security

France has called for an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Iran, elevating the issue to the world’s top diplomatic forum as member states weigh next steps and potential responses. The request places Iran back on the Security Council’s immediate agenda. While details on timing, the precise agenda and potential outcomes were not immediately available, an emergency session would allow council members to receive briefings, consult behind closed doors and consider statements or resolutions addressing the situation.…

Somalia, Saudi Arabia align positions at OIC emergency talks in Jiddah Jiddah, Saudi Arabia — Somalia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ali Mohamed Omar, held a bilateral meeting Friday with Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji on the sidelines of an emergency session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The talks coincided with an open-ended Executive Committee session at the level of foreign ministers convened to address recent developments in the…

Deni, Turkish envoy discuss security cooperation and political transition in Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia — Puntland State state President Said Abdullahi Deni met Thursday with Turkey’s ambassador to Somalia, Alper Aktaş, for talks centered on security cooperation, political stability and humanitarian pressures as the country navigates a tense electoral transition and persistent militant threats. The high-level meeting, attended by a delegation of senior Turkish Embassy officials, reviewed the general situation across Somalia…

Somalia’s Yeheb tree is vanishing. Turning Cordeauxia edulis into a domesticated crop could secure food, fodder and fragile drylands. In the sun-scored rangelands of Hiiraan, Galmudug, Mudug and the Somali-Ethiopian borderlands, a native lifeline grows almost nowhere else on Earth: the Yeheb tree (Cordeauxia edulis), known locally as Jicib. Long relied upon for its edible nuts, livestock fodder and soil-restoring roots, this wild leguminous shrub is quietly slipping away—its populations down as much as 70% under pressure…

Thousands march in Lyon to honor slain far-right activist as police deploy heavy security LYON, France — Thousands marched through central Lyon under heavy security to pay tribute to Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old far-right activist whose killing after street clashes has sharpened fears over political violence in France. Participants, many dressed in black and some masking their faces, carried flowers and placards bearing Deranque’s photograph alongside slogans reading “justice for Quentin” and “the extreme left kills.” The…

Friday February 20, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s new army chief met senior African Union leadership in Mogadishu to tighten battlefield coordination and accelerate the country’s Security Transition Plan as Somali forces prepare a renewed push against al-Shabab following Ramadan. Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud, commander of the Somali National Army (SNA), hosted a closed-door session at army headquarters with Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, the Special Representative of the African Union and head of the…

Kenya foils major terror plot in Nairobi during Ramadan NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s National Intelligence Service and the elite Special Operations Group have foiled a major attack planned for Nairobi during the holy month of Ramadan, disrupting a network authorities believe is linked to Somalia-based extremist group Al-Shabaab. Officials said Thursday the arrests were made late Tuesday at a Nairobi hideout where suspects were allegedly finalizing plans for a coordinated assault. The raid capped weeks — possibly months — of…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s foreign minister said the United Arab Emirates has halted its security assistance to the Horn of Africa nation after Mogadishu formally withdrew from bilateral agreements with Abu Dhabi. Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali told reporters the Emirati program had focused on Somalia’s military and security institutions and no longer had a legal or political framework after the government’s move to scrap the pacts. “Most of the support provided by the UAE was concentrated in the security sector. Since the…

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Somalia was elected Wednesday to the African Union Peace and Security Council for the 2026–2028 term, a diplomatic milestone that positions the Horn of Africa nation at the center of decision-making on the continent’s most urgent security challenges. In a statement, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the vote reflects renewed confidence in Somalia’s role and its growing contribution to Africa’s peace and security agenda. The government thanked AU member states for their support, with…

ADDIS ABABA — Somalia’s foreign minister, Abdisalam Ali, on Friday chaired the sixth A3 high-level ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Assembly, as African leaders moved to tighten coordination at the United Nations Security Council. Somalia currently serves as coordinator of the A3 — the three African non-permanent members of the Security Council: Somalia, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo — a role that places Mogadishu at the center of efforts to advance Africa’s priorities in New…