by BRIAN ORUTASaturday June 13, 2026 Somalia has stepped up its drive to spur economic growth and sharpen its regional competitiveness, unveiling a fresh round of infrastructure and public investment projects in Hirshabelle State that officials say are central to the country’s reconstruction effort. In Jowhar, the Hirshabelle capital, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud joined Hirshabelle President Ali Abdullahi Hussein, better known as Ali Guudlaawe, to launch a package of major projects intended to improve connectivity,…

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…

Saturday June 13, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation said on Saturday that Banadir Region’s district council commissioners will be elected on July 5, 2026, setting a date for a key step in the capital’s local governance process. The ministry described the upcoming vote as part of the broader rollout of local government elections in Banadir Region, following earlier groundwork for the regional electoral process. In its statement, the ministry said the elections are meant…

Friday June 12, 2026 Denied entry to the United States, FIFA World Cup referee Omar Artan returned to Somalia to a hero’s welcome, underscoring how quickly a sports setback can turn into a moment of national pride. In the meantime, B.C. Premier David Eby and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow have both said they would like to see Artan officiate matches in Canada.

Friday June 12, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Thursday that it had intercepted a major haul of explosive chemical materials allegedly destined for al-Shabab during an operation in Lower Shabelle region. NISA said security forces uncovered more than 100 yellow jerrycans packed with volatile chemical precursors that had been buried in the Jilib Marka area. The agency said al-Shabab operatives concealed the materials after realizing that security forces had identified their…

Thursday June 11, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was blocked from taking part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry to the United States, has now been handed one of European football’s biggest officiating assignments: the UEFA Super Cup in August, UEFA said. Artan will oversee the Aug. 12 meeting between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, according to the European governing body. “Referee announced for 2026 #SuperCup! We’re pleased to share that Somali referee…

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…