Somalia

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.
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.

Will Israel stand alone for Somaliland? - opinion

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

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

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


African Union calls on Israel to revoke Somaliland recognition amid Sa'ar visit

"The (AU) Council strongly condemns, in the strongest terms, the unilateral recognition of the so-called 'Republic of Somaliland' by Israel," it said in a post on X after a ministerial meeting.

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

With Somaliland recognition, Israel shapes global reality instead of just reacting to it - opinion

For the first time in years, Israel is signaling a strategic rethink, seeing the environment it operates in not as isolated threats but as one interconnected geopolitical system across the region.

The flag of Somaliland is seen during a campaign rally of the main opposition party Waddani in Hargeisa on November 8, 2024, ahead of the 2024 Somaliland presidential election.

What is Tim Walz's role in Minnesota's welfare fraud scandal? - explainer

The Trump administration is ramping up federal enforcement in Minnesota, citing massive fraud tied to state programs, as Governor Tim Walz steps aside under growing scrutiny over oversight failures.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz visiting Columbus, Ohio, April 6, 2025; illustrative.

Defending persecuted Christians strengthens Israel - opinion

Defending persecuted Christians strengthens Israel’s security, influence, and regional position.

A woman raises her hands during a mass prayer with the one thousand Christian Pastors on the southern steps of the Western Wall in Jerusalem on December 4, 2025.

Somaliland chose peace, the world chose to look away - opinion

In a region scarred by war, one society chose reconciliation. Why does global diplomacy ignore Somaliland?

Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognising Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on December 26, 2025.

Somaliland exists: recognition is about truth, not favor - opinion

Nadifa Mohamed’s novel and Israel’s recognition of Somaliland show why acknowledging marginalized lives is a matter of justice.

 A woman dressed in Somaliland's flag colours parades to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of their Independence in Hargeisa, Somaliland, May 18, 2024.

Why Somaliland works and the international system pretends it does not - opinion

Recognizing Somaliland would establish three principles the international order is not yet prepared to tolerate: performance matters, secession can stabilize, and colonial borders are not sacred.

This aerial view shows residents waving Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognising Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on December 26, 2025.

Statehood hypocrisy: Why it's no for Somaliland, Kurdistan, but yes for Palestine - opinion

Israel broke a diplomatic taboo by recognizing Somaliland and triggered a predictable storm of outrage and conspiracy theories.

A LARGE ‘Free Palestine’ sign is seen at a soccer game in Istanbul, Turkey, in late 2025. It is hypocritical that countries supporting calls for Palestinian statehood often oppose recognition for Somaliland and Kurdistan, the writer says.

Israel's Somaliland recognition isn't a gamble, it's a necessity and others must join - opinion

This recognition is not an act of aggression but a pragmatic masterstroke that exposes a broken status quo, and it is a move that the United States and responsible African powers should support.

An illustrative image of a Somaliland flag being held.

Middle Israel: Sleeping with Somaliland is good, waltzing with it is bad - opinion

Israel’s recognition this week of Somaliland – a self-declared country in northeast Africa – is part of a time-honored legacy with its fair share of foresight and risk.

THE KIND OF of strategic alliance that Israel is nurturing in Somaliland already emerged last year, when Somaliland signed a deal with Ethiopia, leasing to its landlocked neighbor a 20-km. coastal strip for a naval base.