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BAIDOA, Somalia — At least 10 people were wounded after two days of heavy fighting between Southwest state security forces and armed militia groups rocked Baidoa, shuttering businesses, snarling transport and cutting communications in parts of the city, residents and local officials said. The clashes erupted Wednesday and continued into Thursday, beginning as a land dispute before spiraling into broader unrest with political undertones, according to witnesses. Residents reported the use of heavy weapons in several…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali security agencies say nearly 10,000 police officers have been mobilized to secure Mogadishu’s local council elections on Dec. 25, a vote billed as the capital’s first direct, one-person, one-vote poll in more than 50 years. Speaking to reporters Sunday, Internal Security Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail (Farataag) said the Somali Police Force has finalized a citywide security plan to safeguard voters, polling stations, election workers and critical infrastructure throughout the Banadir region.…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Ministry of Education says it is close to completing a long-promised plan to recruit 10,000 teachers nationwide, a push officials say will strengthen the curriculum, expand access to schooling in underserved areas and widen training for both new and current educators. Education Minister Farah Sheikh Abdulqadir announced the update Sunday, framing the initiative as the backbone of wider reforms to raise quality and bring consistency to the country’s fragmented school system. “We are finalizing…