CEELBUUR, GALGADUUD (WDN) — Al-Shabaab has reportedly agreed to finance civilian infrastructure projects in Ceelbuur, central Somalia, in what could mark a significant development in the group’s efforts to consolidate its influence and present itself as a governing authority in territories under its control. Reports from Ceelbuur indicate that Al-Shabaab representatives and members of Hawiye...
ADDIS ABABA (WDN) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has claimed that Jigjiga, the capital of Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State, has overtaken Eritrea’s capital, Asmara, in its current state of development. His remarks highlight Jigjiga’s growing profile while sharpening the contrast he draws between Ethiopia’s regional development and Eritrea’s economic difficulties. In a reported interview,...
The Somali Future Council wants a president who listens and negotiates. Its critics argue that Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has instead governed unilaterally, deepening political divisions and helping ignite a new conflict in South West State. MOGADISHU (WDN) — Somalia’s political opposition has issued another warning that the country’s electoral dispute is threatening national unity, federalism...
Ankara’s plan to expand military training in 2027 may once have been welcomed as a contribution to Somalia’s security. But its perceived alignment with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and its involvement in South West State’s conflict threaten to undermine that goodwill. MOGADISHU (WDN) — Türkiye plans to expand its training of Somali security forces in...
As competing powers reposition across the Red Sea and Horn of Africa, an Israeli security presentation highlights shifting strategic calculations—and the growing risk that Somalia’s internal divisions will become entangled in wider regional rivalries. JERUSALEM (WDN) — A geopolitical map displayed behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a national security presentation on Sunday has...
The killing of a respected traditional elder has heightened public anger and raised troubling questions about security, political rivalry and the authority of an administration whose legitimacy remains contested. MARKA (WDN) — The killing of traditional elder Aweys in Marka, the capital of Lower Shabelle region, has intensified tensions surrounding the newly declared South-East State...
Sheikh Mohamed Idris challenges the president’s claims of economic transformation, arguing that Somalia cannot become an export-driven economy without reliable electricity, infrastructure, political stability, industrial investment and credible economic policies. MOGADISHU (WDN) — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has spoken of transforming Somalia from an import-dependent economy into an export-oriented nation. But where is the evidence...
Hospitals, markets, schools and roads inundated as El Niño rains expose dangerous gaps in urban infrastructure, emergency planning and the ability of Somali administrations to protect their populations. Galkacyo (WDN) — Somalia was warned to prepare for severe El Niño-related flooding. Yet as heavy rains inundate parts of Galkacyo, the consequences are exposing a deeply...
MOGADISHU (WDN) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo has issued a stark warning over the country’s escalating political crisis, accusing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of undermining negotiations, pursuing a disputed electoral process and risking a dangerous confrontation over the nation’s political future. In a strongly worded statement, Farmaajo said the president’s recent remarks...
MOGADISHU (WDN) — Somalia’s government is moving to end the long-standing practice of allowing members of parliament to serve simultaneously as ministers—a move critics say exposes President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s growing disregard for the country’s agreed constitutional framework. The change effectively overturns a provision of the 2012 Provisional Federal Constitution (PFCS), which established Somalia as...