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…

Few countries in the world are more vulnerable to the impact of climate change than Bangladesh in south Asia. Intensified monsoon floods, riverbank erosion and rising sea levels displace 700,000 Bangladeshis each year. In the final of our special reports from Bangladesh, reporter Kate Varley and cameraman Bram Verbeke visited Dhaka to hear how the climate migration crisis is shaping the country's capital. The first time Bizly Begum’s home was swept away by the river, her husband Khairul rebuilt it higher up the…

Trump Expands Travel Restrictions, Targeting 15 Additional Countries President Donald Trump has expanded United States travel restrictions to include an additional 15 countries, predominantly in Africa, a move that is poised to exacerbate tensions in U.S.-Africa relations and disrupt travel, education, and business connections across the continent. Among the newly added countries, 11 are African: Angola, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This…

Banking on Recovery: How Salaam Somali Bank is Center Stage in Somalia’s Economic Reinvention In a country where the pulse of daily life is often set by drought cycles, clan politics and the steady flow of money from abroad, a bank has quietly become a barometer of Somalia’s recovery. Salaam Somali Bank (SSB), reconstituted in 2009 after decades of state collapse, is positioning itself as more than a commercial lender: it is a public utility, a bridge to the diaspora, and a partner in climate resilience. From…

According to a report, IS-Somalia manages to fund terrorist activities in multiple African nations. Omar Mahmood, a senior researcher with the International Crisis Group (ICG), remarked that IS-Somalia's influence extends beyond Somalia's borders to a greater extent than that of al-Shabab. "Al-Shabab is undeniably a larger menace," conveyed Mahmood. "However, IS-Somalia has endured significant challenges and established itself within the broader Islamic State network, particularly as a crucial financial hub among its…

Mogadishu (AX) — Shazam! Mogadishu University clinched victory in the Somali International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Competition and will now wave Somalia’s flag at the All Africa IHL Competition in Nairobi this November. The showdown, which happened on Wednesday in Mogadishu, marked the first in-person gathering after a couple of years of virtual reality. Mogadishu University outperformed Somali National University in a tense and gripping final match-up.This dynamic contest, crafted by the International Committee of the Red…