leadership

In 2026, Somalia’s political debate is increasingly focused on how President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government is managing three linked challenges: a major constitutional transition, preparations for elections in the run-up to 2026, and the pressure of fighting al-Shabaab while maintaining governance in Mogadishu. Much of the year’s attention has turned to talks between the presidency and opposition figures, and to disputes in parliament over proposed constitutional amendments and the timing of political mandates. What…

Tuesday March 24, 2026 Somalia’s federal authorities have thrown South West State’s leadership into fresh uncertainty, declaring late Sunday that the president and his administration have reached the end of their mandate as a bitter standoff with Baidoa deepens. In a statement, the Interior Ministry said the central government will no longer recognise any appointments or dismissals issued by the current South West State administration. It said local administrations in South West State will continue their duties until new…

Iran’s foreign minister said the killing of Ali Larijani will not destabilize the country’s leadership or governing system. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that the assassination of Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, would not shake the leadership or the system that, he said, the United States and Israel aim to dismantle. He spoke in an interview with Al Jazeera that aired after Iranian authorities confirmed Larijani’s death. Araghchi said Washington and Jerusalem have…

Friday February 20, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s new army chief met senior African Union leadership in Mogadishu to tighten battlefield coordination and accelerate the country’s Security Transition Plan as Somali forces prepare a renewed push against al-Shabab following Ramadan. Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud, commander of the Somali National Army (SNA), hosted a closed-door session at army headquarters with Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, the Special Representative of the African Union and head of the…

Gordon Brown said the crisis engulfing Keir Starmer over Peter Mandelson was “serious” and that the Labour leader had been “too slow to do the right things,” even as he backed Starmer as “a man of integrity” who had been “betrayed” by his former Cabinet ally. The intervention from the former prime minister came as the Metropolitan Police confirmed its misconduct-in-public-office investigation into Mandelson will “take some time,” after officers searched properties in London and Wiltshire. Mandelson has not been arrested. “I…

US defends increased Somalia airstrikes as ‘critical support’ backing ISIS pressure in Puntland State Thursday, February 5, 2026 The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has defended a rise in airstrikes in Somalia, calling them “critical support” that has helped Somali partner forces weaken ISIS-linked militants and hold strategic ground in the country’s northeast. In a digital press briefing, AFRICOM Commander General Dagvin Anderson said the operations are coordinated with Somali forces and designed to deliver…

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AX) — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency, working with international security partners, carried out an airstrike on a high-level meeting of al-Shabab commanders in the Middle Juba region on Wednesday, targeting a safe house in the Bu’aale district, security officials said. Authorities described the mission as intelligence-led and designed to fracture the al-Qaida-linked group’s senior leadership. The compound, identified as a venue for strategic consultations among senior figures, was…

Editorial | Somalia-UAE Rupture Demands Restraint, Responsibility, and Regional Solidarity Somalia’s decision to sever ties with the United Arab Emirates lands at a perilous moment for a nation still recovering from more than three and a half decades of conflict, displacement, and institutional fragility. Millions of Somalis depend—directly and indirectly—on regional economic and humanitarian links for their livelihoods and survival. That is the central fact that must guide every actor’s next move. This diplomatic…

Is North Western State of Somalia’s Recognition the Issue, or Has Somali Leadership Already Failed? North Western State of Somalia’s recognition debate has become a convenient flashpoint for Somali politics, but the harder truth is internal: For more than three decades, successive leaders in Mogadishu have failed to prioritize a consent-based national settlement. North Western State of Somalia declared separation in 1991. Thirty-four years on, the central questions are less about external recognition and more about whether…

Opinion/Analysis | North Western State of Somalia recognition is a mirror held up to Somalia’s leadership For nearly 34 years—since North Western State of Somalia declared the restoration of its sovereignty in 1991—the question of recognition has shadowed Somali politics. Yet framing the crisis as a binary fight over North Western State of Somalia’s status misses the deeper failure: successive federal leaders have not built a consent-based, trust-driven union that people across the country would choose to join. Recognition…