MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre is set to head to Dhusamareeb, the seat of Galmudug state, as tensions intensify between regional President Ahmed Abdi Karie (Qoorqoor) and the federal government in Villa Somalia. People familiar with the plan said Barre’s trip is intended to help bridge the widening political divide and push both sides toward a settlement in Galmudug. Over the past several days, the prime minister has held a string of consultations in Mogadishu aimed at easing the standoff,…

Monday June 1, 2026 Seoul, South Korea (AX) — Somalia and Egypt used a high-level gathering in Seoul on Monday to press ahead with closer ties, as Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali met his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, for talks on expanding strategic cooperation. The discussion took place on the margins of the Korea-Africa Ministerial Meeting, giving the two ministers a chance to review the state of relations and look at areas where the partnership could be strengthened. The ministers explored ways to broaden…

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopians headed to the polls Monday for a general election unfolding under the shadow of armed conflict, political friction and the absence of entire regions from the ballot, deepening questions about how representative the vote can be in Africa’s second-most populous country. It is Ethiopia’s seventh election since the military regime was ousted in 1991, but the contest comes at a moment of renewed unrest across parts of the country. Millions of people are unable to vote, including residents of the…

Monday June 1, 2026 Dhusamareb (AX) — Police in Guri’el district have taken a 25-year-old man into custody in connection with the killing of a local resident, according to security officials. The suspect, identified as Ali Abdi Jama, was arrested in a coordinated operation involving Guri’el police and other security forces, including military units deployed in the area. Officials said Jama is suspected of killing Abdishakur Hassan Geledi a day earlier in the Madaraso Sheikh Mohamed area near Ilix. Security officials said…

In a significant development against a rare Ebola strain, five patients have successfully recovered, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Sunday while visiting Bunia, the epicenter of the outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. "Today, four individuals will be released, following another who was discharged just two days ago," Ghebreyesus remarked during the inauguration of a new Ebola treatment center in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province. Ghebreyesus emphasized the ongoing work…

Monday June 1, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Military Court on Sunday opened proceedings in a case involving two Ethiopian nationals accused of ties to al-Shabab, prosecutors said. Military prosecutors named the defendants as Hamza Ibrahim Ali, also known as Abuu Irshad, and Nasri Abdirahman Ali, also known as Abuu Safiya. Both men are from Harar, Ethiopia, and are fluent in Somali, according to prosecutors. Security officials said the pair were detained in Baidoa, the capital of Bay region, during a planned operation…

Sunday May 31, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The Banadir Regional Education Directorate on Sunday released the schedule for Grade 8 certificate examinations for the 2025-26 academic year, setting the stage for thousands of students across the region to take part. Officials said all preparations have been finalized and that tighter safeguards are in place to uphold transparency, fairness and quality during the testing process. The directorate also appealed to school leaders, teachers and parents to stand behind students as they…

ANKARA – Turkey on Saturday said Israel could be brought into a wider Middle East security and cooperation architecture, but only if it recognizes an independent Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders, according to remarks published in a Nikkei Asia interview. In the interview, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said a durable settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could open the door to a new regional framework rooted in security, economic cooperation and mutual respect among neighboring countries. Fidan…

Sunday May 31, 2026 Ilhan Omar celebrates her relection to Congress at the DFL watch party on November 5, 2024. Credit: Aaron Nesheim | Sahan Journal Minneapolis (AX) — U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar has officially entered the race for another term in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, setting up a bid to continue representing Minneapolis and a ring of nearby suburbs. The Democrat, who has emerged as one of the most recognizable progressive figures in Congress, confirmed the filing in a Facebook video posted Saturday. “I am…

MOGADISHU – A Somali military court on Tuesday examined a case involving two Ethiopian nationals accused of ties to the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, judicial officials said. The men, named by prosecutors as Hamza Ibrahim Ali Abu Irshad and Nasri Abdirahman Ali Abu Safiya, appeared before the First Instance Court of the Somali Armed Forces, where military prosecutors detailed allegations that they were connected to the al Qaeda-linked insurgency. Prosecutors said both suspects were born in Harar, Ethiopia, and speak…