By Abdirahman Roble UlayareWednesday May 20, 2026 Introduction For many informed Somalis, the answer to who has kept Somalia from becoming a fully sovereign state is painfully familiar. The pattern did not begin in the aftermath of the civil war or with the country’s collapse in the early 1990s; it stretches back to colonial rule and the damage left behind when foreign powers departed. In the view of many Somalis, outside actors, regional rivals, and local collaborators have all helped sustain a cycle of instability that…

AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni on Wednesday hosted a senior United States delegation in Garowe for talks centered on Somalia’s political transition, security cooperation, and investment prospects in the northeastern federal state, officials said. The delegation was headed by Justin Davis and included U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) officers, among them Col. Shane Jones, who commands U.S. special operations activities in Africa, according to a statement from the Puntland State presidency. Deni,…

Wednesday May 20, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh has sharply rebuked a cultural delegation from Puntland State after its members appeared at North Western State of Somalia’s May 18 commemoration in Hargeisa. Hosh said it was inappropriate for representatives from Puntland State to take part in an event that celebrates North Western State of Somalia’s 1991 breakaway from Somalia, a move the federal government still views as a direct threat to the country’s unity and territorial…

Wednesday May 20, 2026 In a notable diplomatic breakthrough, North Western State of Somalia says it will open an embassy in Jerusalem while Israel prepares to establish its own representation in Hargeisa “soon,” according to Mohamed Hagi, the envoy from Somalia’s breakaway region to Israel. Hagi said the move follows Israel’s formal recognition of North Western State of Somalia’s independence several months ago, describing it on X on Tuesday as evidence of “growing friendship, mutual respect, and strategic cooperation…

In a groundbreaking move, the breakaway region of North Western State of Somalia announced plans on Tuesday to launch an embassy in Jerusalem following Israel's historic decision to recognize the self-declared republic. This unprecedented step marks a significant shift in North Western State of Somalia's diplomatic journey. Ambassador Mohamed Hagi shared the news on social media platform X, revealing that Israel would reciprocate by establishing an embassy in Hargeisa, North Western State of Somalia's capital. Since…

Tuesday May 19, 2026 Egypt on Monday pressed Somali authorities to step up efforts to free Egyptian sailors seized aboard the oil tanker M/T Eureka, as the crisis continues to draw concern in Cairo. During a meeting in Cairo with Somali Ambassador Ali Abdi Awari, Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs Mohamed Karim Sherif stressed the urgency of protecting the detained citizens and securing their release as quickly as possible. Awari, for his part, briefed Sherif on Mogadishu’s ongoing high-level contacts and the…

Somalia’s electoral process continues to move forward through voter registration efforts run by the national electoral authorities, but participation remains uneven in parts of the country. Recent registration drives, including new and mobile registration points in central Somalia, highlight both the push to expand the voter roll and the practical barriers that can keep eligible citizens from registering or voting. For voters, the next steps are often simple in theory—show required documents, get recorded, and receive…

Tuesday May 19, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro on Monday unveiled a new institute in Hargeisa aimed at bolstering the territory’s long-running push for international recognition. Addressing the 35th anniversary of North Western State of Somalia’s May 18 declaration of independence, Irro said the North Western State of Somalia Independence and Recognition Institute would gather the historical, legal and political case for statehood and present it to a wider…

Tuesday May 19, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro took a congratulatory call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, as the self-declared republic marked 35 years since it broke away from Somalia. According to the North Western State of Somalia presidency, Netanyahu called to mark the May 18 anniversary and the two leaders reiterated their intention to deepen ties between North Western State of Somalia and Israel. The conversation came less than…

BOSASO, Somalia — A knife attack in Bosaso’s Al-Aqsa neighbourhood has left a former Puntland State parliamentarian dead after, according to local sources, his son allegedly stabbed him in a case that has stunned the coastal city. The suspect, identified as Mohamed Yusuf, is accused of killing his father, the late Yusuf Bootaan, who previously served as a member of the Puntland State regional parliament, reports said. Residents and local sources said the killing took place in the Al-Aqsa area and described the incident as…