Exclusive

Somali President on U.S. Commitment in Fight Against al-Shabab Why should the United States maintain its involvement in the complex struggle against al-Shabab? To answer this question requires an understanding of Somalia's geopolitical realities, economic imperatives, and, perhaps, a dose of human empathy. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia, a stalwart leader with unmistakable resolve, finds himself at the helm of a nation riddled with challenges. Al-Shabab, an insidious al-Qaeda affiliate, lurks…

Lawmakers Challenge Exclusive Livestock Export Deal In a bold stand, about one hundred members from both chambers of Somalia's Federal Parliament openly criticized a recent government decision favoring Abu-Yasir, a foreign entrepreneur, with exclusive rights to export the country's livestock. In clear-cut words on Monday, the parliamentarians pointed fingers at President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing him of putting a foreigner's interest over those of local Somali traders. These traders have long been pillars in the…

In an interview with Reuters, Khaled Meshaal, a prominent figure from Hamas living abroad, expressed that despite significant setbacks in over a year of conflict with Israel, the Palestinian faction aims to regenerate its forces and continue weapon production. Reflecting on the strife that began a year after an assault by Hamas, Meshaal contextualized the battle with Israel as a chapter in a much longer saga dating back 76 years to the "Nakba" or "catastrophe," a term Palestinians use for the 1948 events that led to their…

FILE - U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, at the helm of U.S. Africa Command, partakes in a military drill in Agadir, Morocco, May 30, 2024. The Islamic State in Somalia has doubled its strength in the past year, reveals the head of U.S. Africa Command in a chat with VOA. “Northern Somalia is on my radar due to the uptick in ISIS numbers,” AFRICOM commander Gen. Michael Langley mentioned in a candid interview, using the acronym for the terrorist group. Langley refrained from disclosing the U.S.'s exact figures on…

Derek Hough has beamed into millions of American living rooms since 2007 when he made his debut as a professional dancer on Dancing with the stars. He danced for the show until 2016, winning a record six times with his celebrity partners Brooke Burke, Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Grey, Kellie Pickler, Amber Riley and Bindi Irwin. In 2020, he was back at it, returning to the show as a judge alongside Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Toniolo. We recently had the chance to sit down with Hough, 39, for a video interview about what he…

MOGADISHU, SOMALIA/WASHINGTON — In an exclusive conversation, U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Richard Riley discussed the ongoing efforts to navigate the diplomatic tensions and security hurdles confronting Somalia, alongside U.S. attempts to mediate the simmering dispute with Ethiopia. Trouble flared up earlier this year between Somalia and Ethiopia when the latter inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Somaliland, a self-declared independent region, which Somalia sees as an affront to its sovereignty. This…

EXCLUSIVE: US ambassador says Bihi's go to received't upset Washington's stance on Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia- US envoy: Bihi's go to won't upset Washington's place on Somalia US Ambassador Larry Andre stated North Western of Somalialeader Muse Bihi's journey to Washington this week won't have an effect on his nation's stance on Somalia. Mr. Bihi, chief of the self-proclaimed unbiased area…

EXCLUSIVE: Senior officials behind missing soldiers in Eritrea exposed NAIROBI, Kenya - When thousands of young Somalis gathered in Mogadishu in 2019, they were officially told they would be heading to Qatar for military training. Their destination would turn out to be wrong. But Qatar's role in the now controversial military training of Somali youth in Eritrea has remained. Days after a…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - In one of the unprecedented moves, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble on Sunday swapped his cabinet amid a continuing stalemate that has unleashed uncertainty in Somalia's political landscape in recent months. The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Duran Farah, swapped positions with the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Salat, but strangely enough, no reason has been given for the changes of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo's outgoing government. But sources have told…

In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24 during an official visit to France, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta discussed the biggest challenges facing him. Asked about the fight against terrorism, the Kenyan leader denied that the US military has sought permission to carry out drone strikes inside Kenya. He stressed that if such a request was made, he would reject it. Kenyatta also addressed the Covid-19 pandemic, Kenya's economic development, as well as an attempt to dissolve parliament due to gender inequality. In an…