Somalia braces for a decisive political test as May 10 approaches, with the country’s leadership, opposition and international partners all watching a meeting that could shape the next phase of its transition. MOGADISHU — As the four-year term of Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud nears its end, the spotlight has shifted to May 10, a date many now view as critical to the country’s political future. Mohamud has officially invited members of a national consultative forum to a high-level meeting set for that day. The…

An oil tanker was hijacked by unidentified assailants off Yemen’s coast in the Gulf of Aden and forced toward Somalia, according to Yemen’s coast guard. The agency said the tanker EUREKA was taken near Yemen’s Shabwa province by a group that “boarded, took control of it, then steered it ... in the direction of the Somali coast”. ]The coast guard, aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government, said it would investigate the assault. “The location of the tanker has been determined, and work is under way to monitor…

Saturday May 2, 2026 A Filipino pilgrim presents her paperwork at immigration at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah late on Thursday. (SPA) MADINAH: The first Hajj flights from the Philippines, Algeria, Somalia and Morocco touched down on Thursday at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, marking the start of inbound pilgrim arrivals as the kingdom steps up preparations for the annual pilgrimage, the Saudi Press Agency reported. According to SPA, the…

By Daniel Tari and News AgenciesSaturday May 2, 2026 Pirates appear to be exploiting a widening security gap in the region, with officials saying patrols in the Red Sea have been stretched by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the diversion of commercial shipping lanes. Somalia maritime police from PMPF patrol in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of semi-autonomous Puntland State State in Somalia Yemen’s Coast Guard said on Saturday that it is trying to track down an oil tanker seized off the country’s coast and now…

By: OMAR M ELMI, EconomistSaturday May 2, 2026 North Western State of Somalia sits on one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors, along Somalia’s Gulf of Aden coast where the Bab el-Mandeb strait opens into the Red Sea. | Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images As tensions mount across the Red Sea, North Western State of Somalia is nearing a turning point that could reshape not only its diplomatic ambitions but also its security outlook. For more than 30 years, the self-declared republic has pressed for international…

ADEN, Yemen — An oil tanker has been seized by armed men off Yemen’s southern coast and diverted toward Somali waters, Yemeni authorities said Saturday, in an incident that points to a renewed stretch of piracy at sea. The vessel, identified as M/T EUREKA, was taken near Shabwa province, according to Yemen’s coast guard. Officials said unidentified gunmen boarded the tanker while it was passing through the area and assumed control of the ship. The tanker was then steered into the Gulf of Aden and appeared to be moving toward…

Writer Charles KingSaturday May 2, 2026 Charles King, the UK ambassador to the Federal Republic of Somalia, takes readers inside the routines and risks that define one of the world’s most challenging diplomatic assignments. In most capitals, the day begins with an alarm clock. In Mogadishu, my mornings lately have often started instead with the thunder of an F-16 fighter jet overhead. From there, it is a two-minute walk from my armoured pod to the chancery — a brief crossing under Somalia’s fierce sun that is a world away…

By Awes Hagi Yusuf AhmedSaturday May 2, 2026 Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaks with journalists about security policy at Villa Somalia, the presidential palace and main office, on April 22, 2025, in central Mogadishu, Somalia. In world affairs, where a nation sits can matter almost as much as what it says. For years, Somalia was mostly a topic of debate in international security circles, not a power helping to steer them. That is beginning to change, and the implications are both practical and symbolic.…

By Shola LawalFriday May 1, 2026 A fresh wave of hijackings off Somalia is rattling shipping lanes and reviving memories of the piracy crisis that once made the Horn of Africa one of the world’s most dangerous maritime corridors. At least three vessels have been targeted this week, according to reports, prompting fears that the region may be sliding back toward the turmoil that plagued global trade in the early to mid-2000s before an international naval response helped bring the threat under control. According to the World…

Somalia’s economy is entering 2026 with improving reform momentum, but growth plans remain tightly linked to political decisions, security funding, and the stability of external support. International assessments point to a central theme for 2026: when politics disrupts institutions and public finance, it can slow investment, weaken revenues, and reduce social spending—affecting household demand and jobs. This explainer reviews what major official forecasts say about 2026, and why political…