Somalia

Foreign support, drones fuel Sudan war and possible war crimes, UN probe says

Sudan's war erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between Sudan's military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule.

Children walk next to a collapsed mosque wall following a drone strike, in Khartoum North, in Bahri city, Sudan, August 12, 2026.
Oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz, December 21, 2018.

Iran linked oil tanker falls victim to Somali piracy surge

Somali government forces patrol a street as residents gather following reported shelling in the Howl Wadaag district of Mogadishu, on June 4, 2026.

Somalia troops and armed opposition clash in heavy Baidoa fighting as civilian toll rises

The Red Sea

Erdogan’s rivalry with Israel has a new front: Africa - opinion


Merchant ship hijacked off Yemen now held by Somali pirates, residents say

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said last week that a vessel boarded by unauthorized personnel in the Gulf of Aden had been maneuvered into Somali waters, classifying it as a hijack.

An Indian soldier stands guard next to captured Somali pirates after they were brought in for prosecution by the Indian Navy, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, India, March 23, 2024.

Horn of Africa growing increasingly important in Middle East power plays - analysis

Military agreements, port investments, and competing positions on Somalia, Somaliland, and Sudan are drawing the African and Arabian shores of the Red Sea into a single geopolitical arena.

The Horn of Africa is seen on a map (illustrative)

Turkey's new Somalia spaceport doubles as missile range, threatening Israel - report

The facility is only designed to accommodate systems with a range of up to 2,000 km., placing Israel outside of reach; Somaliland, militarily supported by Israel, is within the projected range.

Turkish military ship arrives in Mogadishu within the scope of the agreement signed between the governments of Somalia and Turkiye in the fields of defense and economy, in Mogadishu, Somalia on April 23, 2024

Somaliland Defense Minister says IDF will not establish presence in their country

Though Israel has been training Somaliland's police, the IDF won't have a military base there going forward.

President Isaac Herzog receives the first-ever Ambassador of Somaliland to Israel, Mohamed Hagi, in his residence last month.

World Cup referee from Somalia denied entry to US

Omar Artan was the only Somalian referee on FIFA's World Cup list, with the nation on the US list of "fully suspended" countries for entry.

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 match between Equatorial Guinea and Guinea at Alassane Ouattara Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Will Israel stand alone for Somaliland? - opinion

If Israel truly believes Somaliland deserves a seat among the family of nations, then it cannot stop at the bilateral opening of embassies and exchange of ambassadors.

STRATEGIC CHOKEPOINT: A Puntland Marine officer patrols the Bosasso coastline in the Red Sea against ISIS, in Bari Region in the Gulf of Aden, Somalia, Jan. 2025.

Somali terror groups could tighten Hormuz chokehold through Bab-el-Mandeb piracy, experts say

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, is already considered a significant vulnerability due to the presence of Yemen's Houthi terrorists.

FILE PHOTO: A cargo ship is from Lido beach in central Mogadishu, on April 25, 2025 in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Suspected pirates hijack cargo ship off Somalia, vessel headed toward coastline with crew onboard

The UKMTO said in a statement that the incident occurred 6 nautical miles north east of Garacad, describing it as a hijack but giving no additional details.

FILE PHOTO: A cargo ship is from Lido beach in central Mogadishu, on April 25, 2025 in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Israel's Somaliland envoy sparks regional backlash from 15 Arab, Muslim states

Several Arab and Muslim states condemned Israel's decision to send a diplomatic envoy to Somaliland, while the Republic of Somaliland responded, accusing them of hypocrisy.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar meets with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi in first diplomatic visit to Somaliland on January 6, 2026.

Somali national army takes control of part of Baidoa, largest city in South West state

A shopkeeper in Baidoa, Hussein Abdullahi, said there were federal troops in his part of the city and they were in control there.

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows activity at a street in the southern city of Baidoa, Somalia November 3, 2018.