East Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia - At least one person was killed in Somalia on Wednesday, reports show, after a massive explosion on the outskirts of Afgoye city, located 30 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu, the still bustling Somali capital that has been the center of al-Shabaab attacks in the recent years. Police reports indicate that a grenade was thrown at a pet market on Wednesday by suspected Al-Shabaab militants, leading to the death of a person, in an incident that further questions the country's preparedness in the fight…

BAIDOA, Somalia - Relations between Puntland and Southwest received a major boost on Wednesday after Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni visited his counterpart Abdiaziz Lafta-Gareen, who has been in charge for the past few years in the southern Somali federal state. On Wednesday and in the company of senior officials, Deni, who has been at the helm since 2019, arrived in Baidoa, the regional administrative capital of the Southwest, and was received by senior officials waiting for him at the airport. This is the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire has continued his "diplomatic" missions across the country, more than 50 days after he was unusually hounded from office, following disagreements with Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who was accused of constructing his ouster. Khaire, who served as prime minister for longer than any of his predecessors, was ousted from parliament, citing, among other things, the failure to implement the one-on-one election model backed by several international…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo held a closed-door meeting with federal government on Tuesday just hours after the international community expressed 'regret' over Somali leaders' failure to achieve the one-man-goal after talks with Mogadishu. The leaders had reached a compromise on the controversial election issue, a step that effectively ended the uncertainty surrounding Somalia's upcoming elections, but the gesture from the international community shows directly that something extra…

DHUSAMAREB, Somalia - Somalia-based Al-Shabaab militants have renewed efforts to recapture the historic city of Dhusamareb, the regional administrative capital of Galmadug, top officials said after the recent failed raid in the eastern part of the city, which was met by opposition from government forces. . In the last few months, the Somali National Army has AU mission troops and the US-African Command have been fighting to remove the militants from central and southern Somalia, which have long been under the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - One of Villa Somalia's top officials was found dead at a hotel in the capital Mogadishu on Monday in the latest mysterious assassination showing shrinking security fortunes in the Horn of Africa, which has been battling instability for several years. Since 1991, Somalia has not yet returned to normalcy after clan clashes, political duels and violent riots. Al-Shabaab militants have been a thorn in the flesh given their frequent attacks on security forces and innocent civilians, further causing…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Somali National Army on Monday killed at least 16 al-Shabaab militants in central Somalia, officials said in the latest crackdown on the al-Qaeda-linked group, which has been pushing to overthrow the fragile UN-backed Somalia government that has existed in a a couple of years. Eyewitnesses said the army killed the militants in the Bula'le area of ​​Galgadud, within the state of Galmadug, which has been fighting to curb the rising uprising despite improved security. SNA troops have been conducting…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The new African Union Head of Mission, Lieutenant General Diomede Ndegeya, visited Soldiers serving in Sector V of AMISOM in Jowhar, HirShabelle State, as part of his ongoing proclamation around the country over a month after taking power. Soldiers from the Burundi National Defense Forces serve in sector V of AMISOM, headquartered in Jowhar, the regional administrative capital of HirShabelle. The city is located at least 90 KM north of Mogadishu, the Somali capital. Lieutenant Ndegeya, who recently…

NAIROBI, Kenya - A contingent of Kenya Defense Forces on Monday, at least five al-Shabaab militants in the unstable county of Mandera were killed, reports show, in a deadly clash that comes months after the group reduced attacks on Kenyan soil, perhaps due to the raging Coronavirus pandemic across the globe. Sources familiar with the incident said al-Shabaab militants crossing over from Somalia were detaining a KDF convoy in the county, leading to a fierce gun battle. Eyewitnesses said the fight lasted for a few hours…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Somali National Army has announced victory over Al-Shabaab militants in the unstable Lower Shabelle region, a top official said Monday after a series of operations targeting the Al-Qaeda-linked group that has been wreaking havoc on East Africa for the past 14 years. Since January, the SNA, African Union Mission troops and the US Africa Command have carried out sophisticated operations against militants across Somalia, and the result certainly seems convincing, according to reports from the Somali…