Somali

MOGADISHU (AX) — A deadly attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach killed 15 people, including a child, prompting nationwide condemnation, heightened security and fears of backlash among Somali and other Muslim communities. Police said a man and his son opened fire during the beachfront gathering late Sunday, targeting attendees in what authorities described as an antisemitic act of terrorism. The victims ranged in age from 10 to 87. Investigators said inquiries were ongoing and urged the public to…

‘A door opened’: Somali businessman helps displaced families secure land near Afgooye MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Somali businessman has stepped in to help more than 60 internally displaced families secure long-sought land near Afgooye, fast-tracking a community savings plan that would otherwise have taken years to complete. Abdinasir Ali Adoon said he was compelled to act after watching a BBC report about families in a displacement camp outside Mogadishu who had been pooling small monthly contributions through a traditional…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A man believed to be a Somali National Army soldier shot and killed a rickshaw operator in Mogadishu’s Dayniile district on Sunday night before fleeing the scene, according to local witnesses and family members. The victim was identified by relatives as Abdirisaq Abuukar Mohamud. He was shot in the Barwaqo area of Dayniile, witnesses said. The assailant, described as wearing a military uniform, escaped while firing sporadly as he fled. Family members accused the gunman of an unprovoked killing and said…

MOGADISHU — Several Somali political organizations said they are not part of the 20 groups the National Electoral Commission (NEC) has listed for the December 25 local council elections in Banadir region, alleging violations of electoral law and undue government influence over the process. Representatives of the organizations spoke at a Sunday press conference in Mogadishu, warning that the dispute threatens to derail the first-phase vote in the capital. “Five rounds of talks with the commission ended in vain because there…

MOGADISHU (AX) — Somalia’s House of the People on Saturday completed the first reading of a sweeping police reform bill that would overhaul the legal framework guiding the Somali Police Force, signaling a new phase in efforts to modernize the country’s security institutions and strengthen rule of law. The session — the 21st meeting of the chamber’s seventh sitting — brought lawmakers into a structured review of the draft’s core provisions, which aim to tighten police governance and clarify chains of command and operational…

MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud urged Mogadishu residents to turn out for the Banadir local council elections later this month, calling the vote a historic step toward one-person, one-vote democracy and the first time in nearly 57 years that citizens will directly choose their local leaders. Speaking Saturday after collecting his own voter card, Mohamud framed the December ballot as both a civic right and a personal responsibility with tangible consequences for daily life in the capital. “You choose who…

Mogadishu (AX) — Sweden will continue deporting Somali nationals whose asylum claims have been rejected, Migration Minister Johan Forssell said, defending a bilateral return agreement that has come under intensifying political and public scrutiny over funding channels and oversight. Forssell said the cooperation with Somalia has delivered “clear results” and forms part of a broader effort to enforce asylum decisions. He added that Sweden intends to expand similar arrangements with additional countries, signaling a tougher…

MINNEAPOLIS — The takedown happened in seconds: masked federal agents sprinting toward a 20-year-old Somali American as he stepped from a restaurant, forcing him through a doorway and pinning him against a metal gate. “Why are you running?” one demanded in the bystander video, despite footage showing he had stopped. Moments later, as snow gathered on his jacket, an arm slid around his neck and he was shoved into an unmarked gray SUV while neighbors shouted that he is a citizen. The man, who asked to be identified as Mubashir…

Vermont school district deluged with threats after raising Somali flag in show of support WINOOSKI, Vt. — A small Vermont school district has been hit with racist and threatening calls and messages after flying a Somali flag on campus to support Somali American students following President Donald Trump’s remarks referring to Minnesota’s Somali community as “garbage.” The Winooski School District began displaying the Somali flag on Dec. 5 outside its K-12 building, placing it beneath the U.S. flag and alongside Vermont’s…

MOGADISHU — The Somali National Electoral Commission said Thursday night that 20 political organizations have formally submitted candidate lists for the Banadir local council elections scheduled for December 25, closing the candidate registration phase for the Mogadishu-area vote. In a statement, the commission confirmed that candidate registration has concluded, capping a two-week extension granted last month to give parties more time to finalize their slates. A total of 61 political organizations registered earlier this…