state

Saturday, February 14, 2026 MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud accused unnamed neighboring states of trying to leverage Israel’s December recognition of North Western State of Somalia for “short-term interests,” warning that Somalia’s territorial integrity is a nonnegotiable red line. In an interview with the London-based Arabic daily Asharq al-Awsat, Hassan Sheikh said the fallout from Israel’s move had tempted some regional actors to test Somalia’s unity and the wider region’s stability. “Some countries in…

Somalia’s president condemns Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, urges AU to reject external interference ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Friday urged African Union member states to “firmly reject” external meddling in the continent’s affairs, denouncing Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia as a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and international law during the second Italy-Africa Summit in Addis Ababa. Hassan Sheikh said Africa’s progress must be…

President Cyril Ramaphosa used his 2026 State of the Nation Address to present a cautiously optimistic picture of South Africa’s economy and to announce a series of urgent security and infrastructure measures, saying the country is “stronger than a year ago” after four consecutive quarters of GDP growth, two primary budget surpluses and the end of load‑shedding. Major executive moves included authorising the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to tackle rising gang violence in the Western Cape and…

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud unveiled a three-pronged diplomatic and legal campaign to overturn Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, warning the move threatens Somalia’s sovereignty and the security of the Red Sea corridor. He said Mogadishu is acting in close coordination with partners led by Saudi Arabia to contain what he called a reckless escalation. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Mohamud said any recognition of the self-declared Republic of North Western State of Somalia as an independent…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Wednesday set April 2026 for state-level local council elections, a timetable that places the vote about a month before President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s current term ends and intensifies pressure on leaders to settle the country’s electoral rules. Elections slated for April 2026, weeks before President Mohamud’s term expires Voter registration to resume in Baidoa, Jowhar and Dhusamareb; 12 new districts added, bringing total to 35 Talks…

Every year since 2013, Africa Check has fact-checked South Africa's State of the Nation Address (SONA) — the speech President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers to mark the start of the political calendar, officially open Parliament, recap the year gone by and outline the government's aims for the year ahead. After more than a decade of scrutiny, the organisation's researchers say they can often guess what the president is going to say before he opens his mouth. That observation, simple on its face, raises deeper questions about…

Hargeisa (AX) — The chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has voiced sharp concern over reports that a United Arab Emirates–linked training center has been established in Ethiopia for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, with potential supply routes running through North Western State of Somalia’s Port of Berbera. In a post on X on Tuesday, Sen. Jim Risch described the RSF as “genocidal RSF thugs” and warned that alleged training and transit activity tied to the UAE would be “escalatory and further reason to…

ANKARA — Somalia on Tuesday denounced Israel’s decision to recognize the breakaway North Western State of Somalia region, calling it a clear breach of international law and a fresh example of Tel Aviv’s disregard for global norms, according to the country’s justice minister. Somali Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Hassan Moallim Mohamud, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the “Türkiye-Africa Strategic Dialogue” program organized by the National Intelligence Academy (MİA) in Ankara, said Mogadishu would…

Somalia on Tuesday condemned Israel’s decision to recognize North Western State of Somalia as an independent state, calling it a violation of international law and vowing to defend the country’s territorial integrity as diplomatic fallout widened across the Horn of Africa. Speaking in Ankara on the sidelines of the Türkiye-Africa Strategic Dialogue organized by Türkiye’s National Intelligence Academy (MİA), Somali Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Hassan Moallim Mohamud said the move underscored what he…

Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — The presidents of Puntland State and Jubbaland are expected to arrive in Mogadishu within hours to join a national consultative conference on Somalia’s electoral process and constitutional reforms, signaling a tentative easing of tensions between the federal government and regional states. Officials said advance teams from the Puntland State and Jubbaland presidencies — largely composed of security personnel — landed Tuesday afternoon at Aden Adde International Airport and are…