By: Jeremy CorbynSaturday June 13, 2026 Omar Artan’s journey home on Wednesday, after being turned away at Miami international airport, marked a bitter twist in what should have been a historic moment. Photograph: Feisal Omar/Reuters Omar Artan was set to break new ground as the first Somali referee to take charge at a World Cup finals. Already a Fifa-certified official since 2018, he had overseen matches at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and was later named the 2025 Confederation of African Football men’s referee of the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - With more than two months to go before his term expires, Somalia's outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo seems relentless in his quest to continue in power despite constitutional restrictions and other obstacles to the legal framework. The Constitution strictly allows one to be president for four years, after which he or she can seek a new mandate. The Horn of Africa has no time limits, an indication that one can be president of life until such a time death knocks or he is abdicated. For the…

Work on the second inclusive national forum responsible for evaluating the new constitution, which has been in place since 2018, opens on 29 October. Over the course of three days, participants will evaluate the basic text that sanctifies, among other things, the abolition of the post of Prime Minister and the introduction of a Confession of Confession. These decisions are contested by a large section…