security

Egypt warns Israeli Red Sea access, North Western State of Somalia recognition pose major security threat CAIRO — Egypt has warned that any move by Israel to gain access to the Red Sea or to recognize North Western State of Somalia would constitute a grave threat to regional stability and to Egyptian national security, according to officials familiar with recent high-level discussions. The position was set during talks a day earlier between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi,…

Monday February 9, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Saudi Arabia and Somalia have signed a new military cooperation agreement to strengthen defense ties, expanding counterterrorism efforts and enhancing maritime security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, officials from both countries said. The memorandum of understanding was announced by Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, marking a significant step in deepening the strategic partnership between Riyadh and Mogadishu. Under…

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and OCP Group, a global leader in plant-nutrition solutions, announced a five-year strategic partnership to accelerate scientific innovation for sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems. The collaboration, designed to bolster the IAEA’s Atoms4Food initiative, brings together the IAEA’s expertise in nuclear and isotopic techniques with OCP’s fertilizer science and field reach to address soil fertility, crop productivity and post-harvest safety. The agreement signals an…

Dubai detainee extradited to Moscow over shooting of top GRU general; Kyiv denies role A Ukrainian-born Russian citizen has been extradited to Moscow from Dubai on suspicion of shooting Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alexeyev, the deputy head of Russia’s GRU military intelligence service, Russian security officials and investigators said. Alexeyev, 64, was shot three times on Friday with a Makarov pistol fitted with a silencer inside an apartment block on the Volokolamsk Highway in northern Moscow, about 12 kilometers from the Kremlin,…

WASHINGTON — Sen. Jim Risch warned this week that continued instability in Somalia poses a direct threat to U.S. national security, pressing for tighter oversight to ensure American counterterrorism and humanitarian assistance advances U.S. interests and is shielded from corruption. “The United States faces real security threats from the instability in Somalia,” said Risch, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “It is essential that our counterterrorism and humanitarian efforts primarily serve…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre met Saturday with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Justin Davis to deepen cooperation on Somalia’s security campaign and navigate a fraught political calendar, as the federal government presses constitutional changes and debates the framework for the 2026 elections. The meeting at Mogadishu’s Halane base camp covered the government’s military offensive against al-Shabaab and ISIS, along with efforts to stabilize newly recovered areas, according to a readout from the prime minister’s…

BAIDOA, Somalia — At least 10 people were wounded after two days of heavy fighting between Southwest state security forces and armed militia groups rocked Baidoa, shuttering businesses, snarling transport and cutting communications in parts of the city, residents and local officials said. The clashes erupted Wednesday and continued into Thursday, beginning as a land dispute before spiraling into broader unrest with political undertones, according to witnesses. Residents reported the use of heavy weapons in several…

MOGADISHU — Analysis U.S. Africa Command signaled a broader play in Somalia that reaches beyond counterterrorism. Lt. Gen. John Brennan, AFRICOM’s deputy commander, said Washington’s presence and operations could extend into trade and investment, citing untapped Somali resources on land and offshore. His framing underscores a shift: pairing security assistance with private capital to help stabilize a country long defined by conflict and commercial risk. Brennan argued that chronic insecurity has kept Somalis from benefiting…

Somalia blocks planes carrying Jubaland, Puntland State security teams from landing in Mogadishu MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government on Monday blocked two planes carrying security personnel for the presidents of Jubaland and Puntland State from landing at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport, citing national security concerns ahead of planned political talks in the capital. Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said the arrival of a heavily armed contingent tied to the two regional leaders posed an…

Somalia bars planes carrying Jubaland, Puntland State security from Mogadishu ahead of talks MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government on Sunday defended its decision to block two planes carrying security personnel for the presidents of Jubaland and Puntland State from landing in Mogadishu, citing strict protocols in place for the capital ahead of a planned national consultative meeting. The Ministry of Interior said the aircraft were transporting armed personnel and weapons in violation of security rules governing…