Thursday May 14, 2026 In the town of Afdub, in Ethiopia’s Somali region, residents have gone through multiple missed rainy seasons and now rely on a private water supplier.Ethiopia 2026. ©Roza Bekele/MSF Humanitarian conditions are worsening fast across Ethiopia’s Somali region and nearby border areas, where drought and displacement are combining to drive up malnutrition and deepen water shortages, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned, saying shrinking aid budgets are making a bad situation even harder to manage. MSF said…

Somalia: Senior Military Commanders Killed Outside Baidoa as Election Row Deepens BAIDOA, Somalia — Two senior officers in the Somali National Army were killed in a deadly roadside ambush outside Baidoa, heightening fears of a wider breakdown in South West State as a fierce dispute over recent regional elections continues to escalate. Col. Yonis Adam, who commanded the 8th Brigade, and Col. Ali Yonis, commander of the 9th Brigade of the 60th Division, were killed when their convoy came under attack outside the city.…

Thursday May 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s electoral commission on Thursday released the outcome of Southwest State’s unified elections, announcing that the Justice and Unity Party secured a majority in the regional House of Representatives. Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan, chairman of the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, said the May 10 vote proceeded peacefully in 13 districts across Southwest State. The elections were held to fill seats in the regional House of Representatives and elect members of…

By: Alex Seabrook Local democracy reporterThursday May 14, 2026 A refugee who escaped conflict in Somalia is now set to spend the coming year as Bristol’s lord mayor, taking on the city’s ceremonial top job and serving as one of its most visible public figures. Cllr Yassin Mohamud outside of Bristol City Hall (Image: Bristol Green Party) Green councillor Yassin Mohamud was installed as lord mayor for the new civic year at a full council meeting on Tuesday, May 12. The role is largely ceremonial, but it carries symbolic…

Thursday May 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government and opposition leaders left the table Wednesday without a deal after hours of hard-fought talks over the country’s contested electoral roadmap, according to sources familiar with the meeting. The negotiations took place within the tightly secured compound of Aden Abdulle Osman International Airport in Mogadishu, at a venue operated by the National Intelligence and Security Agency. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama…

Thursday May 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali commandos freed nine civilians from al-Shabab captivity during a military operation in the Middle Shabelle region, the Ministry of Defense said Wednesday. According to the ministry, Danab special forces launched the planned raid Tuesday night in Gambole, where they killed five al-Shabab fighters, among them a local commander. The Defense Ministry said the civilians had been held hostage by the militant group. It did not immediately provide further details on their…

Thursday May 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Britain has tightened its travel guidance for Somalia, urging its citizens to avoid nearly all travel to the country amid terrorism fears, armed clashes and an unsettled security climate. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office says against all travel to Somalia, including the eastern North Western State of Somalia regions of Togdheer, Sanaag and Sool. The department said violence has escalated in those areas in recent months and that conditions remain highly unstable. It…

By JEREMIAH WAKAYAThursday May 14, 2026 Ruto said Kenya had made significant progress toward reopening the frontier before clashes erupted between Somalia’s Federal Government and regional state forces near the Kenyan border/PCS/FILE President William Ruto has said the long-promised reopening of the Kenya-Somalia border collapsed because renewed violence and political turmoil in Somalia upended the plan. In an interview with France 24 on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Ruto said Kenya had been moving…

Wednesday May 13, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held talks Tuesday with Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji in Kampala, a meeting that centered on bilateral ties and other matters of shared concern. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the discussions covered cooperation between Somalia and Saudi Arabia and explored ways to deepen relations between the two countries. El-Khereiji was in Uganda to represent Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the inauguration of…

Somalia’s governance system is under strain, with political disputes at the federal level, tensions between Mogadishu and regional states, and a persistent security threat from militant groups. The result has been a cycle of delayed reforms, contested authority, and fragile decision-making—especially as the country tries to stabilize after years of conflict. Below is a clear breakdown of the main factors driving political instability in Somalia and why they matter for governance, elections, and public trust. What…