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Wednesday May 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Wednesday named Abdifitah Qasim Mohamud as the country’s new Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, replacing Daud Aweis Jama in a cabinet change announced in Mogadishu. According to a government press release, the appointment was made in line with constitutional provisions and came after consultations with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The statement did not disclose the reasons for the removal of the former minister. Prime…

Friday April 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has sharply condemned the federal government’s decision to name an interim leader for Southwest State, calling it unconstitutional and a direct affront to Somalia’s federal order. In a statement, Sharmarke challenged what he described as the effective reduction of a federal member state into an entity subordinate to the central government. He argued that no legal authority exists for replacing an elected state administration…

Tuesday March 31, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's prime minister has rejected calls for indirect voting in South West State after federal forces secured Baidoa, arguing that the transition should move toward national reform rather than return to the older indirect election model. The dispute over Baidoa is also being read as a test of Somalia's federal arrangement, with critics warning that unilateral intervention could reshape the balance between Mogadishu and the regions. “Baidoa is under the control of the…

Friday March 27, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s political fallout over constitutional changes deepened this week after Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre formally fired two state ministers who had already announced they were quitting in protest earlier this month. In a statement released Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office said the dismissals were carried out under Articles 120 and 117 of the Provisional Constitution, as well as the Council of Ministers’ internal regulations. The office said the move was intended to…

CANBERRA, Australia — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday he cannot rule out Canada’s military participation in the escalating war in the Middle East, even as he reiterated that the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran launched last weekend appeared “inconsistent with international law.” Asked in a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese whether there was any scenario in which Canada would get involved, Carney called the question hypothetical but left the door open. “One can never…

Somalia to take Israel’s ‘North Western State of Somalia’ recognition to U.N., warns of Red Sea militarization MOGADISHU — Somalia will bring Israel’s announcement recognizing the self-declared “North Western State of Somalia” to the U.N. Security Council, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said, calling the move illegal and warning it could enable military basing, heighten Red Sea security risks and undermine Africa’s borders. In an interview with Egypt’s AlQahera News, Barre thanked Cairo for backing Somalia’s sovereignty and…

A single administration that controls all of Libya's territory must be set up, Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj said on Thursday. Speaking on television to the country for its 69th independence anniversary, Sarraj said that the Internationally Recognized Government of National Agreement (GNA) supports the idea of ​​holding presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2021 throughout Libya. He added that GNA had made a serious effort to make the election a success and called on the United…

Ethiopia's prime minister rejects growing international consensus on dialogue and a halt to deadly fighting in the Tigray region as "interference", saying his country will handle the conflict on its own. "We respectfully urge the international community to refrain from any unwelcome and illegal interference," said the statement from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office on Wednesday, quoted by the Associated Press (AP), as government forces surrounded the capital, Tigray, Mekele. "The international…

Ethiopia's prime minister rejects growing international consensus on dialogue and a halt to deadly fighting in the Tigray region as "interference", saying his country will handle the conflict on its own. "We respectfully urge the international community to refrain from any unwelcome and illegal interference," said the statement from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office on Wednesday, quoted by the Associated Press (AP), as government forces surrounded the capital, Tigray, Mekele. "The international…