Somalia

Why Mogadishu clashes are deepening Somalia’s political crisis again

Tensions over Somali elections escalate into violence, leaving Mogadishu residents grappling with fear and disruption.

Fighting in Somalia’s capital as anger over election delay erupts

Residents flee from their homes due to fighting between two warring political factions.

Gunfire erupts in Mogadishu before protests against Somali president’s rule

Ex-Somali PM Khaire accuses government forces of attacking him before planned antigovernment protests in Mogadishu.

The Horn of Africa needs reconciliation, not new borders

Recognising Somaliland would not deliver stability. It would entrench division, in Somalia and well beyond it.

Somalia needs a political settlement before it is too late

Somalia is entering a dangerous moment without a path to elections or a political transition.

Young women sit on a flower-decorated swing at Lido Beach in Mogadishu, enjoying time. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Young women relax on a flower-decorated swing at Lido Beach in Mogadishu, enjoying the Eid holiday atmosphere. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

The Ali Jimale Mosque in Mogadishu, Somalia – the country’s largest mosque – stands empty before worshippers arrive. Opened in 2022, the Turkish-inspired landmark was funded by businessman Ahmed-Nur Ali Jimale. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

The Ali Jimale Mosque in Mogadishu, Somalia – the country’s largest mosque – opened in 2022 and is a Turkish-inspired landmark funded by businessman Ahmed-Nur Ali Jimale. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Abdirahman and Bilal travelled across the city with their parents to attend Eid prayers. The ghutra and thobe — garments associated with the Gulf and wider Middle East — are a popular part of Eid sartorial tradition for men in Somalia. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Abdirahman and Bilal travel across the city with their parents to attend Eid prayers. The ghutra and thobe — garments associated with the Gulf and wider Middle East — are a popular part of Eid sartorial tradition for men in Somalia. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Turkish-style mosque architecture has become increasingly popular in Somalia, reflected in grand modern designs like the Ali Jimale Mosque in Mogadishu. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Fahad and Shahul moved to Somalia from southern India and have lived in Mogadishu for more than a year. Ali Jimale Mosque is one of their favourite places of worship in the city, known for its scale and distinctive architecture. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Fahad and Shahul, who moved to Somalia from southern India, have lived in Mogadishu for more than a year. Ali Jimale Mosque is one of their favourite places of worship in the city, known for its scale and distinctive architecture. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Worshippers perform rukuu (bow) during Eid salah at Ali Jimale Mosque in Mogadishu. The communal prayer is the spiritual centrepiece of Eid celebrations, bringing together the congregants in a shared act of worship. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Worshippers perform rukuu (bowing) during the Eid salah at Ali Jimale Mosque in Mogadishu. The communal prayer is the spiritual centrepiece of Eid celebrations, bringing congregants together in a shared act of worship. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Maka Al Mukarama Road forms Mogadishu’s central business district, with the KM4 roundabout, the main junction in the city, hosts a statue of 16th-century Somali commander Ahmed Gurey. The area is a busy hub where families shop, socialise, and move between the capital’s key districts. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Maka Al Mukarama Road forms Mogadishu’s central business district, with the KM4 roundabout – the city’s main junction – hosting a statue of 16th-century Somali commander Ahmed Gurey. The area is a busy hub where families shop, socialise and move between the capital’s key districts. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Escape Skate in central Mogadishu has become a popular gathering place for young people, reflecting the city’s growing recreational scene and the rise of new leisure spaces in the capital. It is now a key venue for youth leisure and social life in Mogadishu. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

A large crowd gathers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Daljirka Dahsoon) in Mogadishu, a memorial honouring Somalis who have died in service of the country, where people join together in traditional Somali dances. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Lido Beach is Mogadishu’s most popular seaside destination and a long-standing centre of the city’s social life. Generations have gathered here in the evenings and on weekends to swim, eat at cafés along the shoreline, and take boat trips out into the ocean. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Lido Beach is Mogadishu’s most popular seaside destination and a longtime hub of the city’s social life, where generations have gathered in the evenings and at weekends to swim, eat at cafes along the shoreline and take boat trips into the ocean. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Young men play in the sea at Lido Beach in Mogadishu. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Young men play in the sea at Lido Beach in Mogadishu as they celebrate Eid al-Adha. [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera]

Somaliland to open embassy in Jerusalem, Israel in Hargeisa: Envoy

The move comes months after Israel officially recognised the independence of Somalia’s breakaway region.

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From: NewsFeed

First Somaliland ambassador to Israel presents his credentials

Somaliland’s first ambassador to a foreign country presented his credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Somaliland marks first independence day amid Israel ties and divisions

Somaliland military officers parade during 'Independence Day' celebrations in Hargeisa on May 18, 2026. [Reuters]

VIPs at Somaliland's 35th self-declared independence celebrations in the capital Hargeisa. They included Britain's former defence minister, Gavin Williamson, Emirati representative Abdullah al-Naqb, Taiwan's ambassador Allen Lou, Kenyan representative Abdiweli Muhammed Hussein and Ethiopian representative Teshome Shunde Hamito. [Kang-Chun Cheng/AFP]

Somaliland's 35th self-declared independence celebrations in Hargeisa mark its 1991 breakaway from Somalia, amid renewed focus on its push for global recognition after Israel became the first country to formally recognise the territory as an independent and sovereign state in East Africa. [Reuters]

Somaliland armoured vehicles joined a parade during self-declared Independence Day celebrations in Hargeisa. [Reuters]

Chairman of the Waddani Party Xirsi Hersi Ali Hassan, Chairman of the KAAH Party Mohamoud Hashi Abdi, and Chairman of Somaliland's House of Representatives Yasin Haji Mohamoud Hiir attend Somaliland's 35th self-declared independence celebrations near the presidential palace. [Kang-Chun Cheng/AFP]