Northeastern

LAS ANOD, Somalia — Authorities in Somalia’s Northeastern State have dismissed as fabricated a video circulating on social media that purports to show Al-Shabab militants operating near Las Anod, calling it an artificial-intelligence–manipulated attempt to spread fear and misinformation. In a statement issued Saturday, the Northeastern Somali Police Force labeled the footage “fake,” saying it was crudely assembled from unrelated online clips and altered with AI tools. Police rejected claims that any portion was filmed in…

GAROWE, Somalia — Puntland State authorities on Saturday released the names and photographs of nearly 50 foreign Islamic State fighters captured during military operations in the Calmiskaat mountains of the Bari region, days after declaring the yearlong campaign against the group largely complete. Security officials said the detainees hail from at least seven countries, underscoring the transnational reach of Islamic State’s Somalia branch. The largest contingents presented were from Ethiopia and Morocco. Ethiopia: 18…

At Las Anod inauguration, Somalia’s president condemns Israel over North Western State of Somalia and vows to defend unity LAS ANOD — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Saturday attended the swearing-in of Abdulqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, known as Firdhiye, as president of the Northeastern Regional State, using the ceremony to project federal authority and denounce foreign interference in Somalia’s internal affairs. Hassan Sheikh condemns Israel’s recognition of North Western State of…

Envoys from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Sudan attend Las Anod inauguration, signaling support for Somalia’s unity LAS ANOD, Somalia — Ambassadors from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Sudan arrived in Las Anod on Saturday to attend the inauguration of Abdikadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, known as Firdhiye, the newly elected president of Somalia’s Northeastern Regional State, in a show of diplomatic backing for the region’s evolving political order. The envoys’ visit underscores international support for Somalia’s federal institutions and…

Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 LAS ANOD, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud convened a high-level, closed-door consultation Friday night with traditional elders from the Northeastern State, urging them to anchor reconciliation and grassroots security as the federal government moves to consolidate authority in the long-contested region. The meeting in Las Anod — part of the president’s landmark visit to the city — centered on reconciliation, security and the consolidation of the state-building process after years of conflict…

Breaking: Firdhiye names 21-member Cabinet in Las Anod, signaling next phase for Somalia’s northeastern administration Las Anod, Somalia — Abdikadir Ahmed Ali, widely known as Firdhiye, has appointed a 21-member Cabinet for the northeastern regional administration centered in Las Anod, according to a decree issued Sunday by his office. The move, months in the making, formalizes a leadership team for the territory that emerged from last year’s fighting and has since sought a stable path under the banner of SSC-Khatumo. The…

Analysis: Northeastern State’s warning shot tests Somalia’s fragile federal bargain Somalia’s most politically assertive region, Northeastern State, has accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of trampling the country’s basic rules — and it’s not just a routine war of words. In a sharply worded statement from Garowe, Northeastern State’s leadership warned that what it calls constitutional overreach from the federal center risks tipping the country into crisis unless Somalis agree on a shared path to the next elections. They…

Analysis: Aid Spat Between Northeastern State and Mogadishu Exposes Fragile Federal Ties In Somalia’s rugged northeast, where the wind-carved ridges of the Cal Miskaad range fall to the sea, a familiar political quarrel is spilling into the humanitarian lane. Northeastern State officials and Somalia’s national disaster agency are trading accusations over who blocked lifesaving support to freshly secured areas — and why. It’s a dispute with real consequences for wounded soldiers, displaced families and the credibility of a…

Firdhiye Wins Leadership of Somalia’s New Northeastern State in Las Anod Vote Amid Allegations of Federal Interference How the vote unfolded Las Anod, a city that has lived at the edge of maps and the center of Somalia’s political crosswinds, delivered a decisive vote on Saturday. Abdikadir Ahmed Ali Firdhiye, a former interim leader of the territory known locally as SSC-Khatumo, was elected president of the newly formed Northeastern state after a tense and closely watched contest. The ballot shifted dramatically between…

Somalia’s Northeastern lawmakers head into decisive vote in Las Anod amid allegations of federal interference LAS ANOD, Somalia — Lawmakers in Somalia’s newly formed Northeastern state are set to choose a president and vice president on Saturday, a pivotal test for a region still finding its feet after a violent, bruising year and a political moment that could ripple far beyond the dusty streets of Las Anod. The vote, expected to unfold in rounds through the day, features ten contenders — five for president and five for…