Somalia

Wednesday May 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Wednesday named Abdifitah Qasim Mohamud as the country’s new Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, replacing Daud Aweis Jama in a cabinet change announced in Mogadishu. According to a government press release, the appointment was made in line with constitutional provisions and came after consultations with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The statement did not disclose the reasons for the removal of the former minister. Prime…

U.S. Moves to Lift Eritrea Sanctions Amid Red Sea Security Concerns WASHINGTON — The United States is preparing to lift sanctions on Eritrea, according to an internal government document obtained by Reuters, in a notable policy shift shaped by the East African nation’s growing strategic value as conflict ripples across the Middle East. The move to revoke the penalties, which analysts say reflects Eritrea’s control over a key Red Sea shipping corridor, would mark a major change in Washington’s approach to one of the world’s…

JOHANNESBURG — Fear is spreading among African migrants in South Africa’s biggest cities as xenophobic tensions rise in Pretoria and Johannesburg, sparking urgent security alerts from several diplomatic missions. Foreign nationals have been told to close their businesses and remain on high alert after a wave of anti-migration demonstrations. This week, diplomats from Ghana and Nigeria issued formal warnings to their citizens, urging them to steer clear of protest areas to reduce the risk of violence. In Pretoria,…

Wednesday May 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — U.S. forces struck Islamic State militants in northern Somalia on May 4 in an operation carried out with the backing of the Somali government, U.S. Africa Command said. According to AFRICOM, the airstrike hit fighters in the Golis Mountains, roughly 75 kilometers (47 miles) southeast of the port city of Bosaso, and was directed at members of the Islamic State group’s Somalia affiliate, ISIS-Somalia. AFRICOM said the mission was conducted in coordination with the Federal Government of…

Wednesday May 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A three-day Somali Civil Society Conference on good governance and political stability wrapped up in Mogadishu on Wednesday, bringing together a wide spectrum of voices in a rare push for political calm and consensus. Held from May 3 to 5, the conference drew scholars, civil society umbrella organizations, women, youth, people with disabilities, media representatives, academics and traditional elders. Over the course of the sessions, participants examined Somalia’s political…

By Mahad CamalTuesday May 5, 2026 Jurist and DirectorBackground in Conflict Studies Somalia’s political reality can be read most clearly when one looks not at slogans, but at how power is actually exercised. That is the lens used here, drawing on remarks made by four Somali traditional leaders during their April 27 meeting with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at Villa Somalia. Rather than treating those comments as routine expressions of support or criticism, they offer a useful window into the country’s institutional…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a move that could reshape access to mobile technology in Somalia, Hormuud Telecom on Tuesday unveiled a new partnership with Get-Phone to introduce the country’s first structured smartphone financing plan. The program is designed to reach millions of low-income Somalis who have long been priced out of internet-enabled handsets, tackling what company officials described as the “affordability gap” that remains the biggest obstacle to digital inclusion. That challenge persists even…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aati spoke by phone with Somali Foreign Minister Abdelsalam Abdi Ali on Tuesday to assess developments in Somalia and discuss ways to deepen cooperation between the two countries. During the call, Abdel-Aati welcomed the steady progress in Egypt-Somalia ties and reiterated Cairo’s backing for Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also firmly rejected any unilateral actions that would encroach on Somali sovereignty, condemning Israel’s recognition…

Somalia: Hormuud Telecom, Get-Phone Launch Somalia’s Largest Smartphone Financing Program to Bridge Digital Divide MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s biggest telecom operator has teamed up with Get-Phone in a bid to put smartphones within reach of millions who have so far been priced out of the country’s digital economy. Hormuud Telecom said Tuesday that the partnership will introduce Somalia’s first formal smartphone financing program, a move designed to narrow the affordability gap that still keeps many low-income Somalis…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Pilgrims beginning Hajj 2025 (Saudi Press Agency). RIYADH — With the Hajj season approaching, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has announced that vaccinations must be received no later than 10 days before the pilgrimage begins. The ministry said immunization remains the first line of protection for pilgrims, helping them carry out the rites in safety and good health while supporting the body’s immune response and lowering the chance of illness. The recommended vaccines include meningococcal (meningitis),…