Somalia

BELEDWEYNE, Somalia — Somali intelligence forces, backed by international partners, carried out a planned operation in the Tardo area of central Hiiraan region on Tuesday afternoon, killing up to nine Al-Shabaab fighters and destroying an illegal checkpoint, authorities said. In a statement released Wednesday, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said the strike targeted a roadblock allegedly operated by the militant group to extort money from public transport vehicles using the route. “The operation…

Escalating Food Insecurity in Afghanistan as Winter Approaches Afghanistan is grappling with a worsening food crisis this winter, with over 17 million people facing acute food insecurity. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) highlights alarming new figures indicating a dramatic increase in hunger and malnutrition across the nation. 17 million Afghans are currently dealing with food insecurity. This represents a rise of three million from last year’s figures. Child malnutrition is expected to affect…

Somali university group warns against using schools as polling stations Union cites student safety, disruption to learning and political neutrality as key risks in election planning MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Union of Somali Universities on Tuesday urged authorities to drop plans to use schools, institutes and university campuses as polling stations in upcoming elections, warning the move could jeopardize student safety, disrupt learning and erode the political neutrality of education. In a statement, the union called on the…

KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubbaland’s interior minister warned Wednesday that Somalia is slipping into a national crisis under what he called poor federal leadership, escalating tensions ahead of a political conference in the port city of Kismayo that organizers say is designed to redirect the country’s trajectory. Interior Minister Mohamed Hussein Oogle said expectations placed in President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration have not materialized and that the course charted by federal authorities no longer reflects realities…

Analysis: China’s fishing push in Somalia risks fueling a marine and security crisis MOGADISHU — Accusations that Chinese distant-water fleets are mounting widespread illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing off Somalia’s coast have collided with Beijing’s expanding commercial and strategic footprint in the Horn of Africa, sharpening tensions over resources, sovereignty and security. The collision of fisheries depletion and geopolitical maneuvering is testing a fragile maritime governance system along one of the world’s…

Somalia confirms delay in $30 million Turkish budget support as budget vote looms MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government has confirmed a delay in receiving $30 million in annual budget support from Turkey, a setback arriving as lawmakers are yet to approve a federal spending plan valued at more than $1 billion. Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh told local media on Wednesday that Ankara’s transfer — a recurring injection into Somalia’s treasury in recent years — has not arrived on its usual schedule. “Turkey has been…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo will not attend a political summit set to open Thursday in Kismayo, opposition figures and lawmakers said, underscoring a fluid opposition landscape ahead of Somalia’s 2026 elections. Abdirashid Xidig, a member of the House of the People and an official with the Somali Salvation Forum, said Farmaajo supports the summit’s objectives but is not part of its organizing structure. “Farmaajo is welcome to participate, but he is not part of the organizing…

Trump orders blockade of ‘sanctioned oil tankers’ bound for Venezuela, escalating standoff with Maduro WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered what he called a “total and complete blockade” of all “sanctioned oil tankers” going into and out of Venezuela, a sweeping move that intensifies U.S. pressure on Nicolás Maduro and raises fresh legal and military questions about enforcement in the Caribbean. The announcement, delivered in a late-night social media post, came days after U.S. forces seized an oil tanker…

ANKARA, Turkey — Somalia finalized a wide-ranging cooperation pact with Turkish industrial group OYAK on Tuesday, launching a program to expand and modernize the Horn of Africa nation’s fisheries while strengthening maritime security and creating jobs along its coast. Somalia’s Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy Ahmed Hassan Adan signed the Cooperation and Marine Production Development Partnership at a ceremony in Ankara, calling it a step-change for the country’s blue economy. The agreement, he said, will channel direct…

TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyan authorities have deported a group of Somali migrants detained in the capital, the country’s Anti-Illegal Migration Agency said Monday, underscoring an intensified campaign against irregular migration that has swept up foreign nationals across the North African state. In a statement, the agency said the migrants were held at a detention center in eastern Tripoli and removed from the country after court orders and verification of travel documents. Officials said the deportations were carried out in…