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ADDIS ABABA — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday praised African leaders for a unified rejection of Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, calling the continent’s stance a clear affirmation that Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are nonnegotiable. Addressing heads of state at the African Union (AU) summit, Mohamud thanked member states for what he described as a firm, collective defense of Somalia’s borders and a recommitment to the principles of sovereignty and noninterference…

ANKARA — Somalia on Tuesday denounced Israel’s decision to recognize the breakaway North Western State of Somalia region, calling it a clear breach of international law and a fresh example of Tel Aviv’s disregard for global norms, according to the country’s justice minister. Somali Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Hassan Moallim Mohamud, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the “Türkiye-Africa Strategic Dialogue” program organized by the National Intelligence Academy (MİA) in Ankara, said Mogadishu would…

Somalia on Tuesday condemned Israel’s decision to recognize North Western State of Somalia as an independent state, calling it a violation of international law and vowing to defend the country’s territorial integrity as diplomatic fallout widened across the Horn of Africa. Speaking in Ankara on the sidelines of the Türkiye-Africa Strategic Dialogue organized by Türkiye’s National Intelligence Academy (MİA), Somali Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Hassan Moallim Mohamud said the move underscored what he…

Opinion: Somalia Is Central to Red Sea Security — and the Arab World Can’t Afford to Overlook It Global markets don’t advertise their weak points; they reveal them when the world’s shipping arteries tighten, energy prices jump and supply chains falter. Few chokepoints matter more right now than the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. And within that corridor, one actor remains consistently underestimated: Somalia. Somalia has long been reduced to a shorthand for fragility. That frame obscures a transition hiding in plain sight.…

In Cairo’s June 30 Stadium, under the bright floodlights and the pressure of a continent watching, Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan took command of the CAF Champions League final between Egypt’s Pyramids FC and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. The match, which Sundowns edged 2–1, had all the urgency the occasion demands. Yet the deeper story was not the scoreline. It was the whistle in Artan’s hand — the first time a Somali official had been entrusted with African club football’s ultimate stage. For Somali sport,…

Somali Parliament wraps Chapter Four debate, opens divisive Chapter Five in constitutional review Monday, February 9, 2026 MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal parliament on Monday closed debate on Chapter Four of the Provisional Constitution and formally opened deliberations on Chapter Five, pressing ahead with a high-stakes constitutional review that has laid bare deep political rifts between federal leaders, opposition lawmakers and member states. Lawmakers concluded discussions on Articles 49, 50 and 54, which define…

Kismayo, Somalia — The Jubbaland regional administration on Saturday accused Somalia’s federal government of unconstitutional interference in the affairs of federal member states, warning that the moves threaten the country’s federal system and national unity as Parliament debates sweeping constitutional changes. In a statement issued by the Jubbaland presidency, the regional authority said Mogadishu lacks the mandate to unilaterally amend the Provisional Constitution or restructure the system of governance. Somalia’s…

Somali community inaugurates house honoring former President Farmaajo in Merca as presidency disputes claim over fundraising halt Community elders and residents on Saturday inaugurated a house built in honor of former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo in the Ceeljaalle area of Merca town, Lower Shabelle region, a project organizers said was funded entirely by donations from Somalis at home and abroad. The house was constructed under the “Thank You President” campaign, a nationwide fundraising initiative that its…

Egypt condemns Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, warns of Red Sea destabilization Friday February 6, 2026 CAIRO — Egypt on Thursday condemned Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of North Western State of Somalia, calling it a violation of international law that infringes on Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and risks undermining stability across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea corridor. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty delivered the warning during talks in Cairo with Somali…

Decentralization Without Detachment: How Somalia’s Federal Experiment Risks Repackaging Authoritarian Rule Somalia’s embrace of federalism was meant to end the abuses of centralized power, redistribute authority closer to citizens, and lower the stakes of political competition. Three decades on, the core problem is not the federal model itself but decentralization without cultural detachment from the authoritarian habits entrenched under military rule. Power has been dispersed in form yet reproduced in practice—personalized,…