Somalia

Somalia: Southwest Presidency Rejects Claims of Dialogue Request with FGS After Laftagareen’s Re-election BAIDOA, Somalia — Southwest State’s presidency on Sunday moved quickly to quash reports that newly re-elected regional leader Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, widely known as Laftagareen, had sought formal talks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The denial from Baidoa came only hours after social media posts claimed Laftagareen had contacted…

Sunday March 29, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s mounting political strain drew an urgent appeal on Sunday from the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, who called on leaders to step back from confrontation and return to talks as tensions rose between the federal government and Southwest State. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said he was following developments in Southwest State closely and pressed Somali leaders to settle their disputes through peaceful, inclusive engagement. “The African Union underscores that differences…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Major General Mohamed Sheikh Hassan on Sunday officially took charge of the Somali Custodial Corps, stepping into leadership of the country’s prison service at a handover ceremony held in Mogadishu. The changeover unfolded without the outgoing commander, General Mahad Abdirahman, who remains under house arrest in the capital. Even so, the ceremony went ahead, with senior correctional officials and government representatives present for the transfer of command. General Mohamed Sheikh Hassan now inherits a…

Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said Iran has agreed to let 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a move Islamabad quickly framed as a significant breakthrough in one of the gravest energy crises in recent memory.

Somalia’s President to Raise Ethiopia Complaint in Diplomatic Briefing MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is set to convene a high-level briefing today at the Presidential Palace with members of the international diplomatic corps stationed in Mogadishu’s heavily secured Halane compound. Officials in the capital told the media that the president plans to give the envoys a detailed update on Somalia’s security and political climate. At the center of the discussion is expected to be a formal complaint over…

Somalia: Hassan Sheikh’s 2019 Support for Jubaland Recalled Amidst Current Rejection of Southwest Vote MOGADISHU, Somalia — A political letter from 2019 has reentered Somalia’s public debate, drawing attention to the strikingly different positions President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has taken before and after returning to power. The document, a formal message of congratulations, records Mohamud—then a prominent opposition leader—welcoming the re-election of Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe. At the time, the federal government…

By Tim Reid and Brad BrooksSunday March 29, 2026 From Manhattan to Minnesota, tens of thousands of people filled streets and plazas on Saturday in the latest wave of “No Kings” demonstrations, a nationwide show of force against President Donald Trump’s deportation drive, the war in Iran and a broader set of policies his critics say are pushing the country toward authoritarianism. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein Purchase Licensing Rights Demonstrators decrying U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation efforts, war in Iran…

Sunday March 29, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government has thrown out the results of Saturday’s elections in Baidoa, branding them illegitimate and intensifying a tense showdown with the Southwest State administration. In a statement from the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation, officials said the vote amounted to a “premeditated appointment” that did not reflect the wishes of the people of Southwest State. “The election was not legitimate,” the ministry said. “Any process based on…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s lower house speaker has blocked an impeachment bid against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, according to a lawmaker who said the effort had the backing of more than 120 parliamentarians. Dahir Amin Jesow, a member of the House of the People, said Aden Mohamed Nur, better known as Aadan Madoobe, refused to receive the motion calling for the president’s removal. Jesow said the proposal, submitted by a group of lawmakers, contained “serious accusations” against Mohamud, but was not sent through…

Somalia is moving step by step toward elections where citizens cast ballots directly, a shift from decades of clan-based and indirect voting. In 2026, the process is no longer only a political promise: local voting has started, electoral laws have advanced, and Somalia’s election institutions are working to widen the model beyond pilot areas. Still, disputes over inclusion, security and political consensus remain central to whether the 2026 timetable can hold. What Happened Somalia’s election reform effort has followed…