Somalia

Puntland State President Announces Somalia State-Building Conference in Garowe AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni said his administration will convene a conference in Garowe to examine Somalia’s state-building challenges and propose practical, evidence-based solutions, signaling an expert-led approach amid a protracted political standoff with the federal government. Deni said the gathering will bring together Somali experts and academics to look beyond factional interests and offer research-driven…

Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025 GAROWE, Somalia — A Puntland State-appointed committee investigating the death of traditional elder Omar Abdillahi Abdi concluded that he was the sole casualty of a U.S. airstrike near Ceel Buh on Sept. 13, contradicting U.S. Africa Command’s assertion that the operation did not harm civilians. The committee’s report, compiled from Puntland State security agencies and witness testimonies, said Omar — widely known as Chief Omar — left Ceel Buh in the Sanaag region on Sept. 13 bound for Badhan district…

Puntland State inquiry says U.S. airstrike killed respected elder, not militant GAROWE, Somalia — A Puntland State investigative committee has concluded that a U.S. airstrike killed traditional elder Omar Abdillahi Abdi as he traveled to clan peace talks in the Sanaag region, finding no evidence he had ties to criminal or militant activity. The committee’s report, based on Puntland State security agency records and witness testimony, details the final hours of the elder known locally as Omar. It says he left the town of Ceel…

AFGOYE, Somalia — At least 12 al-Shabaab militants were killed in an overnight operation near Afgoye, a key supply corridor outside the capital, the Somali government said, underscoring stepped-up pressure on the insurgent group across multiple fronts. Security officials said the operation unfolded in the vicinity of Jambalul, close to Afgoye, where forces targeted bunkers the militants were preparing to use. The raid escalated into a fierce firefight. Militants responded with mortar fire that caused civilian casualties,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government has rejected allegations that weapons entering the country are being routed onward to armed actors in the region, insisting there is no evidence that Somali territory is used to funnel arms to Yemen’s Houthi movement. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Mohamed Omar, known as Ali Balcad, told Al Jazeera Net in an interview published Wednesday that Mogadishu is intensifying efforts to disrupt illicit arms flows across the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea corridor and to prevent…

Somalia establishes Independent National Human Rights Commission as president signs law MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday signed into law the establishment of Somalia’s Independent National Human Rights Commission, finalizing a measure approved by both houses of the Federal Parliament and hailed by officials as a milestone for rights protection and institutional reform. The presidency framed the move as a clear signal of Somalia’s intent to safeguard the rights and dignity of its citizens.…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said Wednesday it killed at least 12 al-Shabaab militants, including a senior figure, during a raid in the Jambaluul area of Afgooye district in the country’s Lower Shabelle region. NISA says the operation struck militant hideouts and bomb-making sites in Jambaluul. The agency reports a senior al-Shabaab leader was among the dead, but did not name the individual. Mortar fire into civilian areas injured civilians and two NISA soldiers,…

Crisis Escalates as M23 Rebels Advance in Eastern Congo The city of Uvira in eastern Congo is witnessing unprecedented turmoil as M23 rebels, reportedly backed by Rwandan forces, reach its outskirts. This escalation poses significant threats to regional stability. M23 rebels launched an attack on Uvira, prompting Burundi to close its border. The latest advance follows last year's seizures of Goma and Bukavu. An agreement between Congo and Rwanda, mediated by the U.S., is severely threatened. Strategic…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s main opposition coalition, the Somali Salvation Forum, on Tuesday condemned what it called unlawful arrests and forced evictions by federal security forces in the Dab-dhamiiska section of Mogadishu’s Wadajir district, warning the operation reflects a mounting pattern of rights violations tied to government land-reclamation drives across the capital. In a statement, the coalition said it received credible reports that residents were removed from their homes and endured severe hardship during the…

NAIROBI, Kenya — As inflation eats into earnings across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, a quiet shift in personal finance is taking hold. Millions are moving a portion of their savings and day-to-day cash flow into stablecoins — dollar-pegged digital currencies such as USDT, USDC and DAI — to blunt the impact of currency depreciation, volatile forex markets and overburdened banking systems. The appeal is straightforward: when local prices jump and exchange rates swing overnight, keeping value in a digital asset…