MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia’s opposition leaders said they will push ahead with a planned protest in the capital on Sunday, May 10, despite government pressure, as they accuse federal authorities of forced evictions and the demolition of civilian homes. In a meeting in Mogadishu, opposition politicians restated their support for the demonstration, saying it is meant to challenge what they describe as ongoing displacement campaigns in parts of the city. Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, one of the opposition’s prominent…

By Khadar AfrahSaturday May 9, 2026 In Mogadishu’s Warlaliska neighbourhood on the evening of 6 May 2026, gunfire from federal government forces cut down civilians in a clash that had nothing to do with Al-Shabaab. The violence erupted during the government’s own land clearance drive — a wave of forced removals from public and private property that has swept across the capital in recent weeks. Among the dead was three-year-old Musamil Yusuf Osman. Casualties were reported on both sides. Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed…

MOGADISHU – Security forces were stationed around the home of former Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire on Saturday as tensions deepened in the capital ahead of an opposition-led protest scheduled for Friday in Mogadishu. According to sources, the presence of troops near Khaire’s residence, close to Mogadishu airport, was intended to block efforts to organize support for the demonstration. Opposition figures say the rally is meant to denounce forced evictions and the demolition of homes in the city. The political…

MOGADISHU – Former Somali president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has moved to northern Mogadishu, with reports saying the relocation is intended to keep him closer to his family amid rising political tensions in the capital. Sources familiar with the move said Sheikh Sharif moved his residence to be among his clan, seen as a precaution to avoid any possible restrictions, including fears of being placed under house arrest, as the political situation in Mogadishu remains tense. The former president is also among opposition…

Saturday May 9, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — North Western State of Somalia stepped up its push for foreign investment on Thursday, as a delegation led by Trade and Tourism Minister Abdirahman Hassan Nur met with Israeli business representatives in Addis Ababa to explore deeper commercial ties. In a statement, North Western State of Somalia’s Ministry of Trade and Tourism said the discussions centered on broadening economic cooperation across agriculture, energy, technology, infrastructure, financial services and healthcare. The…

MOGADISHU, May 8 - Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on Friday urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to put in place an inclusive electoral framework before his term expires next week, saying failure to reach consensus could deepen instability in the country. The appeal lands against the backdrop of an intensifying political standoff in the Horn of Africa nation, where the opposition and the federal government remain split over election procedures and proposed constitutional changes as the May 15 deadline…

Sarah Johnson and Mohamed BulbulFriday May 8, 2026 From behind prison walls in Somalia, a 27-year-old rickshaw driver says her only crime was speaking out. Sadia Moalim Ali has accused her guards of stripping her naked, beating her and locking her in a cell without food after her arrest over anti-government protests. Sadia Moalim Ali, who says she was arrested, beaten and left for two days without food. Photograph: Handout A woman detained in Somalia for joining peaceful demonstrations has described what she says was a…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Hormuud Telecom, Somalia’s largest telecommunications company, on Tuesday unveiled a partnership with Get-Phone to introduce the country’s first structured smartphone financing plan. The program is designed to help millions of low-income Somalis obtain internet-enabled phones for the first time, targeting what officials described as the affordability gap that continues to keep many people out of the digital economy, even as 4G service now reaches more than 70% of the population. Under…

Somalia has made visible steps toward increasing women’s participation in politics, helped in part by a legal quota for female lawmakers. Still, women seeking elected office face obstacles linked to security risks, social pressure, and limited decision-making power once in parliament. This explainer reviews what has changed, what remains difficult, and why women’s political inclusion is now central to discussions of governance and peacebuilding in Somalia. What Happened Over the past decade, Somalia’s political…

Thursday May 7, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia authorities on Thursday appealed for calm in the Carmale area of Erigavo district in Sanaag, where fierce inter-clan fighting has left dozens dead, according to local reports. Interior Minister Abdalle Mohamed Arab “Sandheere” said the clashes have inflicted heavy losses and pushed the government to hold an emergency meeting focused on stopping the violence. He said security forces and local administrations in the area had been instructed to take part in…