Saudi Arabia has publicly accused Iran of encouraging Yemen’s Houthis to attack the kingdom, saying it violates a 2023 diplomatic deal it reached with Tehran to smooth over relations. “We think the escalation by the Houthis at this later stage of the conflict is encouraged by Iran,” Rayed Krimly, deputy minister for public diplomacy at...
BAIDAO (WDN) — In a dramatic shift in the struggle for control of Southwest State, forces aligned with the former Southwest President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed (Laftagareen) have reportedly taken control of four districts of the five Districts of Bay region, with local sources describing withdrawals and handovers that, in most locations, occurred without any fighting....
GAROWE (WDN) — Puntland has issued a sharp warning to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing his administration of pursuing a disputed electoral process that deepens Somalia’s political divisions and threatening the country’s fragile unity. The warning reflects growing frustration among federal member states and opposition figures over what they see as the president’s unwillingness to...
Mogadishu (WDN)– Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is pressing ahead with his unilateral electoral scheme, a calculated power grab designed to secure JSP’s dominance, orchestrate his return to office, and install his loyalists across the federal member states through a sham electoral process overseen by a commission operating under his directives. The political theatre witnessed most recently...
President vows accountability as the liquidation of 130 investment funds exposes ties to Turkey’s ruling elite A crisis involving Turkish investment funds accused of running Ponzi-like schemes has affected half a million people, with authorities ordering the liquidation of some 130 funds worth $17bn earlier this month. Already historic in scale, the financial turmoil has...
Mogadishu (WDN) — An opposition lawmaker has warned that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s handling of Somalia’s disputed electoral process could drive the country towards renewed fragmentation and state collapse, placing responsibility for the consequences squarely on the current administration. Abdilatif Muse Nur, known as Sanyare, made the warning in response to the federal election timetable...
BAKU (WDN) — Azerbaijan’s enforcement of new school dress-code rules has sparked protests after Muslim students and teachers wearing hijabs were reportedly denied entry to educational institutions, intensifying debate over religious freedom in the predominantly Muslim country. The amendment to school uniform regulations does not explicitly ban the hijab. Instead, it prohibits clothing deemed inconsistent...
MOGADISHU (WDN) — Somalia’s political crisis escalated sharply after three prominent former national leaders and senior opposition figures condemned the federal government’s newly announced election timetable, warning that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s unilateral approach could trigger parallel elections, renewed conflict and further fragmentation of the Somali state. Former presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and Sharif Sheikh...
MOGADISHU (WDN) — In a move likely to intensify Somalia’s political crisis, the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has announced dates for federal parliamentary and presidential elections without an apparent political settlement between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, opposition leaders and federal member states over the country’s disputed electoral future. The commission announced today that...
BUURHAKABA, Somalia (WDN) — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s controversial campaign to remove former Southwest State President Abdiasis Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen is producing consequences that may be far more damaging than Mogadishu anticipated. Within a week, forces loyal to Laftagareen have reportedly captured two strategically important districts in Bay region, challenging the authority of the administration...