Somalia

Somalia’s Mogadishu Port switches to 24/7 operations in bid to cut delays and boost trade MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia has begun round-the-clock operations at the Port of Mogadishu for the first time, a step officials say will ease chronic congestion, speed cargo handling, and strengthen the country’s position in regional trade. The shift to uninterrupted service took effect Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, following recent upgrades to core port infrastructure. Senior representatives from the Ministry of Ports and Marine Transport,…

From Flight to Fight: Ramla Ali’s return to Kenya turns advocacy into action A champion steps back into a familiar story On a bright morning in Nairobi’s Dandora neighborhood, Ramla Ali pulled on gloves—this time not for sparring, but to sort plastic and cardboard alongside dozens of women in a community recycling yard. The Somali-born boxer, model, and UNICEF ambassador moved quickly along the line, measuring, weighing, and bagging materials that would help turn a day’s work into a day’s pay for refugee mothers. Kids…

After the Ruins, a Campus Rises: Hormuud University at 15 When the central government in Somalia collapsed in 1991, so too did the institutions that had supported generations of Somalis — hospitals, civil services, and classrooms. For more than two decades, many of the country’s best-educated professionals left. “It felt like the nation’s memory was walking away,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Abdi Omar Shuriye, who today oversees Hormuud University as it marks its 15th year. Founded in 2010 by senior figures at…

UK warns travellers of conflicting visa rules across Somalia after federal e-visa rollout North Western State of Somalia and Puntland State reject Mogadishu’s system, creating airport confusion The United Kingdom has cautioned its citizens to expect inconsistent and sometimes conflicting visa requirements across Somalia after the federal government launched a new e-visa system that regional authorities in North Western State of Somalia and Puntland State say they will not honor. In updated guidance, the UK Foreign,…

Somalia’s new e‑visa system ignites a storm over money, power and trust The row over Somalia’s newly launched electronic visa system has moved beyond bureaucratic bickering into a full‑blown political and financial controversy, exposing fault lines in a country long divided over sovereignty, economic control and how the diaspora — Somalia’s lifeline — is treated. Accusations, denials and a Facebook post that set it off The controversy began in a blunt Facebook post by Axmed Ismaaciil, the general manager of WorldRemit’s…

U.S. Embassy warns of suspected breach in Somalia’s e‑visa system, thousands of travelers at risk The United States Embassy in Mogadishu has issued a security alert warning that a suspected cyber intrusion into Somalia’s electronic visa platform may have exposed the personal data of tens of thousands of applicants — a reminder that the global rush to digitize borders carries risks as well as convenience. In a notice released this week, the embassy said it received credible reports on November 11, 2025, that unidentified…

Somalia’s cabinet approves Saudi media and culture pacts as security and local elections take center stage Somalia’s cabinet has approved two new cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia focused on media and culture, a modest but telling bid to strengthen soft-power ties even as Mogadishu sharpens its attention on security and upcoming local council elections in the Banadir region, home to the capital. The measures were adopted at the government’s weekly meeting chaired by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre in Mogadishu,…

Isaias Afwerki’s rebuke of the UN exposes deep fault lines in Horn of Africa diplomacy When Eritrea’s longtime president, Isaias Afwerki, told the new United Nations special envoy for the Horn of Africa that the world body has “not been effective,” he did more than deliver a familiar rebuke. The comments — relayed by Eritrea’s information minister, Yemane Meskel — crystallize a growing regional narrative: international institutions, however well-intentioned, are increasingly seen as instruments that fall short of producing…

Farmaajo Returns to a Changed Mogadishu — And a High-Stakes 2026 Race Begins MOGADISHU — The political weather in Somalia shifted on Thursday with the return of former president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, widely known as Farmaajo, after more than two years abroad. He arrived to a rousing welcome at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport — lawmakers, veteran politicians, and clusters of supporters waving flags and phone cameras — and immediately became the most consequential opposition figure in the capital. His timing…

East Africa’s integration at a crossroads as landlocked states push for ocean access NAIROBI — Tensions over access to the sea are testing the fragile architecture of East African integration, exposing a fault line between landlocked ambitions and coastal sovereignty that could reshape politics, security and commerce across the region. Recent months have seen a flurry of diplomatic rivalries and public statements — from Ethiopia’s short‑lived overture to North Western State of Somalia to Uganda’s president declaring a…