SOMALIA-CONFLICT-POLITICS

Soldiers of the Somalia National Army (SNA) raise their weapons when they gathered near their camp for a talk from visiting senior officers at Awdheegle, one of several towns recently liberated from the Al-Qaeda-linked militants, Al-Shabaab, by the SNA in Somalia's lower-Shabelle region on November 11, 2025. Somalia has been fighting Al-Shabaab since mid-2000s, and settlements like Awdheegle, Sabiid and Canole have changed hands multiple times.In 2022 and 2023, the national army made significant progress, capturing some 200 towns and villages from Al-Shabaab.But Al-Shabaab launched a new offensive early this year, retaking some 90 percent of that territory -- including three critical bridges along the Shabelle River vital for access to the capital.The army is pushing back, but must do so just as international assistance is faltering. (Photo by Tony KARUMBA / AFP) (Photo by TONY KARUMBA/AFP via Getty Images)