deadline

KISMAYO, Somalia — A coalition of Somali opposition leaders on Saturday gave President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud one month to convene an inclusive national dialogue on elections, warning they will move to organize an alternative process if he fails to act by Jan. 20, 2026. In a communiqué issued after a three-day meeting in Kismayo from Dec. 18–20, the Somali Future Council (SFC) said an urgent, consensus-based agreement is needed to avert a “constitutional vacuum, security crisis and the threat of terrorism.” The newly formed…

Somalia’s Kismaayo conference sets Jan. 20 deadline, rejects term extensions, warns of parallel political process KISMAAYO, Somalia — A three-day consultative conference in Kismaayo has issued a sweeping communiqué that sets Jan. 20, 2026, as a deadline for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to convene an inclusive national conference, rejects any extension of federal mandates and warns that Somalia risks slipping into parallel political processes if consensus is not restored. The meeting, held Dec. 18–20, brought together…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Somali National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has extended the free period for obtaining the National Identity Card until Jan. 31, 2026, the agency’s deputy director general announced Thursday. Deputy Director General Abdirahman Said Ahmed said the decision is intended to widen public access to the ID program and ease pressure on registration sites as demand grows. “The National Identity Card issuance service has been extended for two months for the benefit of the Somali…

Trump backs off Ukraine peace deadline as US envoy heads to Moscow amid reports of coaching Russians WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday withdrew a firm Thanksgiving deadline for Ukraine to accept a U.S.-backed peace framework and defended the administration’s negotiators after reports the lead envoy advised Russian officials how to press the proposal. Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Florida, Trump said U.S. negotiators were making progress with both sides and that Moscow had agreed to “some…

US President Donald Trump on Thursday pressed Ukraine to accept a US-brokered plan to end the war with Russia that would cede significant territory to Moscow, setting a firm deadline of Nov. 27 — the American Thanksgiving holiday — and saying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "will have to like it." "He'll have to like it, and if he doesn't like it, then you know, they should just keep fighting," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, responding to questions about Zelensky's lukewarm and public rejection of the…

Somalia: Northeastern State Forces Turn Up the Heat on ISIS as Fighters Confront a Surrender Deadline AXADLE, Somalia — With a ticking clock of 72 hours, Northeastern State's defense forces have thrown down the gauntlet to Islamic State (ISIS) members cornered in the Baallade valley, urging them to yield without conflict or brace for an all-out military assault. These militants, entrapped in their cavern hideaways, are at a crossroads, warned that this might be their last chance to dodge a violent outcome. A multilingual…

The United States recently clarified that it does not believe Israel is breaching American laws regarding aid to Gaza, though it has called for faster progress in the humanitarian crisis. This statement comes hot on the heels of a warning from the Biden administration last month, suggesting it might reconsider military support if conditions didn’t improve. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin conveyed their concerns to Israel in a letter, indicating they were “deeply troubled” by the dire…

Today, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is scheduled to sit down with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, as announced by the State Department. This meeting comes at a critical juncture, with the deadline imposed by Washington to improve conditions in Gaza fast approaching. The discussion is set for 5 p.m. local time (which translates to 10 p.m. in Ireland), although the public agenda provided little insight into the specifics of their conversation. However, hopes for a ceasefire in the…

In Mogadishu, work is bustling on the blueprint and bankroll strategies for the upcoming African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM, set to replace ATMIS a mere three months down the line. The word on the street, according to an ATMIS announcement, is that talks sparked on September 24 when a combined crew from the AU/UN touched down in Mogadishu. With a hand from the Somali Federal Government, troop donors, and international pals, they're hustling to whip up a thorough report on the…

At the end of August 2020, Burundi and Tanzania signed an agreement that refugees will be able to return home, regardless of whether they want to or not before the end of the year. However, according to a Burundian NGO, about fifty of them were victims of serious violations and 170 others have been reported missing since 2015.…