Somali

Somalia’s politics is trapped in a loop. A generation of leaders has cycled through the same tactics, the same alliances and the same evasions, leaving the public unconvinced that there is any meaningful difference between those in office and those seeking it. That exhaustion is no longer just a mood; it is a structural risk to the state. When voters see no program, no transparency and no red lines on sovereignty, trust collapses. And when trust collapses, predatory actors — foreign and domestic — move in. Across the last…

Somali Political Leaders Hold Closed-Door Talks in Kismayo KISMAYO, Somalia — Senior Somali political figures held closed-door meetings Friday at the Jubaland presidential palace in the southern city of Kismayo, in what participants described as a pivotal bid to shape the country’s political path and the 2026 elections. Officials briefed on the discussions said the talks centered on finalizing the structure and mandate of a proposed body called the Future Council of Somalia, which backers say is intended to guide the…

KIUNGA, Kenya — On a sliver of Kenya’s northern coast, just 15 kilometers from the Somalia border and within sight of the turquoise shallows of the Kiunga Marine National Reserve, a different kind of refugee story has been unfolding for more than three decades. It’s a story without tents or barbed wire, without aid convoys or registration queues. In Kiunga, families opened their doors to Somali neighbors fleeing conflict and drought — and kept them open. A new media release by the Office of the Director Public Service…

Swedish aid to Somalia faces scrutiny: What the Ekot investigation reveals—and what we still don’t know Swedish public radio’s flagship news division, Ekot, has ignited a debate over how Swedish government funds were used in Somalia following cooperation arrangements between the two countries, raising sensitive questions about governance, transparency and the line between development aid and migration policy. The Office of the Somali Prime Minister has forcefully denied any impropriety and says Swedish support is implemented…

KISMAYO, Somalia — A high-stakes conference of the Somali Future Council opened Thursday in Kismayo, drawing more than 700 delegates and senior political figures to chart a path toward a consensus-based election model as Somalia nears pivotal votes. The gathering, hosted in the interim capital of Jubaland under heightened security, convenes amid plans to hold one person, one vote local council elections in Mogadishu’s Benadir region on Dec. 25. Organizers and participants say their goal is to avoid political conflict by…

Somalia and Djibouti deepen defense ties as EASF ministers convene in Mogadishu MOGADISHU — Somalia and Djibouti on Wednesday reinforced their security partnership as Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi met his Djiboutian counterpart, Hassan Omar Mohamed, in the capital ahead of a key regional defense summit. The Djiboutian minister is in Mogadishu for the 35th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of Defense and Security of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), a regional forum that brings together defense…

Somali university group warns against using schools as polling stations Union cites student safety, disruption to learning and political neutrality as key risks in election planning MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Union of Somali Universities on Tuesday urged authorities to drop plans to use schools, institutes and university campuses as polling stations in upcoming elections, warning the move could jeopardize student safety, disrupt learning and erode the political neutrality of education. In a statement, the union called on the…

TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyan authorities have deported a group of Somali migrants detained in the capital, the country’s Anti-Illegal Migration Agency said Monday, underscoring an intensified campaign against irregular migration that has swept up foreign nationals across the North African state. In a statement, the agency said the migrants were held at a detention center in eastern Tripoli and removed from the country after court orders and verification of travel documents. Officials said the deportations were carried out in…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A young rickshaw driver who had recently won the U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery was shot and killed late Sunday in Mogadishu’s Dayniile district, police and relatives said, shattering plans to migrate with his pregnant wife and intensifying concern over attacks on transport workers. Police identified the victim as Abdirisaq Abukar Mohamed. Family members said he was driving his three-wheeled motorized rickshaw when gunmen opened fire, striking him in the chest and throat. He died at the scene. Somali police…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Tuesday with a high-level Swedish delegation led by Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa, signaling an effort by both governments to deepen ties on economic development, trade and institution-building amid heightened debate over migration policy. The closed-door talks at Villa Somalia focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation to support Somalia’s reconstruction and governance reforms, according to a statement…