state

By BRUHAN MAKONGMonday April 20, 2026 The African Union has sharply criticised Israel’s appointment of a diplomatic envoy to North Western State of Somalia, saying the move risks stirring fresh instability in the Horn of Africa and does nothing to alter its view that the territory remains part of Somalia. The African Union has condemned reports that Israel has appointed a diplomatic envoy to the self-declared Republic of North Western State of Somalia, insisting that any unilateral recognition of the territory is “null and…

Monday April 20, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) – The United States Africa Command said it launched an airstrike in Puntland State on Friday, hitting Islamic State fighters in rugged terrain roughly 30 miles southeast of the port city of Bosaso in the Bari region. In a statement released Saturday, AFRICOM said the operation was carried out on April 17, underscoring the continued expansion of U.S. air activity in Somalia. The command gave no additional information about the strike, including casualty numbers or damage assessments,…

ADDIS ABABA - The African Union moved on Sunday to sharply rebuke reports that Israel plans to appoint a diplomatic envoy to the "so-called North Western State of Somalia," warning that the step could inflame tensions over Somalia's territorial integrity. In a statement, the 55-member bloc said it was "deeply concerned" by what it described as Israel's reported decision to assign a diplomatic envoy to North Western State of Somalia, the self-declared region in Somalia. The AU said it stands firmly behind the "sovereignty,…

Sunday April 19, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) – The African Union Commission has sharply criticized Israel’s decision to name a diplomatic envoy to North Western State of Somalia, saying the move risks upsetting an already fragile regional balance. In a statement released on Sunday, the Commission restated the African Union’s position on Somalia, reaffirming its support for the country’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. It also made clear that the bloc does not regard North Western State of Somalia as an independent…

Sunday April 19, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) - Yemen’s Houthi movement has sharply criticized what it described as Israeli meddling in North Western State of Somalia, calling the issue a “red line” and warning that any Israeli foothold in the region could inflame already tense dynamics across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. In a statement released Saturday, the Houthis’ foreign ministry accused Israel of trying to set up a base in North Western State of Somalia, the self-declared breakaway region in northern Somalia. The group…

Sunday April 19, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A diplomatic move by Israel has drawn sharp criticism from 12 Muslim-majority countries, which say the appointment of a representative to North Western State of Somalia violates Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. In a joint declaration released in Islamabad on April 18, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Bangladesh, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Turkey, Indonesia and Kuwait denounced the step as a “flagrant violation” of the unity…

Sunday April 19, 2026 Garowe (AX) — In a sweeping move aimed at tightening security and revitalizing state institutions, Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni on Saturday appointed new police commanders and military court officials. The changes affect several key branches of the Puntland State Police Force, while also bringing in judges and prosecutors for the armed forces courts, which were dissolved nearly a year ago. Deni named Abdulqadir Jama Dirir as second deputy commander of the Puntland State Police Force. He…

CAIRO, Egypt — More than a dozen Arab and Islamic nations on Saturday sharply denounced Israel’s decision to name a diplomatic representative to North Western State of Somalia, calling the move a “flagrant violation” of Somalia’s sovereignty and a fresh source of tension in the Horn of Africa. In a joint statement signed by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye, Pakistan, and 10 other countries, the bloc said the appointment amounted to an assault on Somalia’s territorial integrity and ran counter to…

Saturday April 18, 2026 Ahmed Aboul Gheit at the opening of an emergency meeting among the Arab League foreign ministers, held to discuss issues about Libya, at the headquarters in Cairo March 2, 2011. REUTERS/Amr A Mogadishu (AX) — Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Saturday sharply criticized Israel’s decision to appoint an ambassador to North Western State of Somalia, describing it as a dangerous escalation that infringes on Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a statement, Aboul Gheit said…

ANTALYA, Turkey — Egypt has sharply denounced Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia and the appointment of a diplomatic envoy there, with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty calling the move a “flagrant violation” of international law during talks with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, as Cairo deepens its political and military backing for Mogadishu amid changing power dynamics in the Horn of Africa. Acting under…