Garowe (WDN) – Puntland has suspended the operations of several humanitarian organizations working within its territory, accusing them of abandoning their humanitarian mandates and becoming entangled in Somalia’s political affairs. The announcement marks a significant escalation in Puntland’s increasingly strained relationship with both the Federal Government of Somalia and sections of the international aid community....
Category: Everyday People
Red-Clad Protesters Take to Mogadishu Streets for Second Day, Demand Release of Jailed Activist Sacdiya Bajaj
Mogadishu (WDN) – Small groups of demonstrators returned to the streets of Mogadishu for a second consecutive day on Sunday, protesting against the Federal Government and demanding the release of activist Sacdiya Bajaj, who was recently sentenced to three years in prison. The protesters, many of them young women, gathered in several neighborhoods across the...
Puntland’s Main Gateway Falls Silent: Bosaso Port Crisis Sparks Public Anger and Business Boycott
Bosaso (WDN)– Puntland’s most important commercial hub has remained at a standstill, with port operations and business activities suspended after a dispute over increased port charges forced traders to halt operations. The shutdown has also sparked growing public protests across the coastal city of Bosaso, raising concerns about the broader economic impact on Puntland and...
Mr. President: Let Somali Children Be Children—Not Symbols in an Adult Political World
By Osman Ali Hassan Mr. President, there is a photograph circulating on social and mainstream media. It shows a group of children, no older than five or six, beaming at their kindergarten graduation in St. Paul, Minnesota. They are dressed in caps and gowns, and a number of the girls wear hijabs. Recently, you shared...
Hero’s Welcome for Somali FIFA Referee Omar Cartan in Jigjiga Ahead of Regional Cup Final
Jigjiga (WDN) — Internationally acclaimed Somali football referee Omar Abdulkadir Cartan received a rousing welcome on Friday after arriving in Jigjiga, the capital of Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State, ahead of the highly anticipated Regional Cup final. Hundreds of football supporters, sports officials, and senior representatives of the Somali Regional State gathered at Jigjiga Airport to...
The Promise of Independence: What Does It Mean to You as a Somali?
By Dayib Sh. Ahmed Every year, Somalis commemorate June 26, the day part of Somalia achieved independence from colonial rule in 1960, and July 1, when two of the five territories united to establish the Somali Republic. These two historic dates symbolize freedom, unity, hope, and the dream of building a strong and prosperous Somali...
Bosaso Port Trade Grinds to a Halt as New Tax Hike Threatens Puntland’s Finances
Bosaso (WDN) – Activity at Puntland’s main port in Bosaso has virtually stalled for nearly ten days following the government’s introduction of a new tax regime. According to business sources, the increases are as much as four times higher than previous rates—an increase they say is unsustainable. Traders warn that if the policy remains unchanged,...
Somalia Raises Security Concerns Over WhatsApp’s Planned Username Feature
Mogadishu (WDN) – Somalia’s Federal Government has voiced growing security concerns over Meta’s planned introduction of WhatsApp usernames, warning that the new feature could make it more difficult for authorities to identify users and combat terrorism and organized crime. The concerns were outlined by the National Communications Authority (NCA), which argues that allowing users to...
Garowe Mediation Ends Without Breakthrough as General Jimale Rejects Talks with Puntland Government
Garowe (WDN) – Efforts to defuse the political and security standoff in Garowe have ended in disappointment after a mediation committee from the Nugaal region returned from Las Anod without securing a breakthrough in talks with Gen. Jimale Jama Takar. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the committee spent the past two days meeting...
Vulnerable Mudug families left behind in drought-hit village
Mudug (Ergo)- Pastoralist families left behind in Dajimaale village in Somalia’s central Mudug region are facing severe food and water shortages after three consecutive years of failed rains destroyed their livestock and dried up the water wells. Most residents have migrated away in search of water and pasture, but more than 100 families, largely comprising...








