STOCKHOLM, Sweden (HOL) — Sweden will offer up to $34,000 to refugees, including Somalis, as part of a new policy to reduce its migrant population and addressing challenges with integration. The financial assistance will be available to refugees who voluntarily return to their home countries, marking a significant shift in Sweden's migration policy.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia's National Communications Authority (NCA) has partnered with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to introduce new regulations to improve submarine cable landings and boost competition in the telecommunications sector.

The history of conflict in the Middle East since the early 20th century can be broadly characterized as having gone through three main phases. Each of these phases molded internal Arab politics and the wider region for decades.

Betrayed, profoundly disturbed and deeply concerned — those are just some of the words members of Ottawa's Somali community are using to describe their reaction to allegations that the city's police force secretly surveilled five Black officers.

Nairobi, Kenya — A U.S. Marine Corps general who commands forces in Africa says stability and support programs for Somalia are in the works as the country prepares for the withdrawal of African Union troops in December.

A military pact between Cairo and Mogadishu has heightened tensions with Ethiopia, with analysts saying that the planned deployment of Egyptian troops in Somalia could fundamentally tilt the balance of power in the Horn of Africa.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia's Minister of Petroleum and Minerals, Abdirisakh Omar Mohamed, announced on Thursday that the Turkish government will commence deep-sea oil drilling operations in Somali waters starting in April 2025.

Jigajiga (HOL) — The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has condemned recent statements by Ethiopian military chief General Berhanu Jula, accusing the group of being an enemy of the state allegedly created by Egypt.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), with the support of the Government of Canada, has reiterated its commitment to bolstering community engagement and policing in Wajir County.

Kenyan aviation workers ended their day-long strike on Wednesday after reaching a return-to-work agreement with relevant authorities.

Baidoa (HOL) — Somali Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre reaffirmed that Ethiopian troops would leave Somalia when the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) ends in December 2024.

Nairobi, Kenya — The International Crisis Group says Islamic State in Somalia has become an important financial influence for terrorism, and a report suggests the leader of the branch might become the new overall head of the militant group.

Mogadishu (HOL) — The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) is calling on the Ethiopian government to immediately clarify and retract statements allegedly made by General Berhanu Jula, Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, in which he reportedly described the ONLF as an «enemy» of Ethiopia, allegedly created by Egypt. The ONLF condemned the remarks as false, provocative, and a direct challenge to the peace agreement between the group and the Ethiopian government.

Mogadishu (HOL) — At least 15 people were killed and more than 20 others injured in a renewed bout of clan fighting early Tuesday in the Buq village, near Towfiiq, in Somalia’s Mudug region, according to local sources.

Baidoa (HOL) — Somali Prime Minister Hamsa Abdi Barre held talks with traditional elders of the Southwest state in Baidoa on Thursday, focusing on their vital role in nation-building and the governance of Somalia.

HELSINKI, Finland (HOL) — Yle Uutiset will launch a Somali-language news service on September 23, 2024, to cater to the Nordic country's growing Somali-speaking population, one of its largest immigrant communities. The year-long initiative aims to provide Somali speakers with news in their native language, enhancing their understanding of Finnish society and helping to improve integration.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Police in Mogadishu have arrested ten male suspects linked to acts of killing, robbery, and other security offences during recent operations.

Dhusamareb (HOL) — Gunmen killed a man and his wife in a rural area between Adado and Godinlabe districts in central Somalia on Wednesday night, according to local residents.

The Italian Ambassador in Mogadishu Pier Mario Daccò Coppi and the deputy director of the Nairobi office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation - AICS met the Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre for an update on the forthcoming launch of projects financed by the Towards Peace and Stability in Somalia fund in favour of the areas liberated from Al Shabaab.

When humanitarian assistance is reduced, the impact can extend from the household level to the broader local economy, according to a study led by Anubhab Gupta, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

The Juno Award winner's debut film made its premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival

Garowe (HOL) — Ahmed Elmi Osman (Karaash), the former Vice President of Puntland, has warned international companies about the Holhol oil field in Somalia's Sool region. His comments follow an announcement from Somalia's Minister of Petroleum, who revealed new oil exploration agreements, including the Holhol reserve.

Garowe (HOL) — The Banadir Regional Administration has issued a ban on constructing high-rise buildings near Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport, citing security concerns. The new restrictions, which took effect on Wednesday, seek to enhance air traffic safety in surrounding areas.

The news this past week that five Somali officers and their family members were allegedly secretly wiretapped and surveilled by the Ottawa Police Service is deeply troubling. Some supposedly have loose family connections who are, possibly, engaged in gang-related activity. Two of the officers say they had no relationship with and had not even seen the cousins in question for years

The Ethiopian government says it’s on high alert after Egypt deployed troops to nearby Somalia, as both countries still can’t find common ground on a dam construction on the riverbank of the Blue Nile.

Hargeisa (HOL) — Authorities in the breakaway region of Somaliland shut down an Egyptian-owned library in Hargeisa on Wednesday without providing details about the reasons behind the closure.

Bosaso (HOL) — Puntland Security Forces (PSF) on Wednesday issued a warning to airlines using Bosaso Airport and ordered nearby residents to evacuate citing a dispute over airport management.

Baidoa (HOL) — A delegation led by Somali Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre arrived in Baidoa on Wednesday to hold talks with Southwest regional state leaders about enhancing federal-state relations.

The decision is set to worsen relations between the two countries, which have already cooled following the controversial memorandum of understanding signed by the Ethiopian government and Somaliland authorities for access to the Red Sea.

Cairo (HOL) — Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, at a pivotal Arab League session in Cairo, condemned Ethiopia’s maritime agreement with Somaliland as a direct violation of Somalia’s territorial integrity. The Arab League, in a rare show of unanimous support, backed Somalia’s rejection of the deal, amplifying regional tensions over Ethiopia’s growing influence in the Horn of Africa.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to attend 162nd session of council on Tuesday in Cairo, where he will deliver remarks on Türkiye-Arab League relations and regional issues, particularly Gaza war

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia has initiated a major polio vaccination campaign aimed at immunizing over 4 million children under the age of five, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has strongly opposed Ethiopia's alleged attempts to claim Somalia's territorial waters or enforce a disputed agreement with Somaliland, stating that his government will not accept any such moves.

Somalia's Minister of Defence Abdulkadir Mohamed Noor has cautioned the president of the South West state, Abdiaziz Laftagareen over support for the deployment of Ethiopian troops into the country.

Mogadishu (HOL) — A Somali elder in his late seventies returned 50 litres of fuel that he had looted from the Somali government during the 1991 collapse of the central authority. Mumin Fidow Rooble, now residing in the Mahas district of the Hiiraan region, handed the fuel over to local authorities this week, saying he sought religious counsel before deciding to return the stolen property.