Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - In a fresh fiscal launch, the Somali government nodded to a $1.3 billion budget for the year 2025. This allocation marks a modest uptick from last year's financial forecast, putting the onus on the Treasury to scrounge up funds by revamping the nation’s economic systems. Lending their spirits to this financial framework, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre’s cabinet gave the green light shortly after the National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting wrapped up. This gathering converged the brains from…

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Taye Atske, now steering the Ethiopian presidency, envisions a diplomatic path to securing sea access for Ethiopia. The nation intends to adopt a strategy based on reciprocity, marking a notable shift from its previous, widely criticized strategy. Striving for a maritime foothold to establish a port and military base, Ethiopia has turned its gaze to North Western State of Somalia, proposing a 20-kilometer stretch along the Red Sea. In return, Ethiopia would acknowledge North Western State of…

Mogadishu (AX) — On Monday, Galmudug's leader, Ahmed Abdi Kariye, fondly known as 'Qoor Qoor,' inked a monumental 80-year pact with Turkish industrial giant Metag Holding to build the Hobyo Port. He remarked that this project could morph Somalia's central coastline into a bustling trade corridor. It was a well-attended shindig in Mogadishu, drawing in federal bigwigs, lawmakers, and the who's who of the business world. Qoor Qoor underscored Hobyo Port's game-changing potential, especially for landlocked Ethiopia, which…

Somalia Urges Ethiopia to Revoke North Western State of Somalia Sea Deal by Month's End MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia has thrown down the gauntlet, giving Ethiopia until the end of the month to backtrack on its sea access arrangement with North Western State of Somalia. This demand was outlined in an interview with The New Humanitarian by Somalia's National Security Adviser, Hussein Sheikh Ali. Ali emphasized that the age-old military alliance between Somalia and Ethiopia, including the presence of Ethiopian soldiers on…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — According to the Somali Ministry of Information, joint operations by Somali forces, local militias, and international military allies have reportedly taken down 59 Al-Shabaab insurgents in the eastern Galgaduud and Middle Shabelle regions. These endeavors, targeting the dismantling of Al-Shabaab bastions, are closely aligned with a larger strategy to tackle terrorism within Somalia. An intense clash near Cowsweyne in Galgaduud saw 32 Al-Shabaab operatives, among them high-ranking leaders, neutralized.…

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AXADLE) – On Monday, Al-Shabaab insurgents launched an audacious strike against Somali military forces and local militias in Galgadud's heartland, resulting in the tragic demise of at least 25 troops and militia members, according to local insiders and government officials. The surprise assault unfolded in Geriire village, where the militants targeted the assembled soldiers and local fighters. Colonel Ali Osman acknowledged the calamity, stating, "Our forces were on a mission, but they walked right…

In an interview with Reuters, Khaled Meshaal, a prominent figure from Hamas living abroad, expressed that despite significant setbacks in over a year of conflict with Israel, the Palestinian faction aims to regenerate its forces and continue weapon production. Reflecting on the strife that began a year after an assault by Hamas, Meshaal contextualized the battle with Israel as a chapter in a much longer saga dating back 76 years to the "Nakba" or "catastrophe," a term Palestinians use for the 1948 events that led to their…

MOGADISHU- Folks expected a game-changing announcement from Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hamza Abdi Barre. However, his recent press talk barely shed light on why the National Consultative Council (NCC) powwow went kaput. Attendees from the federal government and four pivotal Federal Member States (FMS) gathered with the intention of hashing out Somalia’s electoral game plan, but the whole affair fizzled, leaving everyone in the dark. Now, there's a lot of head-scratching over possible ulterior motives behind the curtains.…

Erdogan announced a transformative shift for the once conflict-ridden Somali region, saying it will now be heralded for growth, prosperity, and peace thanks to the discoveries by Oruc Reis. Under a deal inked in March between Türkiye’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and Somalia’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the ship will conduct seismic surveys in Somali waters. Around 11 a.m. (0800GMT), the vessel set sail through the Istanbul Straits after making its entrance from the Black Sea, cruising past…

Somalia's security faces peril from illegal arms trafficking, warns the nation's foreign minister. (Mustafa Çağlayan - Anadolu Agency) MOGADISHU, Somalia - On Sunday, Somalia voiced fresh anxiety over alleged illegal weapon deliveries from Ethiopia, casting a shadow over the Horn of Africa. During a press briefing in Mogadishu, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi denounced the alleged arms deliveries as a danger to the country’s safety. He appealed to Ethiopia for adherence to current pacts and commended Türkiye's…