Somalia

Puntland State’s Denial, Somalia’s Dilemma: What the Bosaso Flights Say About a Region in Transit What was said — and what was denied Last week’s exchange in Somalia’s Upper House has exposed more than a question about a few flights. It highlighted the fragility of authority in a country where federal and regional powers overlap, and where rumours can take on geopolitical weight. Somalia’s defense minister, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, told senators that planes leaving Bosaso in Puntland State had been “transporting items to Chad,…

Somalia orders urgent probe after woman gives birth at Mogadishu hospital gate MOGADISHU — Somalia’s government has launched an urgent investigation after a woman gave birth at the entrance to Mogadishu’s Banadir Hospital, one of the country’s busiest public maternity facilities, following what witnesses described as a refusal of emergency care. The incident, captured on video and shared widely online, has ignited public outrage and renewed scrutiny of a health system already under intense strain. What happened Witnesses…

Puntland State’s Denial, Somalia’s Dilemma: What the Bosaso Flights Say About a Region in Transit What was said — and what was denied Last week’s exchange in Somalia’s Upper House has exposed more than a question about a few flights. It highlighted the fragility of authority in a country where federal and regional powers overlap, and where rumours can take on geopolitical weight. Somalia’s defense minister, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, told senators that planes leaving Bosaso in Puntland State had been “transporting items to Chad,…

Somalia says 49 al-Shabab fighters killed in Lower Shabelle strikes; residents report powerful blasts near Afgoye Government cites operation with intelligence service and international partners; U.S. military says it did not participate MOGADISHU — Somalia’s government said Wednesday its forces killed at least 49 al-Shabab fighters in a late-night operation targeting militant positions in the Lower Shabelle region, a longtime redoubt of the al-Qaida-linked group. The strikes rattled communities northwest of the capital,…

Somalia says 49 al-Shabab fighters killed in Lower Shabelle strikes; residents report powerful blasts near Afgoye Government cites operation with intelligence service and international partners; U.S. military says it did not participate MOGADISHU — Somalia’s government said Wednesday its forces killed at least 49 al-Shabab fighters in a late-night operation targeting militant positions in the Lower Shabelle region, a longtime redoubt of the al-Qaida-linked group. The strikes rattled communities northwest of the capital,…

Puntland State’s Denial, Somalia’s Dilemma: What the Bosaso Flights Say About a Region in Transit What was said — and what was denied Last week’s exchange in Somalia’s Upper House has exposed more than a question about a few flights. It highlighted the fragility of authority in a country where federal and regional powers overlap, and where rumours can take on geopolitical weight. Somalia’s defense minister, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, told senators that planes leaving Bosaso in Puntland State had been “transporting items to Chad,…

Somali Army Says It Killed Key al-Shabaab Finance Chief in Bay Region Sweep What happened Somalia’s army says it has killed a senior al-Shabaab finance operator and his deputy during a string of raids in the country’s southwest, the latest push in a stop-start campaign to loosen the insurgent group’s grip on rural strongholds and revenue streams. The targeted operations took place Thursday across a cluster of villages—Buul Dooro, Kor Ing Roogi, Dhambalka, and Buur Rooring—in Deynuunay district of Bay region, a hard-fought…

Somalia says air campaign has struck a blow against al-Shabaab — but questions about readiness linger MOGADISHU — Somalia’s government told its senate this week that a surge in partnered airstrikes and stepped-up ground operations has pushed al-Shabaab militants back from several contested corridors, a claim that underlines both recent tactical gains and the wider challenges of handing security responsibilities back to Somali forces. Numbers that matter Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi reported that, with international…

Somalia and Iraq Find Common Cause in Security—and the Sea On a humid Wednesday in Mogadishu, as the surf pounded the city’s arc of coastline, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre welcomed a delegation from Baghdad with a handshake that felt calibrated for a new kind of partnership. On its face, the agenda was familiar: security, counterterrorism, and trade. But beneath that, the visit points to a quiet reweaving of ties across the Arab world and the Horn of Africa, anchored in shared threats and untapped economic…

Puntland State’s new visa deepens Somalia’s patchwork of borders — and tests fragile federal ties AXADLE — When Puntland State’s immigration agency announced this week that travelers to the autonomous region must now secure a separate “VISO” visa for $60, it did more than introduce a fee: it underscored how Somalia’s experiment with federalism is colliding with the practical demands of travel, trade and security. The move, described by Puntland State officials as an effort to “modernize” immigration procedures, explicitly…