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MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday accepted the credentials of eight newly appointed ambassadors, signaling renewed momentum in Somalia’s diplomatic outreach during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu. The envoys represent Egypt, Indonesia, Sweden, Cuba, Canada, Finland, Norway and Spain. In welcoming them, Mohamud underscored the importance of strengthening bilateral ties and urged close coordination with Somali institutions to support peace, trade and regional…

Somalia graduates 23rd Darwish police cohort in Djibouti as security build-up accelerates ahead of 2026 vote MOGADISHU — Somali Police Commissioner Brig. Gen. Asad Osman Abdullahi on Thursday attended a graduation ceremony in Djibouti marking the completion of training for the 23rd batch of the Somali Police Darwish forces, underscoring a push to professionalize Somalia’s security services as the country prepares for a landmark one-person, one-vote election in 2026. The Darwish cohort completed rigorous training in Djibouti…

MOGADISHU — The main market in Mogadishu’s Hamarweyne district remained closed for a third straight day Monday as traders protested what they say are excessive and unlawful tax demands imposed by Somalia’s Federal Government. Shopkeepers told local media the Ministry of Finance’s revenue department recently introduced additional fees that far exceed the legally mandated taxes they already pay each year. Several business owners said the new charges run into the hundreds of dollars — sums they say they cannot afford in the…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s push toward a unified, secure and inclusive digital identity gathered fresh momentum as government leaders, development partners and technology stakeholders mapped the next phase of the national ID rollout at the 2nd Somali National ID Conference, held Nov. 24-25 in the capital. Convened by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) in partnership with the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation, the conference underscored how the country’s digital ID program has…

South Africa on Monday tightened COVID-19 restrictions, banned alcohol sales and extended a nationwide curfew, as infections shot through a million marks due to a faster-spreading variant of the disease detected in the country. South Africa has recorded the highest number of coronavirus infections on the continent, with 1,044,413 cases reported and almost 27,000 deaths. Daily cases began to increase rapidly at the end of November to between 10,000 and 14,000. The new variant, called 501.V2, was…

The civil warfare between the Ethiopian authorities and the Tigray forces has despatched 25,000 terrified and ravenous Ethiopian refugees fleeing to Sudan, amid issues over an rising humanitarian disaster. Among the many hundreds of individuals fleeing the five-week-old battle in Ethiopia's Tigray area are dozens of males, ladies and youngsters from Eritrea, one of many world's most authoritarian states. They already lived as refugees in Tigray, which had lengthy been a secure haven for them throughout…