Somalia

U.S. man from Minnesota pleads guilty to ties with ISIS affiliate in Somalia WASHINGTON — A naturalized U.S. citizen from Minnesota pleaded guilty Monday to charges stemming from his links to an Islamic State affiliate operating in Somalia, authorities said, in a case that underscores persistent efforts by foreign extremist groups to recruit supporters among diaspora communities in the West. Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank in St. Paul. Prosecutors say Hassan tried twice…

Clashes in Zeila over UNESCO-listed Xeer Ciise ceremony prompt heavy police response Zeila, North Western State of Somalia — Police in the historic Red Sea outpost of Zeila deployed in force late Thursday after rival community groups clashed over plans to hold a ceremony celebrating Xeer Ciise, the Issa clan’s customary legal code recently inscribed on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage. By nightfall, authorities said the streets were calm, but elders warned the dispute is far from over. The confrontation…

U.S. carries out airstrike on ISIS in Puntland State amid broader campaign in Somalia MOGADISHU — The U.S. military said Tuesday that it conducted an airstrike on Islamic State militants in Somalia’s rugged Al‑Miskaad mountains, continuing a pattern of remote strikes aimed at degrading extremist groups in the Horn of Africa. U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said the late‑September operation occurred on Sept. 26 in a remote area roughly 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of Bossaso, the bustling port city at the heart of…

African Union mission in Somalia teeters as $180 million shortfall threatens gains against al‑Shabab MOGADISHU — The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) is confronting a funding cliff that could unravel years of hard-won progress against the Islamist insurgency, AU officials warned at the United Nations General Assembly. With about 11,000 troops from Kenya, Burundi, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Uganda deployed across Somali towns and desert tracks, the mission now faces an estimated $180 million…

U.S. Embassy in Somalia Scales Back Services as Washington Shutdown Ripples Overseas Mogadishu — The U.S. Embassy in Somalia said Wednesday it is curtailing some regular operations following a federal government shutdown in Washington, underscoring how a budget stalemate in Congress can reverberate far beyond the Beltway and into one of the world’s most complex diplomatic environments. “Due to the lapse in appropriations, this X account will not be updated regularly until full operations resume, with the exception of…

Uganda and Somalia Seek Deeper Ties — But Will MoUs Become Markets? KAMPALA — When Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud meet in Kampala on Oct. 7–8 for the Second Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) Investment and Business Summit, they will do more than pose for the customary handshakes and cameras. The pair are expected to sign three memorandums of understanding on trade and investment promotion, tourism development and diplomatic collaboration — documents that, if implemented, could nudge a historically…

Somalia moves to prosecute alleged child abuse filmed for social media; court orders detention Somalia’s top prosecutor has referred a high-profile child abuse case to a Mogadishu court after a video circulated online allegedly showing a man burying a young child alive. The Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday the Banadir Regional Court has reviewed preliminary evidence and ordered the defendant, identified as Ali Abdi Sheikh Khadar — known locally by the nickname “Dhegadiish” — into temporary detention while…

In Mogadishu, a conversation about heat, water and peace MOGADISHU — Under the late-morning sun that bakes the coastal capital, diplomats, government ministers, peacebuilders and community activists gathered in a hotel ballroom that has seen its share of history. The occasion was modest by international standards — a one-day “Climate Talk” convened by the German Embassy — but the setting and the stakes were unmistakable: in Somalia, where climate shocks and political fragility intersect, even a discussion can be an act of…

Somalia deploys newly trained Custodial Corps to front lines as fight with al‑Shabab intensifies MOGADISHU — Somalia has rushed newly trained members of its Custodial Corps to embattled front lines, a sign of how the government is widening its war effort as clashes with al‑Shabab escalate across the country’s south and center. Maj. Gen. Mahad Abdirahman Aden, who commands the corps, said Tuesday the fresh contingent will reinforce units already engaged in the field and help “hold the line” in contested areas. “The new…

Somalia’s fight against Al-Shabaab at a crossroads as funding and politics bite MOGADISHU — On a dusty frontline in Awdhegle district, where the landscape alternates between thorny scrub and rice paddies, Somalia’s military commanders are urging troops to press their advantage against Al-Shabaab even as the broader campaign faces growing uncertainty. General Sahal Abdullahi Omar, who oversees the Somali National Army’s land forces, travelled to the region this week to rally soldiers and allied African Union troops,…