Somali

Sunday April 26, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — U.S. authorities say they have arrested a Somali national facing passport fraud allegations and suspected of ties to a 2012 piracy case, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The man, identified as Said Jama Ahmed, was detained near the U.S.-Canada border after an off-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer noticed him, officials said in a statement on Friday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Ahmed on the evening of April 14, 2026, several miles south…

Sunday April 26, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s trade minister, Jamal Mohamed Hassan, has accused Puntland State security forces of firing on civilians in Badhan, in the Sanaag region, during unrest tied to a planned visit by Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni. In a statement, Jamal denounced what he called “unacceptable” violence, saying troops used live ammunition against residents who had opposed Deni’s trip to the town earlier this week. No deaths or injuries have been officially confirmed. “The act of…

Sunday April 26, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Saturday attended the inauguration of Murusade sub-clan traditional chief Ugaas Abdirisaq Ugaas Abdullahi in Mogadishu, joining opposition leaders and traditional elders at the ceremony. The gathering brought together a wide range of figures from across Somali regions, among them government officials, opposition representatives and customary leaders, underscoring the event’s broader national weight. Hassan Sheikh…

Saturday April 25, 2026 Somali pirates have seized an oil tanker off the country’s northeastern coast, underscoring a renewed threat on a sea lane long watched by global naval forces. A maritime policeman guarded an oil tanker after its release. Somali pirates have hijacked four ships in the past month.Credit...Abdiqani Hassan/Reuters Mogadishu (AX) — Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker carrying 18,500 barrels of fuel and 17 crew members off Somalia’s northeastern coast, officials said Friday. The vessel, named Honour 25,…

Sundus AbdiSaturday April 25, 2026 Ifrah F Ahmed turned to Somali community members around the world to research her book, Soomaaliya: Food, Memory and Migration. Photograph: Khadija Farah On a video call from Brooklyn, with a book tour stretching between cities, Ifrah F Ahmed sips ginger-root tea. The aroma pulls her back to a childhood kitchen where her mother would often bake fragrant cardamom cake. “That’s a core childhood memory for me,” she said. For Ahmed, food has never been only about eating. It carries memory,…

Saturday April 25, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Friday unveiled a new initiative in Doolow designed to bolster urban resilience for internally displaced people and the communities that have taken them in, as Somalia grapples with the twin pressures of displacement and economic hardship. Addressing the launch ceremony in Mogadishu, Barre said the project seeks to strengthen livelihoods and lay the groundwork for longer-term stability in areas strained by conflict and repeated drought. The project,…

Saturday April 25, 2026 An oil tanker was left under guard after being freed, a stark reminder of how quickly piracy can again unsettle the waters off Somalia. Somali pirates have hijacked four ships in the past month.Credit...Abdiqani Hassan/Reuters Mogadishu (AX) — Somali pirates seized an oil tanker carrying 18,500 barrels of fuel and 17 crew members off Somalia’s northeastern coast, officials said Friday. The ship, identified as Honour 25, was taken late Wednesday by at least six armed men roughly 30 nautical miles…

At Least 17 Somali Migrants Die After Boat Sinks Between Algeria and Spain, Envoy Says ALGIERS, April 24 - At least 17 Somali migrants died after a vessel carrying them went down in waters between Algeria and Spain, Somalia’s ambassador to Algeria said on Thursday, underscoring once again the deadly risks Africans face on the journey toward Europe. Ambassador Yusuf Ahmed Hassan told Somali state media that distraught parents had reached out to him in search of news about missing children. Among the dead were 12 men and five…

Friday April 24, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A boat carrying Somali migrants capsized between Algeria and Spain, killing at least 17 people, Somalia’s ambassador to Algeria said Thursday. Ambassador Yusuf Ahmed Hassan told state media that 12 men and five women drowned after the vessel overturned during the crossing. It was not immediately clear how many passengers were aboard. “I was reached by parents who were looking for their children and wanted to know their whereabouts,” Hassan said. He said he later spoke with Algerian…