Janka and was briefed on current operations, advances in security efforts, and the level of coordination between the Somali National Army and Ethiopian forces deployed in South West state. He expressed…

A high-level show of coordination unfolded in Baidoa this week as Somalia’s defence minister pressed home the need for tighter military cooperation in the long-running campaign against insurgents. During the visit, Minister Fiqi met with Brigadier General Teklu Hurisa Janka, the Sector 3 Commander, and received a detailed briefing on the sector’s activities, operational progress, and the cooperation between the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) and AUSSOM forces in the South West State. Minister Fiqi commended AUSSOM’s…

Monday April 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali government forces, supported by international partners, killed 12 al-Shabab fighters in a planned operation near Baidoa and Daynuunay in the Bay region, the Ministry of Defense said Monday. According to the ministry, the strike targeted militant positions around the vital corridor that connects Mogadishu and Baidoa. Several other fighters were wounded in the assault, though officials did not release additional details. The ministry said the mission was part of a wider push to…

Mogadishu — A formal handover at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Mogadishu marked a seamless change of command as Somalia’s labour ministry welcomed a new director general in a ceremony that underscored continuity and a call for strengthened public service. At the event, outgoing Director General Yusuf Hassan Isack formally transferred his duties to the newly appointed Director General, Mohamed Saney Dalmar. The ceremony, led by Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Salim Alio Ibrow, drew senior ministry…

Monday April 6, 2026 Türkiye's Çağrı Bey drillship is seen at a port, Mersin, southern Türkiye, Feb. 14, 2026. (AA Photo) Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is on the cusp of a historic first in its offshore energy sector, with Türkiye’s drillship Çağrı Bey due to arrive on April 10 to begin the country’s first deep-sea drilling campaign, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said. Bayraktar, speaking at a gathering in Trabzon on April 4, said he plans to travel to Somalia before the vessel docks. “With the…

Monday April 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is on the verge of its first offshore oil drilling campaign, a move that one senior government official said Sunday carries major economic and geopolitical implications as a Turkish drillship prepares to enter the country’s territorial waters. The vessel, Çağrı Bey, is due to arrive in Somalia on April 10, setting the stage for the country’s inaugural offshore drilling operation and a landmark moment for its energy industry. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Omar said the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia 05 April 2026 – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) on Sunday decried what it calls the wrongful detention of reporter Abdiqani Abdirahman Mohamed, arrested on 26 March by Laascaanood police, and demanded that local authorities drop the charges and free him at once. On Thursday, 26 March, police officers in Laascaanood arrested Abdiqani Abdirahman Mohamed, who reports for Dhulmar Media, an online news channel covering the northeastern regions, following his publication ofan…