Kismayo

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The United States has offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the identification or capture of those responsible for an attack targeting U.S. military personnel and property at Kismayo International Airport in southern Somalia, officials said Wednesday. The offer was announced under the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program and follows an assault claimed by the al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabab. The attack involved rockets and mortar shells fired at U.S. and…

‘We sell what we collect’: In Kismayo, displaced women turn acacia seeds into a lifeline KISMAYO, Somalia — Before sunrise on the outskirts of this southern port city, groups of women shoulder sacks and long sticks and set out from the internal displacement camps. They walk together into the scrub outside Kismayo, toward stands of acacia trees where, with a shake and a thud, their day’s earnings fall to the ground. Their harvest — tiny, brown acacia seeds, locally known as abqo — has become a fragile but vital income stream.…

Somali Political Leaders Hold Closed-Door Talks in Kismayo KISMAYO, Somalia — Senior Somali political figures held closed-door meetings Friday at the Jubaland presidential palace in the southern city of Kismayo, in what participants described as a pivotal bid to shape the country’s political path and the 2026 elections. Officials briefed on the discussions said the talks centered on finalizing the structure and mandate of a proposed body called the Future Council of Somalia, which backers say is intended to guide the…

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…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo will not attend a political summit set to open Thursday in Kismayo, opposition figures and lawmakers said, underscoring a fluid opposition landscape ahead of Somalia’s 2026 elections. Abdirashid Xidig, a member of the House of the People and an official with the Somali Salvation Forum, said Farmaajo supports the summit’s objectives but is not part of its organizing structure. “Farmaajo is welcome to participate, but he is not part of the organizing…

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 KISMAYO, Somalia — Somalia’s opposition leaders began arriving in Kismayo on Tuesday ahead of a four-day Somali Opposition Conference set to open Wednesday, with organizers saying the gathering will finalize the structure of a new Somali Future Council and assess the country’s political transition. The first delegation was led by Mohamed Aden Koofi, secretary-general of the Somali Salvation Forum. The group landed at Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan Airport and was received by Jubbaland’s Minister of…

MOGADISHU — Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said Friday that an opposition coalition conference planned in Kismayo will focus on forging a unified political vision and a credible path to national elections, rejecting claims the gathering is meant to form a parallel government. “The objective of the Kismayo conference is to agree on a common vision, particularly on elections, not to form a new government,” Sharif said in remarks to reporters, framing the meeting as a push for a viable, fair and inclusive electoral…

KISMAAYO, Somalia — Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam, widely known as Ahmed Madobe, hosted U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Richard H. Riley in Kismayo on Friday for talks centered on security coordination and U.S.-supported development projects, according to regional officials. The working visit brought together senior members of the Jubaland administration, including the Interior Minister and the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation. Participants discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and align…

Stalled talks in Kismayo expose a deeper crisis for Somalia’s unity and security KISMAYO — A week of chest‑thumping and handshakes in this southern port city has done little to resolve the core question that has shadowed Somalia since the collapse of central authority three decades ago: who truly speaks for the places that sit on the line between clan, commerce and the state? President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s visit to Kismayo and his face‑to‑face with Jubaland strongman Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe produced the ritual…

Rising Tensions and Targeted Operations: The Complex Landscape of U.S. Involvement in Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia — The landscape of international military engagement is shifting yet again, as U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) recently reported an indirect fire attack targeting American troops stationed near Kismayo, a pivotal city in southern Somalia. While the immediate aftermath yielded no reported casualties or damage, the significance of this incident extends beyond mere statistics, revealing a complex tapestry of local…