Somali

Somalia says senior al-Shabab planner behind 2025 attacks killed in Lower Shabelle strike MOGADISHU, Somalia (AX) — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Tuesday it killed a senior al-Shabab leader accused of orchestrating several of the extremist group’s deadliest operations last year, including the assault on the Godka Jilacow detention complex in Mogadishu. NISA said the March 1 operation took place in the Hantiwadaag area of Awdheegle district in the Lower Shabelle region and was conducted in…

Chinese fishing vessel and crew freed after seizure off Puntland State following China–Somalia coordination MOGADISHU — A Chinese fishing vessel seized by armed men off the coast of Puntland State was released along with all crew members after coordinated efforts by China, Somalia’s federal government and Puntland State authorities, officials said Tuesday. The vessel was freed on March 2 in what the Chinese Embassy in Mogadishu described as a peaceful resolution reached through close consultations between Somalia’s federal…

In a country that has waited more than half a century for modern workplace protections, a union-led, United Nations-backed push is taking the new law from paper to factory floors, markets and offices across Somalia. The Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU) has launched a nationwide labour rights education drive to help workers understand, reclaim and defend their rights under Somalia’s newly adopted Labour Code — the first comprehensive reform in 52 years. The Labour Code emerged from sustained social dialogue among the…

Tuesday, March 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU), backed by the United Nations, has launched a nationwide labor rights education campaign to turn Somalia’s first comprehensive Labour Code reform in 52 years into real protections in workplaces across the country. The newly adopted Labour Code was crafted through sustained tripartite dialogue among the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA), the Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and FESTU, with technical and financial…

KISMAYO, Somalia — A broadcast journalist was shot dead Monday night in the southern port city of Kismayo after an altercation with a police officer, according to the National Union of Somali Journalists. Authorities say the officer has been arrested and an investigation is underway. Abshir Khalif Shide Omar was killed at about 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 2, 2026, following a brief dispute with a police officer, NUSOJ said, citing initial inquiries. The union said the motive remains unclear and the full circumstances have yet to…

MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held separate telephone calls with the King of Jordan and the Amir of Qatar as regional tensions spiked following Iranian missile strikes, the presidency said Monday. In statements issued by Villa Somalia, the president and his counterparts discussed the deteriorating security climate across the Middle East and stressed the need to reduce tensions and intensify diplomatic efforts to preserve stability. The Somali leader reaffirmed Mogadishu’s support for both Jordan and…

Flight carrying Puntland State lawmakers ordered back to Mogadishu; Puntland State suspends Daallo Airlines MOGADISHU, Somalia — More than 30 members of Somalia’s federal parliament from Puntland State were forced to return to the capital on Monday after their flight to Garowe was ordered back, intensifying a political standoff ahead of a planned consultative meeting in the regional capital. The lawmakers were en route to a meeting convened by Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni on Somalia’s political situation.…

KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland State President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe has invited federal lawmakers from his state to a consultative meeting in Kismayo as political tensions mount over Somalia’s electoral process ahead of the 2026 vote. In a letter dated March 1, 2026, Madobe’s office called on members of both houses of the federal Parliament who represent Jubaland constituencies to convene for discussions on the national political situation and preparations for the coming elections. The outreach comes amid intensifying…

Sunday, March 1, 2026 LONDON — At 18, Suleiman Dida has already cleared one of aviation’s most daunting thresholds: a first solo flight. In doing so, he has also earned recognition as the United Kingdom’s youngest Somali pilot — a landmark that speaks to both personal drive and a community stepping into professions where it has long been underrepresented. Born Dec. 2, 2007, in northwest London to parents from Mogadishu, Dida grew up in a household that straddled two worlds: the cadence of London life and the ambitions of a…

Flight path: At 18, Suleiman Dida charts a course as the U.K.’s youngest Somali pilot Sunday, March 1, 2026 London (AX) — At just 18, Suleiman Dida has reached a milestone that many aspiring aviators spend years pursuing: a solo flight and recognition as the United Kingdom’s youngest Somali pilot. For a community still underrepresented in cockpits, his ascent is a marker of possibility — and of how early discipline and accessible training routes can change who gets to fly. Dida was born Dec. 2, 2007, in northwest London to…