Somalia

Iran linked oil tanker falls victim to Somali piracy surge

The Eritrea-flagged Sibu 1 was at least the 13th vessel attacked this year off the coast of Somalia or in the Gulf of Aden, which links Somalia and Yemen.

|ByREUTERS
Oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz, December 21, 2018.
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

Fresh fighting in the city could compound a dire humanitarian crisis in the area. Baidoa hosts hundreds of thousands of displaced people; one in four children at refugee sites is malnourished.

|ByREUTERS
The Red Sea

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

The answer becomes clearer once the South African relationship is placed inside Turkey’s broader African buildup, which has been running for two decades and has little to do with Israel at all. 

|BySINAN CIDDI
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.

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.

|ByREUTERS

Defending persecuted Christians strengthens Israel - opinion

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

JANUARY 5, 2026ByPESACH WOLICKI
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?

JANUARY 3, 2026BySHMUEL LEGESSE
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.

JANUARY 3, 2026ByNANCY HARTEVELT KOBRIN
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.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByDAN PERRY
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.

JANUARY 2, 2026BySUZAN QUITAZ
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.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByBISHOP DENNIS NTHUMBI/THE MEDIA LINE
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.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByAMOTZ ASA-EL
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.

My Word: Recognition vs rejection of Somaliland - opinion

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland exposes global hypocrisy, rejecting a stable ally at a strategic chokepoint while rewarding terror and dysfunction elsewhere.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByLIAT COLLINS
An illustrative image of a Somaliland flag being held.

Somaliland denies trading recognition with Israel for accepting Gazans

Last week, Israel became the first country to recognize the independence of Somaliland, angering international powers who bemoaned the move at the United Nations Security Council.

JANUARY 1, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognising Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on December 26, 2025.

Israel’s Somaliland recognition shows the real purpose of the Abraham Accords - opinion

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland reflects the Abraham Accords’ focus on survival, stability, and strategic cooperation, not sentiment.

DECEMBER 30, 2025BySHMUEL LEGESSE
Shmuel Legesse at his wedding at The Sephardic Temple of Cedarhurst in Cedarhurst, NY, June 8, 2014.