Monday May 18, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State security forces detained suspected pirates on Sunday in a sweep across Somalia’s Bari region, stepping up pressure on groups accused of trying to revive maritime crime along the coast. According to Puntland State security officials, the suspects are thought to have ties to pirate networks linked to attacks, kidnappings and attempted hijackings of commercial ships in Somali waters and along nearby Red Sea shipping lanes. The operations form part of a wider effort to block…

In a decisive move, Russia has asserted that its forces will maintain their presence in Mali, continuing to support the military government amid escalating tensions with Tuareg separatists demanding their withdrawal. This announcement follows recent surprise attacks that led to the pullout of Russian troops from the strategically significant town of Kidal. Once a hub of military operations, Kidal saw the Russian Africa Corps paramilitary unit retreat after insurgent strikes propelled a swift change in control. The town had…

Squeezed by budget shortfalls, shifting battlefields, and emerging security risks, the United Nations peacekeeping mission is buckling under intensifying pressure, with mounting struggles to shield civilians and uphold stability. Yet UN official Jean-Pierre Lacroix emphasized that these deployments remain essential instruments for helping nations transition from war to durable peace. Over the past year, peacekeeping missions have confronted "significant financial challenges," Lacroix said, triggering contingency steps that…

Monday April 6, 2026 Türkiye's Çağrı Bey drillship is seen at a port, Mersin, southern Türkiye, Feb. 14, 2026. (AA Photo) Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is on the cusp of a historic first in its offshore energy sector, with Türkiye’s drillship Çağrı Bey due to arrive on April 10 to begin the country’s first deep-sea drilling campaign, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said. Bayraktar, speaking at a gathering in Trabzon on April 4, said he plans to travel to Somalia before the vessel docks. “With the…

Wednesday April 1, 2026 Somalia has been stepping up its push for a larger role on the world stage in recent years. / Others Somalia has moved a significant notch closer to putting its flag on ships sailing abroad after signing an agreement to establish the Somali Ship Registry system. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Mogadishu on Sunday between Somalia’s Ministry of Ports and Marine Transport and Somali Ship Register Limited, a privately owned company. In a statement, the ministry said the partnership is…

Tuesday March 31, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) - The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) took formal control of Operating Base (OB) SHAND from British forces in Mogadishu on 28 March 2026, marking a fresh phase in the mission’s support structure in the Somali capital. First established in 2017 as the main military operating site for the United Kingdom Mission Support Team (UKMST) in Somalia, OB SHAND is now set to function as a key platform for strengthening AUSSOM’s operational reach. At the handover…

Tuesday March 31, 2026 Türkiye’s drilling fleet is moving into a busier phase, with new exploration and production campaigns lined up for the Black Sea and Somalia in April as Ankara steps up efforts to tap domestic and overseas hydrocarbon resources. Türkiye's drilling ships are seen at the Filyos Port, northern Türkiye, March 15, 2026. (AA Photo) Over the past decade, the country has invested heavily in an offshore energy armada designed to trim its dependence on imported fuel by finding more oil and natural gas at…

Mohamed DhaysaneSaturday March 28, 2026 Somali forces, backed by international partners, carried out coordinated strikes on Thursday that killed more than 42 al-Shabaab fighters, including two senior figures, while leaving several others injured across operations in Middle Juba and Lower Shabelle, officials said. In one of the joint actions, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said it killed Abdihamid Ali Abdullahi Macalin, an al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab commander responsible for handling international…

Fujairah resumes oil loading after drone interception and fire at key UAE export hub FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates — Oil loading operations at the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah emirate have resumed after a drone attack and fire on Saturday, an industry source based in Fujairah said, restoring activity at one of the world’s most important energy logistics hubs. Fujairah’s media office said smoke seen rising over the oil industry zone was caused by debris after air defenses intercepted a drone. The incident unfolded amid…

Mogadishu — Somalia’s intelligence agency says at least 22 al-Shabab militants killed in coordinated strikes in Mudug and Hiiraan Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Saturday it killed at least 22 al-Shabab fighters, including several senior figures, in coordinated operations in the country’s central Mudug and Hiiraan regions. In a statement, the agency, known as NISA, said the operations were conducted with international partners and targeted militants allegedly planning attacks against civilians and…