Mogadishu

Monday March 23, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — In a fresh escalation of its standoff with Mogadishu, Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen has moved to set up his own Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, a decision announced just one week after he cut ties with Somalia’s federal government. Under a presidential decree dated March 23, 2026, Laftagareen appointed a chairperson, deputy chairperson, secretary and additional members to the commission, which is expected to steer both the groundwork and…

Sunday March 22, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A group of Somali federal lawmakers say they were blocked from boarding outbound flights at Aden Adde International Airport during the current parliamentary recess, an episode that has reignited questions about political tensions in the capital and the freedom of movement of elected officials. Most of the MPs affected were elected from Southwest State. They told reporters they were stopped as they prepared to travel abroad for routine trips during the legislative break. The lawmakers…

Somalia: Lawmakers stopped from leaving Mogadishu airport as political rift widens MOGADISHU, Somalia — Security officers at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport blocked several members of the Federal Parliament from traveling on Saturday, igniting a fresh political storm over freedom of movement and claims of selective enforcement. The MPs — most of them representing the South West State administration — were…

Thursday March 19, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Political friction between Baidoa and Mogadishu sharpened Thursday after the opposition-aligned Somali Future Council backed Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen’s decision to freeze relations with the federal government and press ahead with regional elections. In a statement, the council said it welcomed Southwest’s stance but voiced alarm over a deepening national impasse. It argued that disputes over regional leadership, the electoral framework and recent…

Thursday March 19, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen on Wednesday reaffirmed a break in relations with Somalia’s federal government, accusing Mogadishu of undercutting federalism and destabilizing his region. “Starting today, there will be no contact between us and the federal government until something Somalis agree on is brought,” Laftagareen told reporters at a press conference in Baidoa. The regional leader said cooperation with the central government will not resume until…

Thursday March 19, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — In a sharp escalation with Somalia’s federal authorities, Southwest State on Wednesday halted all commercial and private air traffic into and out of airports across the region. The Southwest Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said in a statement the suspension took effect March 18, 2026, and will remain in force until further notice. The ministry said it imposed the measure to protect public safety and keep air traffic orderly “given the prevailing circumstances,” without…

Baidoa flights halted in Mogadishu, stranding hundreds as Somali aviation agency denies issuing ban South West State officials call the stoppage a “political travel blockade” by the federal government; the Somali Civil Aviation Authority says it issued no suspension order. Flights to the South West State capital were halted at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport on Tuesday, leaving hundreds of passengers — including regional officials — waiting for clarification. Halted departures to Baidoa stranded travelers…

MOGADISHU (AX) — The Banadir Regional Administration will allocate $288,000 this year to strengthen education services and support the construction of new public schools in Mogadishu, Mayor Hassan Mohamed Hussein, known as Muungaab, announced Sunday, marking a renewed push to expand access to free public education in the capital. The funding, approved for the current school year, is expected to rise in subsequent years as the city advances a wider plan to improve public schooling. “I recently signed nearly three hundred…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali police arrested a well-known female auto rickshaw driver after she joined protests over soaring fuel prices that choked key roads in the capital, lawmakers and colleagues said Thursday. The driver, identified as Sacdiyo Moalim and widely known as “Sacdiyo Bajaj,” was detained following a demonstration by Bajaj operators who rallied against steep increases in fuel costs and worsening economic conditions in Mogadishu. Authorities have not publicly explained the basis for her detention or said how…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s opposition-aligned Somali Future Council on Wednesday condemned what it described as the use of force against Bajaj drivers protesting soaring fuel prices in the capital, as well as the arrest of some drivers and journalists covering the demonstration. In a statement, the council said the drivers had been peacefully expressing grievances over sharp increases in fuel costs and should not have faced intimidation or detention. “It is unacceptable that young people who are creating jobs and contributing to…