Somalia

Iran put two men to death on Saturday after convicting them of spying for Israel, according to the judiciary, marking the latest in a series of executions carried out in recent weeks.  "Yaghoub Karimpour and Nasser Bekrzadeh were hanged for the crime of intelligence cooperation and espionage in favor of the Zionist regime," the judiciary's Mizan Online website said. It was not immediately clear when the two men were arrested. Mizan said Karimpour was convicted of the capital offence of "moharebeh," or waging war against God,…

Writer Charles KingSaturday May 2, 2026 Charles King, the UK ambassador to the Federal Republic of Somalia, takes readers inside the routines and risks that define one of the world’s most challenging diplomatic assignments. In most capitals, the day begins with an alarm clock. In Mogadishu, my mornings lately have often started instead with the thunder of an F-16 fighter jet overhead. From there, it is a two-minute walk from my armoured pod to the chancery — a brief crossing under Somalia’s fierce sun that is a world away…

By Awes Hagi Yusuf AhmedSaturday May 2, 2026 Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaks with journalists about security policy at Villa Somalia, the presidential palace and main office, on April 22, 2025, in central Mogadishu, Somalia. In world affairs, where a nation sits can matter almost as much as what it says. For years, Somalia was mostly a topic of debate in international security circles, not a power helping to steer them. That is beginning to change, and the implications are both practical and symbolic.…

Saturday May 2, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has rejected Mayor Hassan Mohamed Hussein Muungaab’s move to dismiss district commissioners in parts of the capital, saying the decision has no legal basis. In a statement, the commission said the Banadir Region’s local councils were duly elected in the December 25, 2025 polls and formally took office on April 2, 2026, after being sworn in. The electoral body said the Federal Constitution and the National Electoral Law…

By Shola LawalFriday May 1, 2026 A fresh wave of hijackings off Somalia is rattling shipping lanes and reviving memories of the piracy crisis that once made the Horn of Africa one of the world’s most dangerous maritime corridors. At least three vessels have been targeted this week, according to reports, prompting fears that the region may be sliding back toward the turmoil that plagued global trade in the early to mid-2000s before an international naval response helped bring the threat under control. According to the World…

Somalia’s economy is entering 2026 with improving reform momentum, but growth plans remain tightly linked to political decisions, security funding, and the stability of external support. International assessments point to a central theme for 2026: when politics disrupts institutions and public finance, it can slow investment, weaken revenues, and reduce social spending—affecting household demand and jobs. This explainer reviews what major official forecasts say about 2026, and why political…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Rising tensions tied to Iran’s regional conflict are now reverberating far beyond the Middle East, with a new Bloomberg report saying the turmoil has helped drive a piracy comeback off Somalia’s coast. European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) personnel in the area say the instability has opened a security gap that Somali pirate groups are moving quickly to exploit. With oversight strained and maritime patrols stretched, pirates are again targeting some of the busiest shipping corridors in the region. The…

Sareen HabeshianFriday May 1, 2026 President Donald Trump has informed Congress that US hostilities with Iran have "terminated" because a ceasefire remains in place, while insisting he did not need lawmakers' approval to carry out the conflict. "There has been no exchange of fire between the United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026," the president wrote to congressional leaders. "The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026 have terminated." It came on the 60th day since he formally notified Congress of strikes…

Ismail DilawarFriday May 1, 2026 The collage created on April 30, 2026, shows (left) Syed Hussain Yousuf’s daughter looking at his photo on a mobile phone, pleading for his safe return, and (right) a photo of Syed Hussain Yousuf. (AN Photo) A family in Karachi is living through every parent’s worst fear after a pirate assault off Somalia stranded a Pakistani tanker crew member at sea and pulled his 12-year-old daughter out of school. Syeda Masooma Batool has not been attending classes since the MT Honour 25 was seized on…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — For British Ambassador Charles King, diplomacy in Mogadishu comes with a soundtrack few envoys ever hear: the thrum of F-16 fighter jets cutting across the morning sky. In a recently published account, King painted an unvarnished picture of life in Somalia’s capital, calling it one of the most dangerous diplomatic assignments in the world. He described a posting defined by security restrictions that shape nearly every movement, with armored vehicles, protective equipment and tightly controlled travel…