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South West State executes police officer over $2 extortion killing in Baidoa BAIDOA, Somalia — The South West State administration on Saturday executed a member of its special police force who was convicted of fatally shooting a civilian during a $2 extortion dispute, according to officials and court records. The soldier, identified as Abdisamad Hassan Madnuur, was sentenced to death by the 60th Division Military Court for killing a traveler in late November in Berdale district of the Bay region. Court documents state the…

MINNEAPOLIS — The takedown happened in seconds: masked federal agents sprinting toward a 20-year-old Somali American as he stepped from a restaurant, forcing him through a doorway and pinning him against a metal gate. “Why are you running?” one demanded in the bystander video, despite footage showing he had stopped. Moments later, as snow gathered on his jacket, an arm slid around his neck and he was shoved into an unmarked gray SUV while neighbors shouted that he is a citizen. The man, who asked to be identified as Mubashir…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s presidential envoy for countering extremist ideology on Thursday rejected reports that the federal government is holding secret negotiations with al-Shabab, calling the claims false and meant to mislead the public. Aweys Mohamed Omar said the government has not entered discussions with the militant group and has no plans to do so. The rumors, which circulated widely on social media and in several local outlets, suggested informal contacts were underway. Omar said the reports were designed to erode…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government has rejected allegations that weapons entering the country are being routed onward to armed actors in the region, insisting there is no evidence that Somali territory is used to funnel arms to Yemen’s Houthi movement. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Mohamed Omar, known as Ali Balcad, told Al Jazeera Net in an interview published Wednesday that Mogadishu is intensifying efforts to disrupt illicit arms flows across the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea corridor and to prevent…

Somalia launches nationwide census of Quranic schools amid concern over conditions MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has begun a nationwide census of Quranic schools, responding to rising complaints that many centers operate in places and conditions considered unsuitable for children’s learning. Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali said the assessment is designed to establish a clear picture of Quranic schools across the country so the government can plan,…

BORAMA, North Western State of Somalia — Traditional leaders in North Western State of Somalia’s Awdal region said Tuesday they have handed security responsibilities in Borama back to the police, moving to restore order after days of unrest that left at least 20 people dead and more wounded. The elders announced the decision after a closed-door meeting in the regional capital, reversing an earlier directive that had ordered all security forces — including police and army units — to withdraw from the city amid escalating…

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Tanzania’s prime minister urged citizens to remain at home Tuesday as activists called for Independence Day protests over the deadly suppression of demonstrations that followed October’s elections. Police warned any gathering would be illegal, and security forces mounted a visible show of force in major cities. The United Nations has said hundreds of people were likely killed in the unrest, which was fueled by the exclusion of leading opposition candidates from the ballot. President Samia Suluhu…

JIGJIGA, Ethiopia — Police in Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State have arrested a man accused of secretly recording Somali women and attempting to extort them with explicit videos obtained through social media, authorities said Monday. The suspect, identified by police as Ayuub, is originally from Mogadishu and has lived in several European countries, including Italy and Austria. He was detained in Jigjiga after multiple women reported that he recorded them without their knowledge and later threatened to release the footage…

Somali lawmakers pass amendments to Accountants Bill to tighten financial oversight MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s House of the People on Monday approved amendments to the Somali Accountants Bill, a measure aimed at strengthening financial oversight across federal institutions and raising professional standards in the public accounting sector. The chamber voted 140-1 to adopt the revisions, with four lawmakers abstaining. Second Deputy Speaker Abdullahi Omar Abshirow announced the tally shortly after debate opened on the…

Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is preparing to relaunch Somali Airlines in the coming months, marking the national carrier’s first return to service since it was grounded more than 30 years ago during the civil war, the country’s transport minister said Sunday. Government says management, regulation and fleet plans are in place as the carrier enters final operational planning. Two Airbus A320s have been acquired; additional jets are slated from 2026. IATA’s Billing and Settlement Plan access is being reinstated after 33 years, a…