Somalias

MOGADISHU — Jubbaland’s Darwish forces launched a sweeping security operation Saturday in the town of Qooqaani in Somalia’s Lower Jubba region, targeting areas used by Al-Shabab and working to secure key routes linking the town to surrounding districts, regional officials said. Security chief Mahmoud Adan Hassan Gaaboow, who directed the mission, said troops searched access roads and nearby settlements that have served as transit points for the militant group. The operation is intended to curb ambushes and roadside…

MOGADISHU (AX) — Somalia’s House of the People on Saturday completed the first reading of a sweeping police reform bill that would overhaul the legal framework guiding the Somali Police Force, signaling a new phase in efforts to modernize the country’s security institutions and strengthen rule of law. The session — the 21st meeting of the chamber’s seventh sitting — brought lawmakers into a structured review of the draft’s core provisions, which aim to tighten police governance and clarify chains of command and operational…

KISMAYO, Somalia — Somalia’s main opposition coalition will fully participate in a high-stakes conference on national elections set for Kismayo, after members of the Somali Salvation Forum met privately in Mogadishu on Wednesday night to discuss the country’s political deadlock and the upcoming Jubaland-led talks. Reliable sources close to the meeting said the coalition agreed to travel to Kismayo on Dec. 17 for the long-planned gathering, which is drawing close scrutiny from both local and national stakeholders. Jubaland…

AfDB approves $76.37 million in additional financing to boost Somalia’s road corridors, cross-border trade Sunday December 14, 2025 The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved $76.37 million in additional financing for Somalia’s Road Infrastructure Program, strengthening a key segment of the Horn of Africa corridor linking Somalia with Ethiopia and Djibouti and aimed at accelerating regional trade and integration. In a statement issued Thursday, the bank said the program is designed to “stimulate cross-border…

MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud urged Mogadishu residents to turn out for the Banadir local council elections later this month, calling the vote a historic step toward one-person, one-vote democracy and the first time in nearly 57 years that citizens will directly choose their local leaders. Speaking Saturday after collecting his own voter card, Mohamud framed the December ballot as both a civic right and a personal responsibility with tangible consequences for daily life in the capital. “You choose who…

Somalia’s Southwest state executes police officer over $2 extortion killing in Baidoa BAIDOA, Somalia — The Southwest Somali administration on Saturday executed a member of its special police force after a military court convicted him of killing a civilian during a dispute over a $2 extortion demand, authorities said. The soldier, identified as Abdisamad Hassan Madnuur, was sentenced to death by the 60th Division Military Court for fatally shooting a traveler in late November in Berdale district of the Bay region, according…

Somalia: In Baidoa, a New Income Tax Tests Public Trust in a Time of Insecurity and Joblessness BAIDOA, Somalia — A new personal income tax in Somalia’s South West State is colliding with the hard math of life in Baidoa: few formal jobs, persistent insecurity, and threadbare public services. Authorities say the measure is essential to build a functioning state. Many residents hear it as a bill for services they cannot see. The policy, announced recently in Baidoa — the interim capital of South West State — applies to…

MOGADISHU — The Somali National Electoral Commission said Thursday night that 20 political organizations have formally submitted candidate lists for the Banadir local council elections scheduled for December 25, closing the candidate registration phase for the Mogadishu-area vote. In a statement, the commission confirmed that candidate registration has concluded, capping a two-week extension granted last month to give parties more time to finalize their slates. A total of 61 political organizations registered earlier this…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Puntland State’s police chief says regional security forces have destroyed more than 100 Islamic State (ISIS) bases in the Cal-Miskaad mountains, marking what authorities call a decisive year for Operation Hilaac, the state’s ongoing counterterrorism campaign. General Mumin Abdi Shire, speaking Thursday on the first anniversary of the offensive, said the operation has eliminated key ISIS fighters and slashed the group’s military capability by nearly 85%. He said weapons caches, supply depots and…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Puntland State security forces have destroyed more than 100 Islamic State bases in the Cal-Miskaad mountains over the past year, sharply degrading the extremist group’s capabilities in northern Somalia, the region’s police chief said Thursday. Gen. Mumin Abdi Shire said the campaign, conducted under Operation Hilaac, has eliminated key ISIS fighters and reduced the group’s military capacity by nearly 85 percent. He said troops dismantled weapons caches, supply depots and facilities used to manufacture…