Puntland

KISMAYO, Somalia — A senior Puntland State official urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to embrace the outcomes of the Somali Future Council conference that concluded in Kismayo on Saturday, as the newly formed opposition alliance set a Jan. 20, 2026, deadline for inclusive talks on Somalia’s elections. Abdifatah Mohamed Abdinur, the state minister for the Puntland State presidency, called on the president to place national interests above personal considerations and warned against actions that could deepen political…

Puntland State’s Deni urges inclusive national dialogue, warns of political instability in Somalia KISMAYO, Somalia — Puntland State State of Somalia President Said Abdullahi Deni on Thursday urged Somalia’s federal leadership and political actors to heed warnings from Somali intellectuals and reopen inclusive talks on the country’s future, saying failure to do so risks renewed political chaos and threatens national unity. Speaking at the opening of the Somali Future Council conference in Kismayo, Deni said repeated alerts…

Puntland State leader warns Somalia could fracture amid political deadlock, urges dialogue with Mogadishu KISMAYO, Somalia — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni warned Thursday that Somalia risks breaking apart if political leaders fail to listen to one another and pursue consensus, as tensions mount over governance and the path to national elections. Speaking at a conference in the southern port city of Kismayo, Deni said division would be inevitable if dialogue, mutual respect and coexistence continue to erode.…

Puntland State minister says ISIS raised $10 million from illicit gold, charcoal as foreign fighter push falters AXADLE, Somalia — Foreign fighters from Syria, Turkey, Morocco, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya have infiltrated Somalia’s Puntland State in recent years, but their efforts to recruit local Somalis have largely fallen flat, the region’s environment minister said, as authorities tout battlefield gains and a clampdown on the militants’ financing. Mohamed Abdirahman Farole, Puntland State’s Minister of Environment…

Why Axadle named Puntland State’s president Person of the Year: Wartime leadership against ISIS Sometimes leadership becomes legible only when the stakes are existential. Axadle’s decision to name Puntland State State of Somalia President Said Abdullahi Deni “Person of the Year” rests on such a moment: a months-long military campaign against the Islamic State’s Somali branch that tested Puntland State’s security institutions, its economic lifelines and public confidence in government. The outlet’s choice is not about party…

Puntland State maritime force seizes boat with explosives off Eyl, arrests seven GAROWE, Somalia — The Puntland State Maritime Police Force on Saturday intercepted a boat off the coast of Eyl district carrying explosives and materials used to manufacture improvised explosive devices, detaining seven people, according to authorities. Preliminary reports indicated the seized cargo included various chemical substances commonly used in the production of high-impact explosives. The vessel was crewed by two Yemeni nationals and…

MOGADISHU — Puntland State security forces have destroyed more than 100 Islamic State (ISIS) bases in the Cal-Miskaad mountains during a yearlong sweep that has sharply degraded the group’s capabilities, the region’s police chief said Thursday. Police Commander Gen. Mumin Abdi Shire, speaking one year after Puntland State launched Operation Hilaac, said the offensive has eliminated key fighters and reduced ISIS’s military capacity by nearly 85 percent. He said weapons caches, supply depots and facilities used to manufacture…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Puntland State’s police chief says regional security forces have destroyed more than 100 Islamic State (ISIS) bases in the Cal-Miskaad mountains, marking what authorities call a decisive year for Operation Hilaac, the state’s ongoing counterterrorism campaign. General Mumin Abdi Shire, speaking Thursday on the first anniversary of the offensive, said the operation has eliminated key ISIS fighters and slashed the group’s military capability by nearly 85%. He said weapons caches, supply depots and…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Puntland State security forces have destroyed more than 100 Islamic State bases in the Cal-Miskaad mountains over the past year, sharply degrading the extremist group’s capabilities in northern Somalia, the region’s police chief said Thursday. Gen. Mumin Abdi Shire said the campaign, conducted under Operation Hilaac, has eliminated key ISIS fighters and reduced the group’s military capacity by nearly 85 percent. He said troops dismantled weapons caches, supply depots and facilities used to manufacture…

Puntland State President Announces Somalia State-Building Conference in Garowe AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni said his administration will convene a conference in Garowe to examine Somalia’s state-building challenges and propose practical, evidence-based solutions, signaling an expert-led approach amid a protracted political standoff with the federal government. Deni said the gathering will bring together Somali experts and academics to look beyond factional interests and offer research-driven…