Somalia

Somalia hosts Horn of Africa finance ministers in Mogadishu, with energy trade at center of agenda MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday closed the 27th Horn of Africa Initiative Forum of finance ministers, the first time the high-level regional meeting has been held in Mogadishu, in a session that put regional energy trade at the heart of economic integration efforts. Officials said convening the forum in the Somali capital signaled growing international confidence in Somalia’s security and…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia replaced its army chief on Thursday as the government prepares a new phase of operations against al-Shabab in central and southern regions, naming Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud to lead the Somali National Army. The shake-up was approved during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, according to the prime minister’s office. Maj. Gen. Odawaa Yusuf Rageh was removed from the post, the statement said, in a move officials framed as part of a broader effort to modernize the…

Somalia, Türkiye agree on Port of Mogadishu upgrades to boost trade, revenue MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia and Türkiye have agreed to develop new infrastructure projects at the Port of Mogadishu to expand trade, raise state revenue and improve efficiency at the country’s main maritime gateway, officials said Wednesday. The agreement followed talks in Mogadishu with a senior Turkish delegation led by Durmuş Ünüvar, Türkiye’s deputy minister of transport and infrastructure, signaling a renewed phase of cooperation…

U.S. to resume food aid after Somalia acknowledges disruptions to WFP operations MOGADISHU, Somalia — The United States said it will resume World Food Program (WFP) food distribution in Somalia after the federal government acknowledged its role in disrupting aid operations and confirmed that commodities affected by port expansion in the capital have been returned. In a statement, U.S. Foreign Assistance said: “The United States acknowledges the Federal Government of Somalia for taking responsibility for its actions affecting…

MOGADISHU — The United States will resume World Food Programme food distributions in Somalia after the federal government accepted responsibility for actions that disrupted humanitarian operations at the Port of Mogadishu earlier this month, clearing the way for life-saving aid to reach millions facing acute food insecurity. U.S. officials said Somalia’s acknowledgment of accountability satisfied conditions set after Washington halted certain assistance on Jan. 7, when it accused Somali officials of demolishing a U.S.-funded…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — U.S. Africa Command says it has carried out 23 airstrikes in Somalia so far this year targeting Al-Shabaab and ISIS, underscoring a stepped-up counterterrorism tempo that U.S. officials say is coordinated with partners across the continent. AFRICOM spokesperson Maj. Mahalia Frost said Wednesday the increase is part of a broader U.S. effort against ISIS in Africa, noting recent American strikes in Nigeria. She said instability in Somalia and Nigeria is intertwined, arguing that regional cooperation and…

KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda plans to withdraw its troops from Somalia after nearly two decades on the front lines of African Union peacekeeping, a move that could reshape security calculations in the Horn of Africa and test hard-won gains against Al-Shabaab. Gen. Wilson Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, said in a post on X on Sunday that the country’s military mission in Somalia “has officially ended” and that preparations are underway for a full pullout. “After 19 years in Somalia, we plan…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Jessica Buchanan remembers the voice before she saw the faces. After 93 days as a hostage in Somalia, wrapped in a blanket and bracing for the worst, she felt a stranger’s hands at her shoulders and heard a young American say her name: “Jessica, it’s okay. You are safe now.” The American aid worker’s account of abduction and rescue traces a grim arc through one of the world’s most dangerous kidnapping economies — from her capture on Oct. 25, 2011, near Galkacyo, to a pre-dawn U.S. Navy SEAL raid on Jan.…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali government forces, backed by international partners, have killed at least 150 Al-Shabab militants in more than two weeks of operations in the Middle Shabelle region, Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said Tuesday. Fiqi said the campaign concentrated on the Jabad Godane area and surrounding settlements, which he described as a strategic militant hub. He said the dead included six senior commanders of the al-Qaida-linked group. “By the grace of God and the bravery of the National Army, and with…

Tuesday January 27, 2026 DAVOS, Switzerland — Eric Trump has denied holding talks or discussing port investments with North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi after reports and a widely shared photo suggested the pair met on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. A spokesperson for Trump said Abdullahi attended a dinner reception where the U.S. president’s son was present, but emphasized there was no private meeting. “At no point did Eric Trump ever have a meeting with the North…