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Somali president rejects Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, urges dialogue to protect unity MOGADISHU — Somalia’s president on Thursday night forcefully rejected Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, calling the move a threat to Somalia’s unity and regional stability while renewing a call for direct talks with North Western State of Somalia’s leaders to resolve decades-old grievances. In a nationally broadcast address, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Somalia would not accept any…

Nicolas Maduro pleads not guilty in New York after U.S. raid; judge orders ex-Venezuelan leader held without bail Toppled Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in a federal courtroom in Manhattan, days after he was taken into U.S. custody during a predawn raid in Caracas that officials said involved air and naval support. Maduro, 63, spoke softly through a Spanish interpreter but struck a defiant tone. “I’m innocent. I’m not guilty,” he told the judge. He said he is the…

Somali president holds unannounced talks with ex-leader Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, signaling push for national dialogue MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met behind closed doors late Sunday with former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in Mogadishu, an unannounced encounter that signals a possible easing of political tensions as the country grapples with overlapping security, governance and constitutional challenges. The meeting brought together two of Somalia’s most influential political figures after months…

Somali Future Council urges Hassan Sheikh to convene election talks within a month, warns of crisis GAROWE, Somalia — The Somali Future Council on Monday renewed its call for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to convene all political stakeholders within a month to agree on a clear and timely electoral framework, warning that further delay risks a constitutional and security crisis as the country nears another transfer of power. In a statement issued after a meeting of the Future Council’s Technical Committee in Garowe, members…

Trump’s ‘peace through strength’ doctrine is being tested across three regions, as the White House pairs anti-interventionist rhetoric with rapid, forceful action in Venezuela, Nigeria and the Middle East. Nearly a year after returning to office promising to be a “peacemaker and unifier,” President Donald Trump has ordered large-scale military strikes in Venezuela and announced the capture and removal of Nicolás Maduro, the country’s leftist strongman. The raid, launched at the start of the new year, follows a Christmas Day…

Trump orders strikes in Venezuela, announces Maduro capture, as U.S. flexes muscle in multiple theaters Donald Trump returned to office vowing to be a peace president. Nearly a year later, he is leaning hard on military force. The U.S. president on Tuesday ordered large-scale strikes in Venezuela and announced that Nicolás Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country — a stunning escalation that follows a Christmas Day operation in Nigeria and fresh warnings aimed at Iran. Trump said U.S. forces were “locked and…

Saturday January 3, 2026 JOWHAR, Somalia — A landmine explosion struck a convoy escorting Hirshabelle State President Ali Guudlawe Hussein on Friday as it traveled from Mohamed Dheere Airport toward Jowhar, injuring several members of his delegation but leaving the president unharmed, officials said. The blast occurred at Jiiro Carmoole, a stretch of road between the airport and Jowhar town, and hit one of the vehicles providing security for the president shortly after his arrival, according to security sources. Ali Guudlawe…

Somalia’s president warns Israel against North Western State of Somalia presence, says recognition risks importing conflict to Horn of Africa Published Friday, Jan. 2, 2026 Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud warned that Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia and any effort to establish a foothold in the breakaway region would risk dragging the Horn of Africa into broader Middle East hostilities. “We have never attacked Israel. We never have created problem to Israel. We don’t want Israel to come to us…

ISTANBUL — Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud warned that Israel’s unexpected recognition of North Western State of Somalia risks destabilizing the Horn of Africa and could be tied to attempts to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, escalating tensions across a strategic maritime corridor linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In an interview with Al Jazeera on Tuesday from Istanbul, where he met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mohamud said Israel’s move was “not merely a diplomatic gesture but a cover for…

Somalia’s President to Visit Saudi Arabia Amid Shifting Alliances MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to make an official visit to Saudi Arabia later this week, officials said, a trip aimed at consolidating ties with Riyadh as Mogadishu recalibrates its regional alliances across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. Somali officials said the agenda will center on strengthening bilateral relations, regional cooperation and security coordination, with both governments looking to formalize a…