Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Three federal member states — South West, Jubaland and Galmudug — have withdrawn from Somalia’s Federal Member States football tournament, accusing the Somali Football Federation of mismanagement, a lack of accountability and failing to provide basic technical support for a credible national competition. The coordinated boycott threatens Somalia’s flagship domestic showcase and lays bare a deeper governance crisis at the heart of the game. Tuesday December 16, 2025 FILE — Spectators fill the stands…

Somalia faces budget pressure as Turkish support stalls Delay of $30 million in Turkish budget support adds strain as Mogadishu readies a spending plan of more than $1 billion. MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government has confirmed a delay in budgetary support it typically receives from Turkey, with Finance Minister Bihi Iman Igeh saying the funds have not arrived this year as the calendar nears its end. “In previous years, Turkey consistently provided budget support,” Igeh told reporters. “This year’s support,…

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 KISMAYO, Somalia — Somalia’s opposition leaders began arriving in Kismayo on Tuesday ahead of a four-day Somali Opposition Conference set to open Wednesday, with organizers saying the gathering will finalize the structure of a new Somali Future Council and assess the country’s political transition. The first delegation was led by Mohamed Aden Koofi, secretary-general of the Somali Salvation Forum. The group landed at Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan Airport and was received by Jubbaland’s Minister of…

Devastating Flash Flood Strikes Safi, Morocco A sudden and deadly flash flood has claimed 37 lives in Safi, Morocco, as the nation grapples with its worst flood disaster in a decade. The town, still battling drought, is now trapped in tragedy. At least 37 fatalities confirmed by local officials. The coastal town of Safi, 300 km from Rabat, was overwhelmed by floods on Sunday. Fourteen survivors are hospitalized, with two in critical condition. Impact on the Community The floodwaters swept through the streets,…

Mogadishu police arrest government soldier over killing of Bajaj driver in Dayniile MOGADISHU, Somalia — Police in the Somali capital have arrested a government soldier suspected of killing a young Bajaj motorcycle operator in the Dayniile district, authorities said Tuesday, in a case that has stirred public concern over civilian safety. The Banadir Regional Police Command said the suspect, identified as Abdullahi Ahmed Geedi, was taken into custody at the Dayniile District Police Station. He is accused of killing Abdirisaq…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A rickshaw operator was shot dead late Sunday in Mogadishu’s Dayniile district by an armed man believed to be a Somali government soldier, relatives and witnesses said, in a killing that has revived public anger over military accountability in the capital. The victim, identified by family as Abdirisaq Abuukar Mohamud, was killed in the Barwaqo area of Dayniile. The assailant was allegedly a member of the Somali National Army, reportedly among troops trained in Eritrea, according to relatives.…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A major opposition meeting opened Tuesday night in the capital as political tensions over Somalia’s electoral process intensified, with participants warning that the country is not ready to hold one-person, one-vote polls within the current government’s term. Leaders of the Madasha Samatabixinta Soomaaliyeed, an opposition coalition, convened the forum at the Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu to air grievances about the federal government’s handling of the electoral framework and to gather public input ahead of…

Somalia, AU and UN issue urgent donor appeal to sustain Somali Security Forces support MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) on Tuesday launched an urgent appeal for new donor contributions to keep critical support flowing to Somali Security Forces. The call came during a Somali Security Forces (SSF) Trust Fund event in Mogadishu attended by Somalia’s National Security Advisor, the U.N.…

Monday December 15, 2025 HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Drilling for crude oil in North Western State of Somalia is expected to begin by 2027, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro said Monday, outlining what officials describe as a long-awaited step toward potential production after years of exploration and delays. Speaking at the North Western State of Somalia Mining Expo in Hargeisa, Irro said the first well could be spudded within two years, with the timeline pulling forward if technical and contractual…

Somali influencer deported from U.S. returns to Mogadishu under threat, stoking migrant fears MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Somali social media influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers has been deported from the United States after months in immigration detention, returning to Mogadishu amid renewed fears for his safety and mounting anxiety across Somali migrant communities in the American Midwest. Mahad Mohamud, 36, widely known online as “Garyaqaan,” or “The Lawyer,” was removed from the U.S. last month after…