President

Somalia Looks to Kuwait’s Quiet Power as UN Gathering Turns to Deals, Not Declarations On the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sat down with Kuwait’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, for the kind of conversation that rarely makes headlines but often shapes outcomes. The readouts were restrained: talks of strengthening ties, shared views on regional security, fresh avenues in trade and development. Yet the presence of Kuwait’s…

Somalia’s president denies plot to cling to power as debate over constitution deepens When President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sat down with the BBC Somali Service this week, his tone was both defensive and conciliatory. He rejected accusations from opposition figures that he is manoeuvring to prolong his hold on office, insisting that only the country’s independent electoral commission — not politicians — can set election timetables. “No individual politician has veto power,” he said, adding that if the commission needs more…

Djibouti’s succession drama: Guelleh’s possible return, clan rivalries and what it means for a strategic Horn state As Djibouti edges toward its April 2026 presidential vote, the delicate balance of clan politics, family influence and constitutional tinkering that has sustained President Ismail Omar Guelleh’s two-decade rule is again in the spotlight. Long considered one of the Horn of Africa’s few pillars of stability, Djibouti now faces a familiar dilemma: preserve continuity through established networks, or open space…

U.S. military chiefs visit North Western State of Somalia as Congress advances bill to deepen engagement HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Senior U.S. military officials overseeing East Africa operations met Monday with North Western State of Somalia’s new president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, in a rare high-level visit to Hargeisa that dovetailed with fresh momentum in Washington to widen America’s ties with the self-governing territory. The talks — which both sides described as focused on security…

Somalia’s president heads to UN with security gains and a moral case on Gaza Mogadishu’s message to New York MOGADISHU — As world leaders converge on the United Nations General Assembly this week, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud departs for New York carrying two intertwined narratives: a plea for continued international backing for Somalia’s fragile state-building and a sharp moral rebuke over the war in Gaza that echoes across the Global South. For Mogadishu, the UNGA trip is part diplomacy, part scoreboard.…

Somali president welcomes boxer Ramla Ali, casting sports as a bridge to a hopeful future MOGADISHU — In a carefully staged encounter that mixed ceremony with symbolism, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday welcomed Ramla Ali — the Somali-born, UK-raised boxer who made history as the first Somali to compete in the Olympics — to the presidential palace in Mogadishu. The meeting was brief but pointed: Ali received a certificate of honor from the presidency and words of praise that turned an individual sporting…

U.S. Praise in Bosaso, Local Anger in Sanaag: A Test of Counter‑ISIS Strategy in Somalia BOSASO, Somalia — In a carefully choreographed visit this past weekend, senior U.S. officials flew into Puntland State’s bustling port city of Bosaso to laud the region’s role in combating Islamic State fighters and protecting Somalia’s northern maritime approaches. The delegation — led by Ambassador Richard Riley and including Major General Claude Tudor and the head of U.S. special operations in East Africa, Colonel Benander — met with…

Somalia’s identity shake-up: a bid to reclaim control sparks questions about reach and rights MOGADISHU — In a forceful televised address that mixed alarm at security risks with the blunt tools of statecraft, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced a sweeping overhaul of how Somalis are identified: passports, he said, will no longer be the primary credential for accessing government or private services. Instead, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) card must be used — and those who refuse to…

In Somalia, a Public Pledge of Loyalty Raises Stakes Ahead of Fragile Elections MOGADISHU — When Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre walked through the departure hall of Aden Adde International Airport this week, he was not merely inspecting toilets and trash bins. He was, in effect, rehearsing a partnership — an explicit commitment to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud that has been rare in Somalia’s recent politics. "I will never run for president against President , who entrusted me to serve Somalia as PM," Hamza said during…

Somalia’s army in pieces: Cowsweyne defeat still reverberates, former president warns When Al-Shabaab overran Cowsweyne in 2023, it did more than seize a strategic town in central Somalia. The militants’ victory cracked open the fragile architecture of the Somali National Army (SNA), scattering frontline units, exposing command fractures and — according to former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed — setting back efforts to rebuild a professional force for years. A rout with consequences “Osweyne was where Somali forces were…