Somalia

Somalia’s arrest of a European national exposes how diaspora, weak states and new tech collide in human trafficking MOGADISHU — Somali authorities this month detained a European national of Somali origin in an operation that underscores how transnational trafficking networks exploit fractured governance, diasporic ties and young people’s drive to leave. The arrest — flagged after travel documents showed irregularities during screening — was swiftly handed to the Criminal Investigations Department, officials said, and it has…

Soldier Killed, Civilians Wounded as Somali Government Units Clash in Beledewyne At least one Somali soldier was killed and five civilians were wounded on Sunday in a gunfight between two units of government forces in the central city of Beledweyne, residents and witnesses said, highlighting a fragile security climate in one of the country’s key regional hubs. The confrontation unfolded in and around Darawiishta Market after two members of the National Guard allegedly robbed a woman who sells khat, the leafy stimulant…

Has Puntland State turned the tide against Islamic State? A closer look at President Deni’s claims What the president said In a recent televised interview, Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni delivered a blunt assessment of a years‑long counter‑insurgency: he said his forces have “severely weakened” Islamic State in the northeastern Somali region of Bari, claiming more than 2,000 fighters — many foreign nationals — who once operated from the Cal Miskaad mountain range have been “largely neutralized.” Deni…

Banking on Recovery: How Salaam Somali Bank is Center Stage in Somalia’s Economic Reinvention In a country where the pulse of daily life is often set by drought cycles, clan politics and the steady flow of money from abroad, a bank has quietly become a barometer of Somalia’s recovery. Salaam Somali Bank (SSB), reconstituted in 2009 after decades of state collapse, is positioning itself as more than a commercial lender: it is a public utility, a bridge to the diaspora, and a partner in climate resilience. From…

At UN Week, Somalia and Allies Sound Alarm Over Funding Gap for AU Mission NEW YORK — Inside a packed conference room just off the United Nations General Assembly floor, Somalia and its closest partners issued an unusually blunt warning: if the world does not step up with reliable money, hard-won security gains against al-Shabab could begin to unravel within months. The urgency is not abstract. The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) — the AU-led force that helps secure towns, main roads,…

U.S. launches fresh strike against ISIS-Somalia in Cal-Miskaad mountains MOGADISHU — The U.S. military carried out a precision airstrike late last week in the Cal-Miskaad mountain range near Bosaso, targeting fighters from the Islamic State in Somalia (ISIS-Somalia), U.S. Africa Command said Monday. The operation is the latest in a sustained campaign of air attacks that U.S. officials say are aimed at degrading the group’s ability to threaten American interests, Somali forces and regional allies. The strike, conducted in…

Arab League’s classroom diplomacy lands in Mogadishu On a humid Saturday in Mogadishu, Somalia’s prime minister received a delegation from the Arab League with a familiar promise: help for the country’s classrooms, and a renewed push to strengthen the teaching of Arabic. The visit, led by Zayd Al-Sabbaan, who oversees the Horn of Africa and Sudan at the Arab League, came with warm words about deepening cooperation on politics, economics and development. It also arrived with few specifics—no dollar amounts, no timelines, no…

Jubbaland’s stark warning over alleged abuses in Mogadishu exposes Somalia’s deeper struggle over land, law and power In a sharply worded statement from Kismayo on Thursday, the Jubbaland administration accused security forces in Mogadishu of beating two parents and seizing their property by force—allegations that, if confirmed, would add to a long and painful ledger of evictions and abuses in Somalia’s crowded capital. Jubbaland said the attack occurred on Wednesday and described it as “a tragic incident in which innocent…

Somalia’s opposition takes the fight to the courts — and the country risks paying the price Somalia’s fragile political equilibrium rattled further this week when a coalition of opposition figures lodged a formal legal complaint accusing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and senior officials of corruption, human-rights violations and unconstitutional power grabs. What began as a paper filing in Mogadishu is best read not merely as another courtroom drama, but as a symptom of a deeper crisis in a state still stitching itself…

Trump’s jab at Ilhan Omar isn’t just a feud. It’s a mirror of America’s anxieties. When former President Donald Trump told reporters he had asked Somalia’s president to “take back” Rep. Ilhan Omar, the line landed like a punchline in the room—and a gut punch across the Somali diaspora. Omar, the Somali-born Democrat from Minnesota and one of the most visible Muslim women in American politics, answered in kind, calling Trump “a lying buffoon” and urging the public not to dignify his claims. The exchange may sound familiar.…