By  OMAR FARUK and GERALD IMRAYWednesday June 10, 2026 A journey that was supposed to lift Somalia onto the World Cup stage has instead ended at a Miami airport, where referee Omar Artan was turned away, then removed from FIFA’s tournament roster. Artan, set to become the first referee from Somalia to work a World Cup after earning a place on FIFA’s final list announced two months ago, arrived with rare distinction. Widely regarded as one of Africa’s elite officials, he was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025.…

By Aki NaceTuesday June 9, 2026 A Somali-born immigrant in Minnesota is among 17 people the Trump administration is pursuing in its newest denaturalization drive. The U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota on Wednesday filed a civil denaturalization complaint against Abdikadir Kadiye. The case accuses him of multiple violations, including illegal procurement of naturalization and obtaining citizenship by concealing a material fact. Starting in 1997, Kadiye tried to enter the United States by filing two separate…

by BRIAN ORUTAMonday June 8, 2026 Abdullahi Mohamed Nuur, a former security minister in Somalia/HANDOUT A security raid at one of Mogadishu’s better-known hotels has sharpened worries that Somalia’s political battle is starting to spill into the private sector, unsettling investors and raising fresh questions about the safety of businesses tied to opposition figures. The Elite Hotel incident in the capital has quickly become a symbol of the country’s widening political rift. Analysts say the standoff between the federal…

Monday June 8, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on Sunday urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Somalia’s former heads of state to sit down together immediately, saying the country’s worsening political turmoil demands a Somali-led solution. At a news conference in Mogadishu, Farmaajo said he would extend a formal invitation to Mohamud to meet at his residence, where the two sides would discuss elections, security and the country’s broader political direction. He argued that…

Monday June 8, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A national peace conference led by women on Sunday urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to immediately open an inclusive national dialogue aimed at easing Somalia’s worsening political crisis. In its statement, the gathering said any talks must bring in civil society, with Somali women in particular, to help shape a durable political settlement rooted in consultation and consensus. “We expressed strong concern about the political situation in the country, following the recent violence…

Sunday June 7, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Somalia’s Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission has started taking in candidates for the Southwest State presidential election, marking the formal launch of the region’s race for leadership. One of the first to file was Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, a former president of Southwest State, who was handed his certificate of candidacy by the commission. Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe, speaker of the House of the People of Somalia’s Federal Parliament, also received his…

By:  Yusuf Said HersiSunday June 7, 2026 For years, Puntland State has been cast as the “mother of federalism” in Somalia, a label earned through its early and forceful defense of a federal political order after the collapse of the central government. Like a parent preparing children for life in society, Puntland State positioned itself as a place where shared power, coexistence, and political balance could take root. From the outset, Puntland State emerged as one of the clearest champions of a federal Somalia built on…

Saturday June 6, 2026 Somalia’s foreign minister, Abdisalam Abdi Ali, welcomed Egypt’s continued political, development and security backing for his country during a phone call on Friday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. In a statement, the Egyptian foreign ministry said Abdelatty reiterated Cairo’s full support for the Federal Republic of Somalia and its national institutions, and said Egypt was closely following developments on the ground, particularly in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. He stressed the need to…

Saturday June 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali security forces have moved into Mogadishu’s Abdiaziz district in a targeted sweep to recover illegal weapons allegedly used by armed groups in the capital’s recent clashes, police said Saturday. The Banadir Regional Police Command said the firearms were believed to be concealed in multiple locations across the district, and officers were carrying out searches as part of a broader push to restore calm in Mogadishu. “It will not be acceptable to store or hide illegal weapons in…

Thursday June 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The African Union and the United Nations on Thursday demanded an immediate end to fighting in Mogadishu after government forces and opposition-aligned militias traded gunfire in civilian neighborhoods, a flare-up that has intensified concerns Somalia’s political standoff could tip into broader unrest. The African Union Commission said it was alarmed by the reported security situation in the capital, including armed clashes in residential areas. It called on all sides to stop the…