Somalia

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations Security Council unanimously renewed the mandate of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) for another year, extending operations through December 31, 2026, in a vote on Tuesday that underscored broad international backing for Somalia’s security transition. The UK-drafted resolution passed 15-0 and also set an end date for the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS), with all UNTMIS operations to conclude by October 31, 2026.…

New York — The United Nations Security Council unanimously renewed the mandate of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, extending AUSSOM through Dec. 31, 2026, in a resolution adopted Tuesday that also set a timetable to wind down a separate U.N. mission. The resolution, tabled by the United Kingdom, passed 15-0 and keeps in place international backing for Somalia’s security transition amid persistent attacks by the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab insurgency. It also decided to terminate the United…

Editorial | The recall of the U.S. ambassador to Somalia must trigger tougher, accountable engagement Washington’s recall of its ambassador to Somalia comes at a fraught juncture in Mogadishu—a familiar endgame in which the federal mandate under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud nears expiration while no shared political or electoral framework is in place. That convergence is not coincidence; it is the pattern that has defined Somalia’s transition for years. The moment demands U.S. political leadership that matches the scale…

America’s forever wars didn’t end. They receded from view — and risk roaring back. While Washington fixates on China, Iran and Russia, U.S. troops are still fighting, striking and being targeted from the Middle East to the Horn of Africa and the Caribbean corridor. The missions are smaller and quieter than the wars that defined the post‑9/11 era. They are also open‑ended, conducted under authorizations Congress passed more than two decades ago — long after most Americans stopped paying attention. The footprint shrank, not…

Somalia Among Countries Affected as Trump Administration Recalls Nearly 50 U.S. Ambassadors WASHINGTON — Nearly 50 U.S. ambassadors and senior diplomatic officials are being recalled worldwide under President Donald Trump’s administration, leaving key posts vacant in countries including Somalia, according to officials familiar with the move. The changes, expected to take effect by January, are part of Trump’s effort to reshape U.S. foreign service leadership and align diplomatic posts with his “America First” agenda. The…

Turkey’s Expanding Influence in Somalia Draws Sharp Criticism AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State’s State Minister of Information, Mohamud Aided Dirir, has sharply criticized Turkey’s growing footprint in Somalia, alleging the engagement is driven by self-interest, corruption and exploitation rather than the country’s long-term stability, security or good governance. Dirir said Ankara’s presence undermines Somalia’s sovereignty and misappropriates local resources, arguing that foreign assistance should reinforce Somali…

MOGADISHU — The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts worldwide in a sweeping reshuffle aimed at aligning U.S. diplomacy with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, according to two State Department officials. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters, said chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were notified last week that their tenures will end in January. All of the recalled diplomats were…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali security agencies say nearly 10,000 police officers have been mobilized to secure Mogadishu’s local council elections on Dec. 25, a vote billed as the capital’s first direct, one-person, one-vote poll in more than 50 years. Speaking to reporters Sunday, Internal Security Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail (Farataag) said the Somali Police Force has finalized a citywide security plan to safeguard voters, polling stations, election workers and critical infrastructure throughout the Banadir region.…

JALALAQSI, Somalia — Heavy fighting broke out early Sunday in the central Somali town of Jalalaqsi as forces loyal to the district commissioner clashed with armed clan militias following the detention of a traditional community elder, according to officials and witnesses. Residents said they awoke to sustained gunfire as the two sides exchanged fire around district government buildings in Jalalaqsi, in the Hiiraan region. The violence began after local authorities detained a leading elder, prompting members of his clan to…

African Union council assesses Somalia security mission and funding challenges ADDIS ABABA — The African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) convened a special session Thursday to review the evolving situation in Somalia and assess the operations of the African Union Mission for Support and Stabilization in Somalia (AUSSOM), with a sharp focus on the mission’s funding pressures and next steps. Officials briefed the PSC on recent political developments in Somalia, the financial strain facing AUSSOM and potential…