Somalia

Somalia seeks $40 million to launch new shilling notes in push to end counterfeit era MOGADISHU — Somalia’s government says it is $40 million short of the cash it needs to print a new series of Somali shilling banknotes — a long-promised overhaul officials argue is essential to restoring confidence in the currency and curbing the counterfeit notes that dominate everyday transactions. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre told reporters the total cost of the rollout is about $70 million. Somalia has secured $30 million in…

Egypt announces troop deployment to Somalia, intensifying Horn of Africa contest Egypt has announced it will deploy troops to Somalia under a bilateral security agreement, a move Cairo says is intended to bolster counter‑terrorism operations and help stabilize the war‑torn Horn of Africa nation. Officials described the steps as the completion of planning for the deployment, but they provided few operational details, leaving open questions about the size, mandate and timetable of the force. What Cairo says Egyptian…

Somalia’s army in pieces: Cowsweyne defeat still reverberates, former president warns When Al-Shabaab overran Cowsweyne in 2023, it did more than seize a strategic town in central Somalia. The militants’ victory cracked open the fragile architecture of the Somali National Army (SNA), scattering frontline units, exposing command fractures and — according to former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed — setting back efforts to rebuild a professional force for years. A rout with consequences “Osweyne was where Somali forces were…

Somali students touch down in Baku as scholarships cement a new South–South bridge When the doors slid open at Baku’s modern glass-and-steel airport, a small group of Somali students in winter jackets stepped into a new chapter. They paused for a group photo—smiles wide, eyes a little overwhelmed by the cold and the cameras—and were met by embassy officials and university representatives, a scene captured by Somali state media. For many, it was their first time in the Caucasus. For all, it was the beginning of a bet on…

Somali Woman Sentenced Over $1.2 Million Transfers: A Case That Raises Hard Questions About Remittances, Terror Finance and Justice Mogadishu — A rare court ruling and the broader stakes A Mogadishu court on Monday handed a 15-year prison sentence to Nadiifo Hassan Abdulkadir Abdulle after prosecutors said she routed $1,237,010 through her bank account to finance Al-Shabaab, launder money and support terrorist activities. The Banaadir Regional Court also fined her $20,000, ordered the closure of the account and ordered…

Somalia’s Public Embrace of Qatar Signals Shifting Alignments in the Gulf–Horn of Africa Nexus DOHA — When Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stepped into the Amiri Diwan in Doha on Monday, he did more than pay a diplomatic courtesy call. In a terse, unequivocal statement — “The Somali government and its people stand in full solidarity with our Qatari brothers. We will not accept any violation of the sovereignty or stability of the State of Qatar” — Mohamud signalled a wider intent: to knit Somalia closer to a Gulf…

Arab League’s proposed joint force: an attempt to turn talk into hard power DOHA — The Arab League’s revival of a long-talked-about idea — a joint military force under a central command — is less a sudden pivot than the latest sign of a region wrestling with the limits of its collective muscle. The plan, reportedly first tabled by Egypt, would stitch together land, sea, air and special operations units from member states into a standing capability the league says could respond quickly to crises across the Middle East and…

Somali premier’s public vow of loyalty to president rekindles debate over power and principle From a town hall in Mogadishu, a simple line set off a storm MOGADISHU — When Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre told a packed town hall that he “respects the president and will not act in a way that contradicts his leadership,” the words landed as both balm and warning. To some in the room they were a sign of cohesion at a fraught moment; to others they echoed a deeper question about the balance of power in Somalia’s fragile state.…

Somalia’s federal experiment under strain as Las Anod conflict exposes deeper tensions MOGADISHU — The row over the emergence of a new regional administration in Las Anod — branded SSC-Khaatumo by its leaders — has become the latest flashpoint in a long-running struggle over how Somalia is governed. At the centre of the controversy is President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accused by critics of steadily eroding the federal compact that was supposed to anchor the country’s fragile post-transition order. The immediate complaint is…

U.S. halts support for Somalia’s elite Danab commandos, raising alarm as AU forces prepare to leave MOGADISHU, Somalia — The United States has suspended its support for Somalia’s elite Danab special forces, reliable sources told Axadle on Monday, a move that could reshape the fragile security balance as African Union troops prepare to withdraw next year. The decision, described to journalists by sources who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the subject, follows growing U.S. concerns about “accountability…