coastal

Mogadishu (AX) – In a compelling twist of events, the Yemeni-flagged fishing dhow, Al-Hidaya, has been set free. It was forcibly seized by Somali pirates on March 16, as it sailed off the northern coast of Somalia. The European Union Naval Force, commonly known as EUNAVFOR, officially confirmed this development on Friday. This daring hijacking unfolded near the notorious piracy zone of Eyl, close to Durdura. Have you ever wondered what draws pirates to such regions?…

Hargeisa (AX) — In a momentous election hailed for its openness, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro emerged victorious to take up the mantle as North Western State of Somalia’s president, winning a landslide 64% of the vote. As Irro steps up to the plate, he inherits a politically tense landscape marked by fraught relations with Somalia and scrutiny surrounding a debatable pact with Ethiopia for access to the coastline. Leader of the opposition, the Waddani Party, Irro ousted the incumbent president, Muse Bihi Abdi, who…

But for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, addressing both the local and international audience, has led him to firmly articulate Ethiopia’s aspirations for sea access, insist on cultivating regional peace, and navigate the tricky waters of having an adversary-turned-friend in Somalia. This week, Ethiopia celebrated its New Year and National Sovereignty Day. In a televised speech, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared that any nation contemplating an invasion should think not once, but ten times. Although he refrained from naming…

In Hirsalama village, located in Somalia's Mudug region, 300 families were forced to flee from ongoing clan conflicts, now gripping the wind-blasted coastal hamlet of Dhinowda, where they grapple with basic survival. Take Mohamed Abdirahman Osman, for instance. He and his nine-member family trudged for three grueling days to reach Dhinowda, about 45 kilometers from their home. Initially, they had 60 goats, but lost 40 to thirst and hunger during the journey. Upon arrival, the ordeal worsened. More goats perished due to the…

After a two-year closure, the coastal road between eastern and western Libya was opened on Sunday, June 20. Reopened at the front line, about 370 kilometers from the capital Tripoli, in the presence of Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibah and several of these ministers. The road connects west of Libya, from its border with Tunisia, east to Egypt. An important step towards calming the country.…