By: Alex Seabrook Local democracy reporterThursday May 14, 2026 A refugee who escaped conflict in Somalia is now set to spend the coming year as Bristol’s lord mayor, taking on the city’s ceremonial top job and serving as one of its most visible public figures. Cllr Yassin Mohamud outside of Bristol City Hall (Image: Bristol Green Party) Green councillor Yassin Mohamud was installed as lord mayor for the new civic year at a full council meeting on Tuesday, May 12. The role is largely ceremonial, but it carries symbolic…

Monday May 11, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire on Sunday said government forces opened fire on peaceful demonstrators in Mogadishu’s Dayniile district, alleging that one person was killed and several others were injured. Speaking to reporters, Khaire said residents had assembled in Dayniile to voice anger over forced evictions and displacement when security personnel fired on the crowd. He expressed sympathy to the family of the person he said died and wished those wounded a swift…

Sunday May 10, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said Sunday that security forces had sealed off roads to his home and stopped lawmakers and opposition figures from reaching him as Mogadishu braced for planned anti-government demonstrations. Sharif, who leads the opposition Somali Future Council, said during an X Spaces discussion that troops had been stationed in parts of the capital and that the movement of politicians and members of parliament had been curtailed ahead of Sunday’s protest.…

Saturday May 9, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has urged the country’s leaders to use the final days of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term to build an inclusive electoral process that all political stakeholders can accept, warning that failure to do so could deepen instability. In remarks on Friday, Farmaajo said Friday, May 15, 2026, will mark the end of President Hassan Sheikh’s constitutional term, and he emphasized that Somalia now needs broad agreement on the path ahead for…

by BRIAN ORUTAThursday April 30, 2026 Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has urged Somalis to rally around national unity and reinforce democratic institutions as the country heads toward a new electoral cycle, saying political calm must outweigh personal or factional ambition. Speaking in a recent interview with journalist Suleyman Hashi, Farmajo presented Somalia’s political path as a measure of how well its institutions can withstand pressure, rather than as a showdown between rival political camps. He…

Wednesday April 15, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on Tuesday sounded the alarm over what he called a dangerous political turning point for Somalia after the federal parliament’s mandate expired. Farmaajo said the Federal Parliament’s term officially came to an end on April 14, 2026, under the Provisional Constitution, leaving the country without a newly elected legislature in place. “The end of parliament’s mandate without the formation of a new parliament could create legal and…

Friday April 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has sharply condemned the federal government’s decision to name an interim leader for Southwest State, calling it unconstitutional and a direct affront to Somalia’s federal order. In a statement, Sharmarke challenged what he described as the effective reduction of a federal member state into an entity subordinate to the central government. He argued that no legal authority exists for replacing an elected state administration…

Saturday March 28, 2026 BAIDOA (AX) — Southwest State lawmakers convened in Baidoa on Saturday and re-elected Dr. Ali Said Fiqi as Speaker of the regional parliament, underscoring a fresh attempt to restore stability within the state’s political leadership. The electoral commission supervising the vote said Dr. Fiqi won with 67 votes, defeating Diini Sheikh Hassan, who received 11. Commission officials reported that two ballots were rejected as invalid. In total, 80 members of parliament took part in the election. After the…

Thursday March 26, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A sudden shake-up at the top of Somalia’s prison service has taken a new turn, with former Somali Custodial Corps Commander General Mahad Abdirahman Aden reportedly placed under house arrest without a court order just days after being removed from his post, according to sources familiar with the matter. Those sources said General Mahad’s personal security detail has been pulled and that his movements are now being watched. Federal authorities have not released any public statement to…