Thursday February 12, 2026 MOGADISHU (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is set to travel to Addis Ababa for the 39th African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government, where he will spotlight Somalia’s recent security gains and restate the country’s position on sovereignty and foreign interference. The summit brings together leaders from 55 African nations for the continent’s top political forum. Officials said the president is scheduled to address Somalia’s progress on security sector reform, the effects of…

CAIRO — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Egypt’s defense minister, Gen. Abdel Mageed Saqr, on Wednesday attended a military formation ceremony for Egyptian troops preparing to deploy to Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). The event, held in Egypt, was also attended by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ahmed Khalifa and senior commanders, according to a statement from the Egyptian military spokesman. During the visit, officials received a detailed briefing on the preparation…

MOGADISHU — Somalia has won a seat on the African Union Peace and Security Council for the 2026–2028 term, a diplomatic milestone that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday cast as proof of the country’s renewed standing on the continent and beyond. In a national address, Hassan Sheikh said the election reflects Somalia’s growing credibility and the reemergence of its voice in regional affairs after years of rebuilding state institutions. “This victory demonstrates the significant progress of Somalia’s diplomacy and…

The African Union is facing a legitimacy test. Across social media and public forums, Africans are asking whether the AU has moved beyond symbolism to deliver the integration and security it promises. The recurring questions are blunt: If the AU cannot advance a single currency, a unified military or a common passport, what, exactly, is the union for? Those questions may sound harsh, but they capture a growing frustration. In one widely shared post, commenters joked that the AU should be rebranded “Western Union,” a jab at…

Egypt takes helm of AU Peace and Security Council, puts Sudan and Somalia atop agenda CAIRO — Egypt on Sunday assumed the rotating presidency of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, pledging to focus its one-month term on the crises in Sudan and Somalia while advancing a broader agenda linking peace, security and governance across the continent. The presidency, which began Feb. 1, comes amid what Cairo described as escalating and overlapping challenges in Africa — from protracted armed conflicts and fragile…

Somali, AU and Ugandan troops kill 30-plus al-Shabab fighters in Lower Shabelle operation MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali government forces, backed by the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia and Uganda’s military, killed more than 30 al-Shabab militants during a joint operation in the Lower Shabelle region, authorities said Thursday. The fighting erupted near the Bulunagaad Forward Operating Base when militants attacked Somali National Army units and AUSSOM troops conducting pursuit operations in the area,…

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.…

Will Egypt Steer Somalia's Peacekeeping Journey? NAIROBI, Kenya - As the calendar inches towards the expiry of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in December, it's becoming increasingly apparent that Egypt is mounting its troops for AUSSOM, the new mission slated for the region. This signals the dawn of a strategic plan to bolster peace and stability in Somalia, a land of enduring strife. In a communique rolling out from the recent Tripartite summit, Egypt, Somalia, and Eritrea collectively nodded to…

The AU expresses remorse for Somalia's rejection of Mahama as a special envoy ADDIS ABEBA - Days after the federal government in Somalia openly opposed the appointment of former Ghanaian President John Mahama as high-ranking representative of the Somali conflict, the African Union has expressed remorse and called the move an "unsurpassed" disappointment. The African Union had chosen Mahama for…

BAIDOA, Somalia - Ethiopia's National Defense Forces gathered in several parts of the southwest and raised flags before the planned battle with Al-Shabaab militants, who still control large parts of the countryside in central and southern Somalia, as the military works hard to liberate many cities. ENDF troops are key security stakeholders in the Horn of Africa and have been associated with the liberation of key areas, which were once under the linked al-Qaeda group that controls internal parts of the country. The…