Somalia

A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty after authorities said he used a syringe to spray vinegar at Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a town hall meeting last January, an incident prosecutors described as a politically motivated assault. Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, entered the plea on Thursday to one count of assaulting a United States officer in U.S. District Court, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced the plea. According to the…

Sarah Johnson and Mohamed BulbulFriday May 8, 2026 From behind prison walls in Somalia, a 27-year-old rickshaw driver says her only crime was speaking out. Sadia Moalim Ali has accused her guards of stripping her naked, beating her and locking her in a cell without food after her arrest over anti-government protests. Sadia Moalim Ali, who says she was arrested, beaten and left for two days without food. Photograph: Handout A woman detained in Somalia for joining peaceful demonstrations has described what she says was a…

Friday May 8, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Wednesday said Somalia’s federal government is ready to hear opposition concerns, but drew a firm line against any rhetoric or actions he said could threaten the country’s security and hard-won stability. At a press briefing in Mogadishu, Hamza took aim at recent comments by some former national leaders who have aligned themselves with the opposition, cautioning that political language should not be allowed to deepen national tensions. “I hope those…

Friday May 8, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a swift response to mounting anger over demolitions and evictions in the capital, the Banadir Regional Administration has ordered a temporary halt to land reform activities in Mogadishu. Banadir administration spokesperson Salah Dheere announced the decision on Thursday during a press briefing, citing directives issued by Mogadishu Mayor and Banadir Governor Hassan Mohamed Hussein “Muungaab.” According to the administration, the move follows instructions from President Hassan Sheikh…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Hormuud Telecom, Somalia’s largest telecommunications company, on Tuesday unveiled a partnership with Get-Phone to introduce the country’s first structured smartphone financing plan. The program is designed to help millions of low-income Somalis obtain internet-enabled phones for the first time, targeting what officials described as the affordability gap that continues to keep many people out of the digital economy, even as 4G service now reaches more than 70% of the population. Under…

Thursday May 7, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia authorities on Thursday appealed for calm in the Carmale area of Erigavo district in Sanaag, where fierce inter-clan fighting has left dozens dead, according to local reports. Interior Minister Abdalle Mohamed Arab “Sandheere” said the clashes have inflicted heavy losses and pushed the government to hold an emergency meeting focused on stopping the violence. He said security forces and local administrations in the area had been instructed to take part in…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s already fraught political climate sharpened further this week as an opposition alliance urged mass street protests in Mogadishu, even as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud prepared to convene a national dialogue conference on May 10. Former Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, along with other figures in the opposition-backed Council for Somalia’s Future, said they would take part in demonstrations scheduled for next Sunday. They called on residents uprooted by recent evictions to join the…

Thursday May 7, 2026 Somali pirates have left a hijacked Emirati dhow loaded with lemons adrift after failing in an effort to use it as a floating launch pad for attacks on other ships, security sources in Somalia’s Puntland State state told AFP. The fate of the crew of Fahad-4 remains unclear. No information was immediately available on what happened to the vessel’s sailors after the ship was seized in late April by an 11-man pirate gang as it left Mogadishu with its citrus cargo. Amid a recent surge in similar seizures,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s widening political crisis came under intense scrutiny on Thursday, when international partners gathered at a heavily secured Western embassy inside the Halane compound to assess what comes next for the country’s embattled federal government. According to diplomatic sources, much of the conversation centered on how the international community should deal with Somali authorities after May 15. One of the most disputed issues was whether the World Bank’s Operational Policy 7.30 (OP 7.30) could be…

Thursday May 7, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Minister of Internal Security, Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartaag, held talks with Burkina Faso’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, on Wednesday during an official visit to Ouagadougou. Fartaag carried a message from Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, signaling Mogadishu’s push to deepen ties with Burkina Faso and widen cooperation on security matters. According to Somali officials, the discussions focused on building a joint security framework to confront common threats from…