Somalia

Somalia: Hormuud Telecom, Get-Phone Launch Somalia’s Largest Smartphone Financing Program to Bridge Digital Divide MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s biggest telecom operator has teamed up with Get-Phone in a bid to put smartphones within reach of millions who have so far been priced out of the country’s digital economy. Hormuud Telecom said Tuesday that the partnership will introduce Somalia’s first formal smartphone financing program, a move designed to narrow the affordability gap that still keeps many low-income Somalis…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Pilgrims beginning Hajj 2025 (Saudi Press Agency). RIYADH — With the Hajj season approaching, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has announced that vaccinations must be received no later than 10 days before the pilgrimage begins. The ministry said immunization remains the first line of protection for pilgrims, helping them carry out the rites in safety and good health while supporting the body’s immune response and lowering the chance of illness. The recommended vaccines include meningococcal (meningitis),…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s opposition-aligned Somali Future Council has said it is prepared to take part in President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s proposed national dialogue, but only if the government accepts a set of conditions centered on the country’s disputed electoral process. In a formal letter released Tuesday, the Council said any meaningful talks with the Federal Government would require what it described as “genuine political integrity,” and it set out two main demands. First, the group urged the…

BAMAKO, May 5 — Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goïta, has taken on the responsibilities of defence minister in an interim capacity after a sharp increase in attacks by armed groups, the government said. The move follows a series of strikes on military bases and critical facilities nationwide, a pattern that has deepened concern over security in the Sahel nation. Goïta, who came to power in coups in 2020 and 2021, is now expected to supervise military operations and shape national security policy more directly as the authorities…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The Somali Future Council has cast doubt on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s proposed consultation meeting, saying it has not yet decided whether to take part. Speaking for the opposition bloc, former MP Abdirahman Dheere said the council is still weighing the invitation and has not settled on a final response. “Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sent an invitation, and we are still considering how to respond. We believe he is not sincere and may have other intentions, but we have not yet made a…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia on Tuesday flatly denied reports that it had expelled the United Arab Emirates ambassador, calling the claims false and misleading. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said it was alarmed by the spread of what it described as baseless allegations across several media outlets and social media platforms. “The Ministry firmly rejects these claims and urges all media institutions and social media users to exercise accuracy, professionalism,…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The Somali Future Council has cast doubt on a consultation meeting proposed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, saying it has not yet settled on whether to attend. Speaking for the opposition bloc, former MP Abdirahman Dheere said the group is still weighing the invitation and has yet to arrive at a final stance. “Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sent an invitation, and we are still considering how to respond. We believe he is not sincere and may have other intentions, but we have not yet made a…

By Margaret KalekyeTuesday May 5, 2026 Investigators are following fresh leads after security officers intercepted a bus carrying a concealed stockpile of ammunition and military-style items along the Thika–Garissa Highway in Kanyonyoo. The vehicle, registration number KCW 208A, operated by Buscar Sacco, had left Lamu for Nairobi when a multi-agency security team stopped it on Sunday for what was meant to be a routine inspection, instead uncovering what could have developed into a major security breach. A search of…

Khartoum International Airport became the focal point of conflict on Monday as Sudanese air defenses intercepted drones, according to reports from military and local sources. This incident marks an escalation in the ongoing clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A military source told AFP, "Our air defenses successfully downed drones that were targeting Khartoum airport," asserting that the situation remained under control. Loud explosions and anti-aircraft fire were reported…

By Pranav Baskar and Matthew Mpoke BiggMonday May 4, 2026 A brazen seizure off Yemen has renewed fears that Somali pirates are regaining their footing — and raised fresh suspicions that they may be operating alongside Iran-backed Houthi rebels amid upheaval across the Middle East. Maritime police forces from the Puntland State region of Somalia patrolling the Gulf of Aden last year.Credit...Feisal Omar/Reuters Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker off Yemen’s coast on Saturday and steered it into Somali waters, authorities…