Somalia: Rift Deepens Between President and Intelligence Chief Over Galmudug Election MOGADISHU, Somalia — A widening clash between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) Director Mahad Salad has raised alarm over the risk of unrest in central Galmudug, according to people familiar with the talks. What began as a round of political consultations in Mogadishu has now soured into a breakdown in negotiations over who should lead Galmudug ahead of the regional presidential…

Artificial intelligence has moved to the center of the Vatican’s moral agenda, with Pope Leo XIV releasing his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, or Magnificent Humanity, in a closely watched statement of intent from the new pontiff. The pope signed the document on 15 May, deliberately tying it to the 135th anniversary of the landmark encyclical issued by the last pope to take the name Leo - Pope Leo XIII. That document, Rerum Novarum, confronted the social and economic shocks unleashed by the Industrial Revolution in…

Friday May 22, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s intelligence service says it and international partners have killed 26 al-Shabab fighters in a series of coordinated military operations in the Hiiraan region, striking what officials described as key militant hideouts and support sites. The National Intelligence and Security Agency said Friday that the operations hit al-Shabab positions in Mahaas, Mukayle and Shaw, areas where the group had been assembling fighters, stockpiling weapons and preparing attacks. NISA said the…

Thursday April 30, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia on Wednesday brought together intelligence chiefs from East African Community member states for a two-day conference in Mogadishu aimed at deepening cooperation and confronting shared security threats across the region. The April 29–30 gathering was opened by Somali National Army Commander Ibrahim Mohamed Mahmoud, who underscored the need for tightly coordinated intelligence work in the face of shifting and interconnected challenges. Participants are reviewing the regional…

MOGADISHU, April 22, 2026 – Somalia’s intelligence service said Wednesday that coordinated operations backed by international partners left at least 33 Al-Shabaab fighters dead in the country’s central Middle Shabelle region. The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said the “planned operations” were carried out in the village of Guulane, where militants were reportedly meeting to organize a new round of attacks. In a statement, NISA said the first precision strike hit a house being used by senior commanders and…

Sunday April 12, 2026 China is preparing to send Iran new air defense systems in the coming weeks, according to U.S. intelligence cited by CNN late Friday, which quoted three people familiar with recent assessments. The network reported that intelligence also suggests Beijing may try to move the weapons through third countries to obscure their true origin. U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on Saturday afternoon as he left the White House for Miami, warned that "if China does that, China can have big…

Saturday April 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali security forces struck at the heart of al-Shabab’s bomb-making machinery on Saturday, killing nine militants in coordinated operations in the Lower Shabelle region, according to the National Intelligence and Security Agency. NISA said in a statement that the raids were carried out with the support of international partners and were aimed at dismantling sites used to produce improvised explosive devices, the signature weapon of the al-Qaida-linked group. The first phase of the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali intelligence officials said Saturday that a series of coordinated raids in the Lower Shabelle region, carried out with support from international partners, left nine Al-Shabaab militants dead and destroyed equipment allegedly used to manufacture explosives. In a statement, the National Intelligence and Security Agency, or NISA, said the first strike hit the Kuunyo Barrow area, where forces targeted what it called a major militant site. During the raid, six large generators believed to be used in…

Julian Borger and Aram Roston in WashingtonSaturday March 28, 2026 Mohammed bin Salman has urged Trump not to cut short war, according to New York Times report confirmed by a Saudi intelligence source. Photograph: AP Saudi Arabia has called on the United States to intensify its strikes on Iran, a Saudi intelligence source has confirmed, as Riyadh weighs whether to enter the conflict itself. The source backed a New York Times account saying Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, had pressed Donald…