🇸🇴#Somalia: Somali National Armed Forces, along with AUSSOM troops, destroyed several hideouts of Al-Shabaab militants in Buulo Abdala and Madulo in Lower Shabelle two days ago.
Footage posted on AUSSOM’s X account shows Somali National Armed Forces operating alongside contractors from the American PMC Bancroft Global Development.
The group is partly funded by the US State Department, although it presents itself as an independent NGO.
Bancroft has been active in Somalia for over a decade, and its American founder, Michael Stock, has reportedly been linked to Bob Denard, a notorious French mercenary associated with multiple coups in Africa.
Pirates hijack oil tanker off the coast of #Somalia
Pirates have hijacked an oil tanker with 17 crew that was sailing near the Somali coast, according to multiple security officials who spoke to the BBC.
The ship, Honor 25, was overrun late on Wednesday by six gunmen, when it was approximately 30 nautical miles (55 kms) offshore, the officials said.
Until three years ago piracy had almost disappeared in this stretch of the Indian Ocean once notorious for hijackings, but it has since made a comeback with fishing trawlers or container ships targeted.
The seizure of a tanker headed for the Somali capital, Mogadishu, is likely to increase anxiety in the city where petrol prices have already tripled since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran.
It was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil, security officials from Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region told the BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78l26yn981o
The Quiet Militarization of Somalia and What It Means for the Horn. Read more.
https://borkena.com/2026/02/05/somalia-the-quiet-militarization-of-somalia-and-what-it-means-for-the-horn/#Somalia#Politics
Chaos erupts in #Somalia’s parliament over proposed constitutional amendments
Scuffles and shouting broke out Wednesday during a joint session of Somalia’s parliament after the speaker attempted to advance proposed constitutional amendments that opposition lawmakers said would extend parliament’s mandate, forcing the session’s suspension.
Somalia has been under a provisional constitution since 2012, and repeated efforts to finalize it have exposed deep divisions over governance and power-sharing between the federal government and regional states.
A similar attempt to extend political mandates under former president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed triggered a constitutional crisis in 2021 and led to armed confrontations in #Mogadishu, pushing the country to the brink of wider unrest.
Wednesday’s disorder erupted when the parliament speaker announced an unexpected agenda to amend five chapters of the....
https://apnews.com/article/somalia-parliament-constitution-mandate-scuffle-f4c7d7e3826b64ca11ce819bcbd77399
News: #Somaliland rejects #Somalia’s claims over its diplomatic engagement with #Israel
The government of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland has rejected what it described as “misleading claims” by the Federal Government of Somalia regarding its diplomatic engagement with Israel, insisting that its foreign relations are a matter of sovereign authority.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Somaliland said the assertions by Mogadishu are “unfounded in law, inaccurate in history, and lack factual basis,” dismissing Somalia’s position as having no legal standing to comment on or interfere in its bilateral relations.
The statement reiterated Somaliland’s longstanding claim to sovereignty, noting that it attained independence on 26 June 1960 and was recognized internationally prior to its union with Somalia later that year. It argued that its sovereignty “neither originated from, nor is contingent upon, any authority in Mogadishu.”
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=56529
War on #Iran fuels piracy resurgence off #Somalia coast, #EU naval force warns
Addis Abeba - The ongoing war in Iran is contributing to a renewed surge in maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia, raising concerns over security in one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, according to a European Union naval mission, Bloomberg reported.
At least three hijackings were confirmed in the past week, with pirates boarding two cargo vessels and a tanker, data from the UK Maritime Trade Operations showed.
The attacks took place near Eyl, Mareeyo and Garacad in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region, an area that was a notorious hub for piracy in the late 2000s.
The spike in incidents is being linked to broader regional instability, initially tied to Houthi attacks and now compounded by tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CPxo1kJYb/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Seized Aid back in WFP hands, #Somalia confirms
Somalia’s federal government said on Monday that commodities removed from a warehouse affected by port expansion activities in Mogadishu have been returned to the World Food Programme (#WFP), following recent reports that a storage facility at the Mogadishu Port was demolished and supplies seized.
“The commodities removed from the warehouse have been fully returned to the World Food Programme,” the government said in a statement, adding that it “takes full responsibility for this unfortunate situation and regrets that it occurred.”
The government's action prompted the U.S. State Department to suspend humanitarian assistance to the federal government, accusing local officials of destroying a U.S.-funded warehouse and “illegally seizing” 76 metric tonnes of food aid intended for vulnerable populations.
To ensure the continued, secure and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian....
https://www.dawan.africa/news/seized-aid-back-in-wfp-hands-somalia-confirms
A Turkish-American Agreement Is Needed on Somalia’s Oil. Read more.
https://borkena.com/2025/10/31/a-turkish-american-agreement-is-needed-on-somalias-oil/#Turkey#usa#Somalia
#Ethiopia, #Eritrea, #Somalia, #Sudan, and South Sudan among 75 countries affected by US visa processing freeze
The United States has paused immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan, as part of a move by the State Department to reassess screening and vetting procedures, according to an internal memo.
The internal State Department memo, first reported by Fox News, instructs US consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department conducts a review aimed at cracking down on applicants deemed likely to become a “public charge.”According to the memo, the pause will take effect on 21 January and will continue indefinitely until the reassessment of immigrant visa processing is completed.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AR84A3eAz/
News: #Somalia signs defence cooperation agreement with #Qatar a week after ending #UAE security ties
Somalia has signed a defence cooperation agreement with Qatar, days after formally terminating all existing security and defence arrangements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Somalia’s state-run news agency SONNA reported.
The agreement was signed in Doha by Somalia’s Minister of Defence, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, and Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, according to SONNA.
The defence cooperation framework focuses on military training, the exchange of expertise, development of defence capabilities, and enhanced security collaboration, with the stated aim of supporting regional security and stability.
Officials from both countries said the deal reinforces the strategic relationship between Somalia....
https://web.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid02G7MBbzcqP9kmVCoZSmAQ71JYDkRy72druUd4JMp3BCdMkXb6exBbZbVK2ATbEtsdl