future

KISMAYO, Somalia — A senior Puntland State official urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to embrace the outcomes of the Somali Future Council conference that concluded in Kismayo on Saturday, as the newly formed opposition alliance set a Jan. 20, 2026, deadline for inclusive talks on Somalia’s elections. Abdifatah Mohamed Abdinur, the state minister for the Puntland State presidency, called on the president to place national interests above personal considerations and warned against actions that could deepen political…

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…

KISMAYO, Somalia — A high-stakes conference of the Somali Future Council opened Thursday in Kismayo, drawing more than 700 delegates and senior political figures to chart a path toward a consensus-based election model as Somalia nears pivotal votes. The gathering, hosted in the interim capital of Jubaland under heightened security, convenes amid plans to hold one person, one vote local council elections in Mogadishu’s Benadir region on Dec. 25. Organizers and participants say their goal is to avoid political conflict by…

Somalia’s New Opposition Bloc Warns of ‘Red Lines’ as Federalism Wobbles NAIROBI — In a city that often hosts Somali politics in exile, a newly formed alliance of regional leaders and opposition figures gathered Wednesday and issued the sort of warning that lands with a thud in Mogadishu: Do not bend the country’s fragile constitutional order. Do not change the rules without consensus. Do not extend your mandate. And do not squeeze Somalia’s federal system until it breaks. Calling itself the Somali Future Council, the bloc…

Burnsville woman charged as 75th defendant in Minnesota’s sweeping ‘Feeding Our Future’ case MINNEAPOLIS — Federal prosecutors on Thursday charged a Burnsville woman with siphoning nearly $1 million from a taxpayer-funded child nutrition program — the latest arrest in what authorities call the largest COVID-19 fraud case in the United States. Prosecutors say 44-year-old Muna Wais Fidhin misused federal money meant to serve meals to children during the pandemic, instead paying her mortgage, buying a car and sending…

Kenyan man indicted in U.S. child-nutrition fraud probe as investigators trace money to Nairobi real estate

The Final Curtain: Closing a Chapter on Minnesota's High-Profile Courtroom Scandal In the cool corridors of the Minneapolis federal courthouse, a chapter of one of Minnesota’s most extraordinary legal dramas drew to a close. Said Farah, the final defendant in a sensational juror bribery scheme, admitted to his involvement in a plot to sway deliberations in the high-profile Feeding Our Future fraud trial. The guilty plea marks the end of a haunting saga that captured nationwide attention and raised serious questions about…

In some wild turn of events, five suspects were hit with charges in a bribery case, but a twist in the tale reveals that a mysterious sixth individual also knew about the dang bribe. Yeah, you heard it right! This case, centered around some shady dealings with Feeding Our Future, just got more tangled than a skein of yarn.Turns out, some sneaky text messages have surfaced, shedding light on how the suspects were wheeling and dealing, even plotting against each other in what can only be described as a hurricane of chaos.…

"Al-Shabaab will meet its match and lose," says Ethiopia, pledging ongoing efforts to neutralize the group's influence. The country remains unswerving in its mission to protect its borders and preserve the progress made so far. In a weekly press gathering on November 14, 2024, Ambassador Nebiat Getachew, who speaks on behalf of Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underscored Ethiopia's significant role in weakening al-Shabaab’s impact across the region. “We won't take our foot off the pedal,” Getachew declared,…

What's Next for AU Mission in Somalia? MOGADISHU, Somalia - The destiny of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) hangs like a storm cloud, largely due to anxieties over transferring power, Ethiopia-related friction, and a lack of financial support from donors who've backed this initiative for quite a spell. Monetary shortfalls persist, leading to an unfortunate predicament where soldiers haven't seen paychecks in many moons. Meanwhile, Ethiopia's alleged territorial ambitions stir the pot, causing…