Somalia Brief: Cabinet backs Banadir vote, signs security and maritime MoUs

Jan 5, 2026 — Cabinet reviews security, approves MoUs, and praises Banadir one-person one-vote election.

Top story

• Overview: The Federal Cabinet held an extraordinary meeting in Mogadishu to review national security, recent military operations, and the December 25 Banadir (Mogadishu) local council one-person, one-vote elections; the session was chaired by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and attended by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre. The Cabinet approved two MoUs—security cooperation with Uganda and maritime transport cooperation with Saudi Arabia—and endorsed several draft laws and national policies, including the Evidence Bill, STCW ratification, the Somali Maritime Institute law, public data protection regulations, and the National Policy on Persons with Disabilities. The session also heard briefings on preparations for oil production and drought conditions from SODMA.
• Why it matters: The meeting bundles security, diplomatic agreements, legal reforms, and economic-preparation steps, signaling a coordinated government push on security and international partnership while highlighting the Banadir election as an achievement the presidency called “historic.”
• Sources: Somali National News Agency — Cabinet review (primary); Also from: Interior Ministry press statement

What else happened

Elections

• Interior Ministry congratulated Benadir residents and newly elected district council members after the 25 December vote, praising public participation and security agencies for a peaceful process (https://sonna.so/en/press-statement-interior-ministry-congratulates-banadir-region-residents-for-the-successful-elections/).

Governance & Diplomacy

• Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali held a telephone call with Indonesia’s foreign minister stressing support for Somalia’s sovereignty and unity (https://sonna.so/en/minister-of-foreign-affairs-holds-a-telephone-conversation-with-his-indonesian-counterpart/).
• The Foreign Minister also met his Saudi counterpart in Riyadh, where both sides affirmed Saudi support for Somalia’s sovereignty and discussed ways to deepen bilateral ties (https://sonna.so/en/foreign-affairs-minister-meets-his-saudi-counterpart-to-affirm-somalias-unity-and-sovereignty/).
• Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi received the British Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires to discuss defence cooperation, training and counter‑terrorism links (https://sonna.so/en/defence-minister-receives-british-embassys-charge-daffaires-to-somalia/).

Security

• Major General Sahal Abdullahi Omar, Commander of SNA Ground Forces, inspected bases and troops in Beledweyne, urging forces to intensify operations against Al-Shabaab (https://sonna.so/en/commander-of-the-somali-national-armys-ground-forces-inspects-troops-in-beledweyne/).

Media & Civil Society

• SONNA marked its 62nd anniversary, with its director and the Information Minister highlighting modernization and the agency’s role in national reporting (https://sonna.so/en/somali-national-news-agency-celebrates-62nd-anniversary/; https://sonna.so/en/minister-of-information-congratulates-sonna-on-its-62nd-anniversary/).
• Radio Mogadishu’s newly modernized studios were inaugurated, equipped to run two studios and boosted by BBC Media Action cooperation, part of broader state media upgrades (https://sonna.so/en/minister-of-information-inaugurates-modernized-radio-mogadishu-studios/).

Education & Community

• Somalia’s Ambassador to Kenya inaugurated Starlight View Academy in Nairobi, emphasizing Somali investment in education and integrated academic/Islamic learning (https://sonna.so/en/ambassador-of-somalia-to-kenya-inaugurates-starlight-view-academy-in-nairobi/).

On the ground

• Officials highlighted strong public participation in the Banadir one-person, one-vote election; the Interior Ministry credited security agencies for a transparent and peaceful process (https://sonna.so/en/press-statement-interior-ministry-congratulates-banadir-region-residents-for-the-successful-elections/).
• Images and reports from the Cabinet meeting and related briefings show senior leaders convening to discuss security, diplomacy and oil production plans (https://sonna.so/en/somalias-cabinet-reviews-security-approves-key-agreements-and-commends-historic-mogadishu-elections/).
• The Radio Mogadishu ribbon-cutting captured staff and officials in the new studios—part of visible modernization of state broadcasting (https://sonna.so/en/minister-of-information-inaugurates-modernized-radio-mogadishu-studios/).
• Beledweyne military bases received a high-profile inspection; commanders used the visit to motivate troops and stress ongoing operations against extremists (https://sonna.so/en/commander-of-the-somali-national-armys-ground-forces-inspects-troops-in-beledweyne/).

Watchlist

• Official certification and detailed results from the Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission on the Banadir district council races—look for timelines and any contestation (see Interior Ministry statement: https://sonna.so/en/press-statement-interior-ministry-congratulates-banadir-region-residents-for-the-successful-elections/).
• Implementation steps and timelines for the MoUs with Uganda (security cooperation) and Saudi Arabia (maritime transport) approved by Cabinet (https://sonna.so/en/somalias-cabinet-reviews-security-approves-key-agreements-and-commends-historic-mogadishu-elections/).
• Updates on the petroleum ministry’s report: concrete dates or plans for commencement of oil production and any legislative steps required (https://sonna.so/en/somalias-cabinet-reviews-security-approves-key-agreements-and-commends-historic-mogadishu-elections/).
• Drought response: follow SODMA briefings for relief actions and needs assessments referenced in the Cabinet meeting (https://sonna.so/en/somalias-cabinet-reviews-security-approves-key-agreements-and-commends-historic-mogadishu-elections/).

Sources: Somali National News Agency (SONNA)

Compiled from public reporting; links above.