Somalia

WASHINGTON — Somalia’s ambassador to the United Nations is facing fresh scrutiny after a senior U.S. health official said he has ties to an Ohio health care company that was later convicted of Medicaid fraud, a claim emerging as fraud cases involving Somali Americans draw intensifying attention in the United States. Jim O'Neil, deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, made the allegation against Abukar Dahir Osman, Somalia’s permanent representative to the United Nations and a former president of…

BAIDOA, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government has introduced a nighttime curfew in Baidoa and barred civilians from carrying weapons in the city after dark, allowing only security personnel to do so, officials said. The restrictions were announced amid heightened security concerns tied to recent political shifts in South West State, where tensions have escalated in the wake of changes in the regional administration. Somali Police Commissioner Asad Osman Abdullahi, who has met with police officers in Baidoa over the past…

By Nuri AdenTuesday April 7, 2026 A wave of anticipation is sweeping across Somalia as the country prepares to receive the Turkish drilling ship Cagri Bey, due in Mogadishu from April 9 in a development officials say could mark a turning point in Somalia’s oil and gas quest. In an exclusive interview with TRT Afrika, Somalia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Dahir Shire Mohamed, called the arrival a historic moment for the nation. “This is something that, as Somali people, we have been yearning for a very long…

Basillioh Rukanga and Richard KagoeTuesday April 7, 2026 Somalia is poised to launch its first offshore oil drilling campaign, with a Turkish government-owned drillship due to reach its waters on Friday. The step comes after a Turkish research vessel completed seismic surveys last year, helping map the area’s underground potential. In a post on X, Somalia's Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire called the approach to the country’s first offshore drilling effort a "historic milestone in our offshore energy journey... A new chapter…

Somalia is preparing to launch its first offshore oil drilling campaign, with a Turkish government-owned drillship due to reach waters off the Somali coast on Friday. The milestone comes after a Turkish research vessel completed seismic surveys last year, laying the groundwork for the next phase of exploration. In a post on X, Somalia's Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire called the advance toward offshore drilling a "historic milestone in our offshore energy journey... A new chapter begins." The foreign ministry said a…

Monday April 6, 2026 Türkiye's Çağrı Bey drillship is seen at a port, Mersin, southern Türkiye, Feb. 14, 2026. (AA Photo) Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is on the cusp of a historic first in its offshore energy sector, with Türkiye’s drillship Çağrı Bey due to arrive on April 10 to begin the country’s first deep-sea drilling campaign, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said. Bayraktar, speaking at a gathering in Trabzon on April 4, said he plans to travel to Somalia before the vessel docks. “With the…

Monday April 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is on the verge of its first offshore oil drilling campaign, a move that one senior government official said Sunday carries major economic and geopolitical implications as a Turkish drillship prepares to enter the country’s territorial waters. The vessel, Çağrı Bey, is due to arrive in Somalia on April 10, setting the stage for the country’s inaugural offshore drilling operation and a landmark moment for its energy industry. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Omar said the…

Monday April 6, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro has carried out a wide-ranging cabinet shake-up, removing, appointing and moving a number of senior officials in one of the administration’s most significant personnel changes since taking office. Announced through a presidential decree, the changes reach across several major ministries and top advisory posts. The overhaul appears aimed at tightening the government’s reform drive and improving the efficiency of…

Sunday April 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia and Sudan have reached an agreement to waive visa requirements for diplomatic passport holders, a development both governments say will help deepen ties and make official travel easier. The accord was signed on April 2 at the second meeting of the Somalia-Sudan Political Consultation Committee. The session was jointly led by Hamza Adan Haadow, permanent secretary at Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Ambassador Muawiya Osman Khalid,…

Sunday April 5, 2026 FILE PHOTO: Somalia has been making gains against the al Shabab terrorist group. / AA Somali intelligence forces, working alongside international troops, killed at least nine Al Shabab terrorists in a शनिवार operation in the southern Lower Shabelle region, among them specialists linked to bomb-making, authorities said. The raid also destroyed six heavy engines used by the militant group to produce explosives, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said in a statement. NISA identified two of…