welcomes

MOGADISHU — The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTAMS) on Thursday welcomed the formal launch of talks between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Somali Future Council, calling the dialogue a crucial step toward easing the country’s political impasse ahead of looming constitutional deadlines. The meeting, chaired by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the Presidential Palace, brought together senior government officials and opposition-aligned leaders amid heightened tensions and with less…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s prime minister on Monday hailed Türkiye’s launch of a deep-sea drilling mission off the Horn of Africa nation’s coast as a historic step that could jump-start long-promised economic change. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre welcomed the deployment of Türkiye’s drillship Cagri Bey, which has set sail for Mogadishu to begin Ankara’s first offshore oil and gas exploration outside its own maritime zone. Turkish officials say the vessel is scheduled to start drilling in April at the Curad-1 well.…

Mogadishu’s first modern bowling alley rolls a fragile normal into Somalia’s capital On a recent evening in Mogadishu, the sharp crack of falling pins echoed under neon lights as a circle of friends filmed each other’s turns and burst into laughter. They were young, many born or raised abroad, taking in a scene that was once unimaginable in a city long defined by checkpoints and curfews: carefree recreation in public. The Feynuus Bowling Center, which opened last year, has become a symbol of Mogadishu’s cautious revival — a…

EU hails Somali opposition joining national dialogue as positive step MOGADISHU, Somalia — The European Union’s envoy to Somalia has welcomed the decision by the country’s main opposition alliance to join a government-led consultation, calling it a constructive step toward national stability. The Somali Future Council — a coalition of regional leaders and former officials — confirmed it will attend the consultations scheduled for Feb. 1, 2026, in Mogadishu. The invitation was extended by the Federal Government of Somalia. EU…

MOGADISHU — The Intergovernmental Authority on Development on Wednesday welcomed Somalia’s ratification of the new IGAD Treaty, calling it a significant step toward stronger regional cooperation and integration across the Horn of Africa. Somalia’s House of the People approved the treaty by show of hands after the agreement was presented by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ali Omar Balcad, who urged lawmakers to endorse it as essential to the country’s regional engagement and political stability. According to Speaker…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has welcomed an appellate ruling that clears the way for the country’s elected representatives to take their seats in the East African Legislative Assembly, ending months of legal uncertainty over Somalia’s participation in the regional body. In a statement issued Tuesday, the ministry congratulated the nine lawmakers chosen by Somalia’s Federal Parliament to represent the country in EALA, calling the court’s decision a key step toward…

KIUNGA, Kenya — On a sliver of Kenya’s northern coast, just 15 kilometers from the Somalia border and within sight of the turquoise shallows of the Kiunga Marine National Reserve, a different kind of refugee story has been unfolding for more than three decades. It’s a story without tents or barbed wire, without aid convoys or registration queues. In Kiunga, families opened their doors to Somali neighbors fleeing conflict and drought — and kept them open. A new media release by the Office of the Director Public Service…

Kenya and the United States advanced a new partnership framework to support Universal Health Coverage after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale held bilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. In a statement posted on X on Saturday, Dec. 6, Duale said the discussions reaffirmed the two countries’ long-standing collaboration in public health and aligned with Kenya’s drive to strengthen primary care and expand access…

Pope Leo XIV and the State of Cinema: A Vatican Appeal Pope Leo XIV used a rare audience at the Vatican with leading actors and filmmakers to cast cinema as a cultural bulwark at risk. He warned that theatres are dwindling and urged creative communities to defend the shared experience of film against digital homogenization. Addressed a gathering of prominent actors and directors, including Cate Blanchett, Monica Bellucci, Chris Pine and Spike Lee. Framed cinema as a “workshop of hope” and a space where imagination and…

London ceremony spotlights a rising British‑Somali generation and a new model of diaspora engagement On a crisp autumn evening in Kensington and Chelsea, hundreds of family members, politicians and community leaders gathered to celebrate what felt like more than individual degrees: the growing influence of a British‑Somali community staking its claim in Britain’s civic and professional life. The 5th British‑Somali Global Graduation Ceremony, held on 26 October, brought together graduates from leading UK universities and a…