Somalias

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…

Thursday December 11, 2025 MOGADISHU — The Somalia Football Federation will restart the Federal Member States and Benadir Regional football tournament in January 2026 after a two-year break, reinstating one of the country’s most visible platforms for regional competition and talent identification. SFF President Ali Abdi Mohamed Shiinno said the draw is set for Dec. 22, with matches beginning Jan. 24 under a revised national calendar. The federation will run the event directly, while the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports…

Somalia establishes Independent National Human Rights Commission as president signs law MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday signed into law the establishment of Somalia’s Independent National Human Rights Commission, finalizing a measure approved by both houses of the Federal Parliament and hailed by officials as a milestone for rights protection and institutional reform. The presidency framed the move as a clear signal of Somalia’s intent to safeguard the rights and dignity of its citizens.…

Somali army retakes villages in Hiiraan as al-Shabaab withdraws; forces advance toward Jilib BELEDWEYNE, Somalia — The Somali National Army has retaken several villages in western Hiiraan after al-Shabaab fighters pulled back ahead of an anticipated military push, officials said, tightening government control in the central region without significant clashes. Military commanders said units moved into areas around the El-Adde settlement after militants vacated forward positions, allowing government forces to assume control…

Beledweyne (AX) — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said Monday it carried out a targeted raid with international partners in the Hiiraan region that killed seven al-Shabaab militants and destroyed a truck loaded with ammunition. In a statement, the agency said the pre-planned operation struck Biyo Madobe, a village under the Jicibow area of Hiiraan, part of a broader campaign to dismantle critical al-Shabaab positions and supply lines in central Somalia. NISA said the truck the militants were…