Somalia

Somalia, Egypt deepen ties in Cairo talks, eye embassy move to Mogadishu and stronger security coordination CAIRO — Somalia and Egypt pledged to advance a broader strategic partnership after their foreign ministers met Saturday on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum, focusing on economic cooperation, security coordination and regional stability. Somali Foreign Affairs Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali and Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdel Atty discussed plans to…

MOGADISHU — A Kenyan doctor working with a United Nations medical evacuation team in Somalia says the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab has held him and other colleagues for more than a year after their helicopter crashed in militant-held territory, according to a new video appeal. In the message addressed to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Kenyan President William Ruto and the Kenyan public, the doctor, Ambrose Kimiti, says their aircraft went down on Jan. 10, 2024, during a medical evacuation flight. He says fighters from…

CAIRO — Egypt will step up efforts to safeguard Red Sea maritime routes and back a new African Union mission in Somalia, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Friday, framing the Horn of Africa’s stability as inseparable from regional and global security. Addressing African ministers and delegates gathered in Cairo for the second ministerial forum of the Russia–Africa Partnership, al-Sisi called the Red Sea corridor “strategically vital” and said Egypt is working with partners to keep the waterway secure. The shipping lane…

Sunday December 21, 2025 MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia and China on Tuesday marked the 65th anniversary of their diplomatic relations with a ceremony in Mogadishu, pledging to elevate cooperation and pursue shared interests across infrastructure, public services and state-building as both countries reaffirmed long-standing political support. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre called the milestone “a testament to enduring friendship” rooted in mutual respect and sovereignty. “We gathered to celebrate a truly historic milestone,…

KISMAYO, Somalia — A senior Puntland State official urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to embrace the outcomes of the Somali Future Council conference that concluded in Kismayo on Saturday, as the newly formed opposition alliance set a Jan. 20, 2026, deadline for inclusive talks on Somalia’s elections. Abdifatah Mohamed Abdinur, the state minister for the Puntland State presidency, called on the president to place national interests above personal considerations and warned against actions that could deepen political…

Somalia’s relaunched e-visa website contains a fresh security flaw that could let malicious actors download large numbers of e-visas containing passport numbers, full names and dates of birth, Al Jazeera confirmed this week after receiving a tip from a web developer. The vulnerability, which Al Jazeera was able to replicate, allowed the downloading of e-visas for dozens of applicants in a short period, exposing sensitive data on people from Somalia, Portugal, Sweden, the United States and Switzerland. Al Jazeera alerted…

Analysis: Somalia’s ‘one person, one vote’ push risks crisis without consensus and constitutional safeguards Somalia’s federal government is advancing a “one person, one vote” election model it says will anchor the country’s democratic transition. But the process, as described by Puntland State State Minister of the Presidency Abdifatah Abdinur, suffers from deep constitutional, legal and practical flaws that threaten to compound — not resolve — Somalia’s political fragility. The concerns revolve around three pillars of any…

North Western State of Somalia says 19 killed, 214 injured as Borama protests over Xeer Ciise turn deadly BORAMA, North Western State of Somalia — Nineteen people were killed and 214 others injured in clashes between security forces and demonstrators earlier this month in Borama, the capital of North Western State of Somalia’s Awdal region, authorities said. The newly appointed governor of Awdal, Abdirashid Hassan Mataan, said the fatalities included one woman. Of the injured, 194 sustained minor wounds. He said 20 people…

BORAMA, North Western State of Somalia — Nineteen people were killed and 214 injured in clashes between security forces and demonstrators during protests earlier this month in Borama, the capital of the Awdal region, North Western State of Somalia authorities said Friday. Abdirashid Hassan Mataan, the newly appointed governor of Awdal, said the dead included one woman. He detailed the toll after formally assuming office Thursday, adding that most of the wounded have been treated and released while those still hospitalized…

Puntland State leader warns Somalia could fracture amid political deadlock, urges dialogue with Mogadishu KISMAYO, Somalia — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni warned Thursday that Somalia risks breaking apart if political leaders fail to listen to one another and pursue consensus, as tensions mount over governance and the path to national elections. Speaking at a conference in the southern port city of Kismayo, Deni said division would be inevitable if dialogue, mutual respect and coexistence continue to erode.…