Somalia

‘We Know Hunger’: Somali Donors Keep a Gaza Kitchen Alive, One Pot at a Time In the crowded lanes of Gaza, where fuel is scarce and days are measured by the arrival of bread, a line forms before noon. Children clutch metal bowls, women balance plastic containers, and an old man steadies himself on a cane as steam curls from vast metal pots. The kitchen—funded by Somalis thousands of miles away—has been serving up a rare constant amid the chaos: a hot meal. For 50 days and counting, a grassroots Somali initiative has pushed…

Ugandan troops kill senior Al-Shabaab commander in Lower Shabelle MOGADISHU — Ugandan forces serving with the African Union mission in Somalia say they have killed a senior Al-Shabaab operative in an ambush in the volatile Lower Shabelle region, a development that comes as Somalia struggles with shrinking international support and a partial drawdown of peacekeepers. The operation UPDF (Uganda People’s Defence Forces) units operating under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) reported…

Somalia Says Voter Registration in Jubbaland to Start Soon, Pushing Toward One-Person, One-Vote Somalia’s prime minister says voter registration in Jubbaland will begin “soon,” a fresh signal that the federal government is pressing ahead with a long-promised shift to one-person, one-vote elections across the country. The announcement, delivered Wednesday, is meant to reassure Somalis that preparations are on track for landmark local government polls slated for October 2025. But the path ahead remains bumpy, with political…

A strike in Sanaag and the question of who counts as a target The killing of a traditional elder in the contested Sanaag region of northern Somalia has reopened raw questions about intelligence, accountability and the politics of a war that has stretched into its third decade. The U.S. Africa Command said the man, identified as Abdullahi Omar Abdi, was “responsible for procuring and transferring illegal weapons” for the militant group Al-Shabaab and that the strike that killed him on Sept. 13 was carried out “to degrade…

House GOP moves to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar over posts about Charlie Kirk killing; Democrat calls effort “baseless” WASHINGTON — A fresh clash over speech, identity and the limits of political punishment is heading for the House floor, where Republicans are moving to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for her online activity following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Omar, a Somali-born lawmaker who has long attracted outsized attention from the right, is calling the push meritless and rooted in…

In Somalia, a Public Pledge of Loyalty Raises Stakes Ahead of Fragile Elections MOGADISHU — When Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre walked through the departure hall of Aden Adde International Airport this week, he was not merely inspecting toilets and trash bins. He was, in effect, rehearsing a partnership — an explicit commitment to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud that has been rare in Somalia’s recent politics. "I will never run for president against President , who entrusted me to serve Somalia as PM," Hamza said during…

Türkiye-Somalia Relations: A Robust Partnership with Deep Roots In the heart of Mogadishu, the air thrums with the whirl of advanced Turkish-made helicopters, a testament to the deep and evolving relationship between Somalia and Türkiye. This strong cooperative bond has its roots in shared challenges and mutual goals, particularly in defense and economic development, as noted by Somalia's Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi. A Relationship Forged in Adversity Reflecting on the pivotal year of 2011, Fiqi recalled President…

Unraveling the Shadows: A Grieving Community and the Daesh Threat in the DRC Under the guise of night, the village of Ntoyo in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) turned from a place of mourning to a scene of tragedy. As villagers gathered to pay their final respects to a departed loved one, death struck again—this time from the hands of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group with ties to Daesh. Tuesday night’s ruthless attack left 71 dead, deepening the scars in a region already marred by violence. A Community…

ICC’s Pursuit of Joseph Kony: A Legal Precipice in Global Justice The halls of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague are echoing with a new, yet familiar, resonance as judges begin hearings that could shape the future of international justice. The target of this renewed scrutiny: Joseph Kony, the elusive leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group infamous for a reign of terror across Uganda and neighboring nations. A Fugitive of Many Faces Joseph Kony's name first appeared on the ICC’s radar…

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…