Somalia

Somalia hosts EASF defense chiefs in Mogadishu, underscoring rising regional security role MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia on Tuesday hosted the 35th regular session of the Committee of Defence and Security Chiefs of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), a high-level gathering that officials said reflects the country’s expanding role in regional security cooperation. The meeting in Mogadishu, opened by State Minister for Defense Omar Ali Abdi, marked the second time this year that Somalia has convened a major EASF forum.…

FILE - Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki hold up a symbolic key during a joint ceremony marking the restoration of diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea in Asmara, Eritrea. The 2018 peace initiative formally ended two decades of hostility following a border war and paved the way for the reopening of embassies, flights and cross-border ties. MOGADISHU — Eritrea has withdrawn from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development for the second time, accusing the Horn of Africa…

DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti (AX) — Ali Aref Bourhan, the dominant political figure who led Djibouti during the final decade of French colonial rule and helped steer its fraught path to independence, died Monday after a long illness. He was 91. President Ismail Omar Guelleh announced the death and offered condolences to Bourhan’s family, praising his decades of public service. “Ali Aref Bourhan will remain forever in the hearts of our citizens as a tireless public servant, guided by a strong sense of duty and commitment to…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A young rickshaw driver who had recently won the U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery was shot and killed late Sunday in Mogadishu’s Dayniile district, police and relatives said, shattering plans to migrate with his pregnant wife and intensifying concern over attacks on transport workers. Police identified the victim as Abdirisaq Abukar Mohamed. Family members said he was driving his three-wheeled motorized rickshaw when gunmen opened fire, striking him in the chest and throat. He died at the scene. Somali police…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Tuesday with a high-level Swedish delegation led by Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa, signaling an effort by both governments to deepen ties on economic development, trade and institution-building amid heightened debate over migration policy. The closed-door talks at Villa Somalia focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation to support Somalia’s reconstruction and governance reforms, according to a statement…

MANDERA, Kenya — Kenyan police on Tuesday said they thwarted a night raid by al-Shabaab militants on a Chinese workers’ residence in Elwak, Mandera County, securing all 10 occupants and repelling the attackers after a prolonged exchange of gunfire. The assault began around 1 a.m. when heavily armed men forced their way into the compound, located roughly one kilometer from the Elwak Police Station, according to a police statement. Officers guarding the site engaged the assailants in sustained fire, preventing them from…

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,…