Somalia

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government moved to clarify its position on the Western Sahara dispute, saying statements circulating in media do not reflect its official stance and emphasizing that policy is communicated only through formal government channels. In a press statement issued Saturday, authorities urged media outlets and the public to rely on verified government communications on international affairs. The clarification comes amid heightened regional scrutiny of diplomatic alignments across Africa and renewed…

Saturday December 6, 2025 Borama, North Western State of Somalia — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro on Saturday canceled a planned Xeer Ciise book launch and commemoration set for December 14 in the port town of Saylac, after two days of deadly protests in Borama left at least 10 people dead in clashes between security forces and civilians. Speaking to reporters in Hargeisa, Irro said he was honoring a request from traditional elders who arrived in Borama earlier Saturday and urged…

HARGEISA, Somalia — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, widely known as Irro, appealed for calm Friday after two days of unrest in the northwestern town of Boorama left multiple people dead and injured, underscoring rising clan tensions in the Awdal region. In a brief televised address, Irro condemned the violence, urged security forces to return to their barracks and pledged a “speedy and transparent” investigation into the clashes. Authorities have not released an official death toll.…

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — After vowing this week to cut down on immigration from “third world countries” in response to the deadly attack on two National Guard members by an Afghan national, President Donald Trump turned his ire on Somalis, calling them “garbage” and urging Somali Americans to “go back” and “fix” their homeland, which he described as “hell.” The comments drew swift condemnation from Somali Americans — including Somalia-born Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat, who called the remarks “vile” — and from Somalis…

North Western State of Somalia MP accuses security forces of shooting civilians as Borama unrest leaves at least 10 dead At least 10 people were reported killed over two days of unrest in Borama, the capital of North Western State of Somalia’s Awdal region, as a lawmaker accused national security forces of deliberately shooting unarmed civilians and President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro ordered troops to return to their bases. MP Mohamed Abiib Yusuf says civilians were shot amid clashes in Borama President Irro…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump repeatedly called Somali immigrants in the United States “garbage” during a televised Cabinet meeting, sharpening years of incendiary rhetoric on immigration and drawing swift condemnation at home and abroad. In the meeting’s two-minute finale Tuesday, Trump said four times in seven seconds that “Somali immigrants are garbage,” then added five times, “We don’t want ’em in our country.” He continued: “Let ’em go back to where they came from and fix it.” Cabinet members applauded. Vice…

Two killed as Borama protests over Xeer Ciise commemoration turn deadly North Western State of Somalia police urge calm after Saylac book event triggers unrest; accusations of excessive force mount BORAMA, North Western State of Somalia — Two young men were killed and several others injured as protests over a planned commemoration of the Xeer Ciise book in Saylac escalated in Borama from late Thursday into Friday, prompting a heightened security deployment and appeals for calm from authorities. The Xeer Ciise refers to the…

Somalia’s Cash Pipeline: Billions in Aid, Little Change at Home as Trust Deficit Deepens MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia sits at the center of a paradox. The country attracts substantial external finance — about $4.2 billion in annual inflows by one senior official’s estimate — yet citizens still face delayed salaries, frayed services and scarce formal jobs. As donors recalibrate their risk exposure and the government insists its systems are improving, a widening trust deficit is draining resources, slowing delivery and…

Army raids deal major blow to al-Shabab in central Somalia GALGADUUD, Somalia — Somali government forces say they destroyed al-Shabab hideouts and secured a key roadway during an operation in central Somalia, marking a fresh setback for the extremist group as the army intensifies its campaign across Galmudug state. Troops from the Somali National Army’s 242nd Battalion led the raid along the corridor between Cali Yabaal and the Geeriile junction, targeting what officials described as a supply store and shelters used by the…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday implicitly rebuked U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Somalia “has no functioning government,” urging foreign partners to judge the country by its present progress rather than its past chaos. Speaking at the Leadership and Innovation Forum, Mohamud said many outside actors still default to a narrative of failure that no longer reflects Somalia’s current trajectory. “Many people still look down on us, judging Somalia only by what happened before and…