Polls have closed across Somaliland after presidential elections, and it appears Wednesday's voting across the breakaway region has gone smoothly.

London (HOL) — Somali Lower House Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madoobe met with British Parliament Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle on Wednesday in London to discuss enhancing ties between the two countries’ legislative bodies.

Hargeisa (HOL) — International observers praised Somaliland's National Electoral Commission (NEC) on Wednesday for conducting a peaceful and transparent presidential election, as polls closed across the breakaway region.

Amid escalating regional tensions, voters in the self-declared state of Somaliland will vote on Wednesday in its fourth general election since its 1991 break from Somalia. While Somaliland now has its own government, parliament, currency, passports and other features of an independent country, however, its sovereignty remains unrecognised internationally as Somalia continues to view it as part of its territory.

Hargeisa (HOL) — Voters across Somaliland took to the polls early Tuesday morning in an election that could reshape the political structure of the self-declared republic. Seeking re-election, incumbent President Muse Bihi Abdi of the ruling Kulmiye Party faces opposition from Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro of Waddani and Faisal Ali Warabe from UCID.

Voters in Somaliland flocked to the polls on Wednesday to choose a president at a time when the breakaway Somali region sees international recognition within reach after three decades of de facto self-rule.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) has arrested two suspects linked to the murder of two business people in Mogadishu’s Darussalam district.

Senior commanders of the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) have gathered at the International Peace Support Operations Training Centre (IPSO-TC) in Singo to discuss key insights and strategic improvements for the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

With over 1 million voters, the election takes place amid ongoing regional tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia over a Somaliland Red Sea access deal.

Mogadishu (HOL) — A landmine explosion killed at least three Somali government soldiers in Mogadishu’s Deyniile district on Tuesday night, according to military sources.

Kenya Airways, the East African nation’s airline, recently launched an initiative focused on turning plastic waste into diesel as a means of generating cheaper fuel while addressing pollution. VOA’s Victoria Amunga has more from Nairobi.

Kenya is confident the negotiations on the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) will continue to fruition despite change of leadership at the White House following the just concluded US elections.

Hargeisa (HOL) — Over one million voters in the self-declared Somaliland region headed to the polls early Wednesday for for presidential and parliamentary elections, drawing attention from local and international stakeholders.

Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland, the self-declared republic in the Horn of Africa, heads to the polls on Wednesday for a dual election that could shape its governance for the next decade. In a combined presidential and political party vote, citizens of this unrecognized but democratically driven region will select their next leader and decide which political parties will dominate Somaliland’s political landscape in the years to come.

Kismayo (HOL) — The Jubaland Election and Boundaries Commission is poised to announce a new process for selecting members of parliament, marking an escalatory moment in the ongoing struggle between Somalia's federal government and the autonomous Jubaland administration. The revised selection framework, expected to be revealed today, signals Jubaland's intent to assert greater autonomy—a move that has fueled a deeper rift with Mogadishu.

Mogadishu (HOL) — A decade after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) distributed thousands of date palm seedlings across Somalia, farmers are witnessing a remarkable transformation. Amid relentless droughts, locust invasions, and conflict, these resilient trees have become a lifeline, offering stability and economic promise to rural communities struggling against the odds.

Federal Republic of Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud reaffirmed Somalia's support for the Palestinian people and called for an immediate ceasefire, urging the release of all detainees and hostages to prevent further loss of life and alleviate ongoing suffering.

Mogadishu (HOL) — The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) killed at least 22 al-Shabab militants in a targeted operation in Dhararweyn village, under the Gal’ad district in Somalia’s Galgadud region, on Monday night.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia is facing a mounting political crisis as tensions between the federal government and the southern state of Jubbaland escalate over a disputed electoral reform plan.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Al-Shabab militants ambushed and killed two Southwest state soldiers on Tuesday as they traveled by motorcycle along the road between Wanlaweyn and Afgoye districts in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, residents reported.

According to the Somaliland National Electoral Commission, more than 1 million registered and eligible voters head to the polls Wednesday to elect their president for the next five years.

Ethiopia has launched the first-ever shipment of refrigerated fruits and vegetables to the European market, the Ministry of Agriculture disclosed.

Kismayo (HOL) — Opposition groups in Somalia's Jubbaland state have rejected the recent appointment of a regional electoral commission by Jubbaland President Ahmed Madobe, threatening to hold a separate election in Kismayo if their demands are not met.

Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia at the centre of a diplomatic storm, will hold a presidential election on Wednesday at a tense moment in the Horn of Africa.

Kismayo (HOL) — Somali federal parliamentarians representing Jubaland delivered a sharp rebuke of the federal government on Saturday, accusing it of actions that deepen political rifts and threaten Somalia's unity. Gathering in Kismayo for consultations, these lawmakers warned that recent federal decisions exacerbate divisions and stall dialogue aimed at bridging differences between Jubaland and Mogadishu.

Maritime lawyer Stephen Askins has cast doubt on claims that Yemen's Houthi rebels are raking in as much as $180 million monthly from shipping companies to ensure safe passage through the Red Sea, calling the figures in a recent UN report «unlikely» and logistically challenging.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali government forces killed at least six al-Shabab militants, including two key leaders, in an operation near the Qansah Dhere district in the Bay region on Monday.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia's bicameral parliament approved key electoral laws on Monday, including rules governing elections, parties and political organizations and establishing the country's electoral commission.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Riyadh on Monday to join an emergency summit of Arab and Islamic leaders convened by Saudi Arabia. The summit is focused on addressing escalating violence in Gaza and Lebanon.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia is grappling with dangerously low immunization and treatment rates for pneumonia and diarrhea, two of the leading killers of children under five. According to a new report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Somalia remains far behind in providing essential healthcare interventions, placing thousands of young lives at risk.

Mohammed Abdiwali sexually violated women in 2014 and 2020. Now in and out of jail because of repeatedly breaching his release conditions, he has nowhere permanent to live so sleeps either on the streets or with meth-addicted friends, risking, he says, relapsing into his own addiction.

The Amhara-Ethiopian communities organized a large rally on Saturday in Frankfurt, Germany, to raise awareness about the ongoing killings of ethnic Amharas, which ethnic Amhara activists have described as genocide.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) announced Thursday that it has apprehended an alleged Al-Shabaab associate linked to the October 26 killing of two civilians in the Dharkenley District.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Himilo Qaran political party, led by former Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, has supported Jubbaland State’s recent appointment of an electoral committee despite opposition from the federal government.

Kismayo (HOL) — Jubbaland Regional State administration suspended cooperation with the federal government, citing federal non-compliance with Somalia's constitution and disrespecting Jubbaland's autonomy.