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U.S. halts some Somalia aid after WFP warehouse demolished; Mogadishu disputes theft as 75 tons recovered MOGADISHU/WASHINGTON — The United States said it is pausing further assistance that benefits Somalia’s federal government after a dispute over the demolition of a World Food Programme warehouse at Mogadishu Port, escalating tensions with a key partner battling hunger and insecurity. The State Department’s top foreign assistance official said on X that Somali government officials destroyed a U.S.-funded WFP facility and…

More than 20 countries condemn Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, urge reversal Friday, January 9, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — More than 20 countries on Friday jointly condemned Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s visit to the region, calling the move a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and urging Israel to immediately revoke its decision. In a coordinated statement, the signatories rejected Israel’s designation of North Western State of Somalia as an…

U.S. suspends assistance to Somali government, alleging destruction of WFP warehouse and seizure of 76 metric tons of food aid WASHINGTON — The United States has suspended all assistance to Somalia’s federal government, alleging Somali officials destroyed a U.S.-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and illegally seized 76 metric tons of food aid meant for vulnerable people, according to a State Department announcement Wednesday. The State Department cited the destruction of a WFP warehouse and seizure of aid as the…

MOGADISHU — A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition fighting in Yemen said Thursday that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the head of the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council, slipped out of the country via North Western State of Somalia after skipping planned peace talks in Riyadh — a development that could deepen a widening rift between the coalition’s two most powerful members. In a statement, the coalition said al-Zubaidi departed the southern port city of Aden late Wednesday aboard a vessel bound for Berbera in…

Somalia graduates new Gorgor Special Forces at TURKSOM as push against al-Shabab builds MOGADISHU — Somalia on Thursday graduated new units of its elite Gorgor Special Forces after completing training at the TURKSOM Military Training Academy, a milestone officials framed as pivotal to intensifying military operations against al-Shabab in the south. Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, speaking at the ceremony, praised Somali National Army (SNA) leadership for sustained efforts to professionalize the force and strengthen…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Somalia as part of a Jan. 7-12 African tour that also includes Ethiopia, Tanzania and Lesotho, Beijing said Wednesday, underscoring the Horn of Africa’s growing diplomatic weight amid tensions over North Western State of Somalia. Wang, who also serves on the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee, is slated to attend the launch of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges at African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. The…

Burkina Faso says it has thwarted an assassination plot against military leader Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, alleging the operation was orchestrated by Lt. Col. Paul Henri Damiba — the officer Traoré ousted in a 2022 coup — and financed in part from neighboring Ivory Coast. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana announced the discovery late Wednesday, saying intelligence services “intercepted this operation in the final hours.” He said the plan aimed to kill the head of state and strike “other key institutions, including civilian…

Arab League condemns Israeli foreign minister’s Hargeisa visit as violation of Somalia’s sovereignty MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Arab League on Tuesday condemned the visit by Israel’s foreign minister to Hargeisa, calling it an illegitimate attempt to advance recognition of North Western State of Somalia and a breach of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a statement, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the Jan. 6 trip to Hargeisa — North Western State of Somalia’s capital — formed part of what…

Somalia condemns Israeli foreign minister’s Hargeisa visit as breach of sovereignty MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government on Tuesday condemned Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s visit to Hargeisa as an unauthorized incursion and a “serious violation” of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, escalating tensions after Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia last month. Somalia’s Foreign Ministry calls Saar’s visit illegal and “null and void.” Mogadishu urges Israel to cease actions it…

Somali Future Council urges Hassan Sheikh to convene election talks within a month, warns of crisis GAROWE, Somalia — The Somali Future Council on Monday renewed its call for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to convene all political stakeholders within a month to agree on a clear and timely electoral framework, warning that further delay risks a constitutional and security crisis as the country nears another transfer of power. In a statement issued after a meeting of the Future Council’s Technical Committee in Garowe, members…