Somali

Somali forces kill at least 56 Al‑Shabaab fighters in coordinated raid on Lower Jubba stronghold Joint SNA–Jubaland operation targets Jamaame area; 20 suspects captured, hideouts destroyed MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali security officials say at least 56 Al‑Shabaab fighters were killed and 20 others captured during a major operation in Lower Jubba, marking one of the most significant joint actions by federal and regional forces in the area in recent months. The raid, described by security sources as carefully planned, was…

Somalia: Allied forces report 56 al-Shabaab killed in Lower Juba operation Jubbaland State forces, the Somali National Army and U.S.-trained Danab commandos launched a coordinated sweep across Jamaame district on Sunday, striking multiple militant sites at once. Authorities described the multi-front push as a highly planned operation aimed at weakening al-Shabaab’s rural grip. Security officials said at least 56 al-Shabaab fighters were killed and 20 others captured alive. The allied units moved simultaneously to overwhelm…

Somalia’s cabinet approves Saudi media and culture pacts as security and local elections take center stage Somalia’s cabinet has approved two new cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia focused on media and culture, a modest but telling bid to strengthen soft-power ties even as Mogadishu sharpens its attention on security and upcoming local council elections in the Banadir region, home to the capital. The measures were adopted at the government’s weekly meeting chaired by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre in Mogadishu,…

Somalia’s New Opposition Bloc Warns of ‘Red Lines’ as Federalism Wobbles NAIROBI — In a city that often hosts Somali politics in exile, a newly formed alliance of regional leaders and opposition figures gathered Wednesday and issued the sort of warning that lands with a thud in Mogadishu: Do not bend the country’s fragile constitutional order. Do not change the rules without consensus. Do not extend your mandate. And do not squeeze Somalia’s federal system until it breaks. Calling itself the Somali Future Council, the bloc…

European naval forces shadow Somali pirates after string of attacks; no immediate threat to shipping, officials say NAIROBI — European Union naval forces and allied navies are keeping a close watch on a pirate group off Somalia’s coast after a spate of attacks in recent days, but they say commercial shipping faces no immediate danger thanks to an international security presence. In a brief posting on X on Wednesday, EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta said the suspected pirates “remain in the area under surveillance,” urging…

In Kigali, a quiet pledge between Somalia and Nigeria hints at a broader shift in Africa’s fight against extremism On a mild Saturday in Kigali, two senior soldiers from different ends of the continent sat down and agreed to swap hard-won lessons from the battlefield. Somalia’s Land Forces Commander, Major General Sahal Abdullahi Omar—widely known as General Khalid—met Nigeria’s Infantry Commander, Major General Usman Abdulmumin Yusuf, to map out deeper military cooperation. The plan: share combat experience, expand joint…

In Mogadishu, a small but determined push against a tide of falsehoods MOGADISHU — For three days in late October, a conference room in the Somali capital hummed with the sort of quiet urgency that has come to define journalism in fragile states: laptops open, phones muted, trainers and trainees leaning into the same problem — how to stop lies from becoming news. The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), with funding from the Australian government via its High Commission in Nairobi, brought 32 reporters, editors…

A Somali audio startup turns listening into a bridge for a scattered nation On a humid morning in Mogadishu’s Hamar Weyne market, the bustle runs on engine oil and conversation. A tea vendor pours spiced shaah with one hand and, with the other, taps play on his phone. In his ear, a familiar voice narrates the ideas of Marcus Aurelius—in Somali. Five thousand miles away, a nurse on a night shift in Jigjiga cues up a 20-minute deep dive on genetics. In Minneapolis, a rideshare driver squeezes in a lesson on economics between…

Somali forces say they killed seven al‑Shabaab fighters in coordinated raid in Hiiraan MOGADISHU — Somali security forces, aided by international partners, killed seven al‑Shabaab militants in a multi‑phase operation on Monday in Kuukaayle, a locality in the Mahas District of Hiiraan region, officials said, underscoring the continued, often murky partnership between Somali units and foreign military planners in the fight against the insurgency. Three‑stage operation Somali authorities said the mission was launched after…

Turkey’s Residency Freeze Meets Somali Realities: What a Quiet Diplomatic Meeting Reveals In Ankara this week, a low-key meeting between Somali Ambassador Fathudiin Ali Mohamed Ospite and Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya put a human face on a policy that has reshaped daily life for foreigners across Turkey: the suspension of most new residency permits. The conversation was practical—how to help Somali citizens renew and obtain legal stay when the rules have tightened—but the implications are wider. As countries from…