Somalias

Armed Puntland State troops storm Garowe police station in bid to free detained soldiers; at least 3 injured Garowe attack underscores discipline and reintegration strains after anti-ISIS campaign in Calmiskaad mountains GAROWE, Puntland State — At least three soldiers were injured Friday when armed members of Puntland State’s Duufaan Brigade attempted to force their way into the central police station in Garowe to free two comrades detained earlier for possession of alcohol, according to police and security sources. The…

Somalia moves to form federal-aligned administration in Awdal, escalating rift with North Western State of Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government is advancing plans to establish a new administration in the northwestern Awdal region under direct central authority, a step that has sharpened political tensions with North Western State of Somalia and stirred concern among regional leaders. Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said the proposal remains in development and is being shaped through consultations…

Egypt, Djibouti back Somalia’s unity, condemn Israel’s move on North Western State of Somalia, deepen economic ties CAIRO — Egypt and Djibouti reaffirmed their support for Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity and pledged to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, energy and infrastructure during talks between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Djiboutian Foreign Minister Abdulqader Hussein Omar in Cairo on Wednesday. The meeting, held on the sidelines of a fifth consultative gathering focused on improving…

LAS ANOD, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre arrived in Las Anod on Friday, a highly symbolic visit to the administrative capital of the Northeastern Regional State that underscores Mogadishu’s expanding political and security engagement in Somalia’s contested northern regions. The federal leaders are in the city to attend the inauguration of Abdulqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, known as Firdhiye, who was elected president of the Northeastern Regional State last year. The ceremony has drawn…

Federal Government Accused of Politicizing Somali Unity Amid Rising Tensions With Regional States LAAS CANOOD, Somalia — Accusations are mounting that Somalia’s federal authorities are leveraging the language of national unity as a political weapon against some federal member states, with a planned inauguration in Laas Canood sharpening disputes and stirring fresh security concerns. The ceremony, expected to draw senior federal officials including members of the Council of Ministers and security chiefs from the National…

Egypt, Djibouti back Somalia’s unity, broaden regional cooperation in Cairo talks CAIRO — Egypt and Djibouti on Wednesday reaffirmed their support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity while pledging to expand cooperation in trade, energy and infrastructure, according to Egypt’s Foreign Ministry. The commitments came during talks in Cairo between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Djibouti’s foreign minister, Abdulqader Hussein Omar, held on the sidelines of a fifth consultative meeting focused…

Somalia’s NISA says senior al-Shabaab landmine operative killed in Afgooye raid MOGADISHU — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said it killed a senior member of the al-Shabaab militant group during a planned operation Wednesday on the outskirts of Afgooye in the Lower Shabelle region. In a statement, NISA said the man was responsible for preparing and planting landmines that targeted security forces and civilians in and around Afgooye, a key district west of the capital. The agency described the raid as…

North Western State of Somalia’s ‘island of peace’ narrative falters as leadership courts Israel and conflict deepens in SSC For more than three decades, North Western State of Somalia presented itself as an island of peace in a turbulent Horn of Africa — a self-governing enclave whose stability underwrote a drive for international recognition. That story, fused into a powerful claim of moral distinction and political maturity, is now under its most serious strain. As North Western State of Somalia’s leaders explore closer…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Jubaland and Puntland State, along with the self-declared republic of North Western State of Somalia, have sharply rejected a federal government decision to suspend cooperation agreements with the United Arab Emirates, deepening a long-running power struggle over who controls ports, security, and investment policy. In separate statements, the regional authorities said Mogadishu lacks the legal authority to halt or cancel deals they described as lawfully concluded directly between regional…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal Cabinet has moved to cancel security and defense agreements tied to three strategic ports, a sweeping decision that immediately drew forceful rejection from Puntland State, Jubbaland and North Western State of Somalia and sharpened a long-running power struggle over sovereignty and foreign partnerships. Ministers meeting in Mogadishu on Monday voted to annul all security and defense agreements and cooperative arrangements related to Berbera, Bosaso and Kismayo. The government said the deals…