Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - One of Somalia's leading candidates, Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, has accused the outgoing government of creating enmity and mistrust in the country in the midst of elections. "The extroverted regime, however, created conditions for hostility and suspicion, which in turn has deepened distrust and risked the entire state and peacebuilding project," Warsame said in a Twitter post Sunday. The former Minister of Planning stressed the importance of holding peaceful and inclusive elections in the…

The UAE sends envoy to North Western of Somaliaamid strained ties with Mogadishu HARGEISA, Somalia - The northern breakaway region of North Western of Somaliareceived an envoy from the United Arab Emirates on Saturday in a move that could further jeopardize the relationship between Abu Dhabi and Mogadishu over several issues concerning Hargeisa's recognition. President Muse Bihi…

Talks between FMS leaders and opposition underway in Mogadishu MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Council of Presidential Candidates, chaired by former Presidents Hassan Sheikh and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, will hold a meeting with Northeastern State and Jubaland leaders in Mogadishu on Sunday morning. Negotiations come amid stalemate over the country's election process, which led to the delay in…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somali-based al-Shabaab militants targeted a senior military official in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, on Saturday night in the latest wave of violence against officials and members of the military, who are essential in security operations. Reports show that it took place around Afisyooni, where Somali leaders were to convene a meeting on the crisis ahead of elections this week. This is the second attack in the area, an indication that the militants are eager to paralyze talks. According to…

NAIROBI - Ethiopia on Saturday dismissed U.S. allegations that there has been ethnic cleansing in Tigray, pushing back against recent criticism of its military operation in its northern region by the new government in Washington. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that he wanted to see Eritrean forces and those from the Amhara region replaced in Tigray by security forces that respect human rights and do not "commit acts of ethnic cleansing". "(The accusation) is a completely unfounded and false…

UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council on Friday called on the Somali government to hold elections "without delay" in a resolution underlining the urgent threat to the country's security from al-Shabab and armed opposition groups. The resolution, adopted unanimously, authorized the African Union to maintain its nearly 20,000-strong force in Somalia until the end of the year with a mandate to reduce the threat posed by extremist groups to enable "a stable, federal, sovereign and united Somalia. ” The UN's most…

Somalia Northeastern State - Former Northeastern State President Abdirahman Farole has issued a statement on the current election crisis in Somalia, issuing key points that could lead to reconciliation and understanding in a country that has been fighting for conflict for months now. Farole, who serves in the Senate representing Northeastern State, has rejected the fact that opposition leaders and current administrations in Northeastern State and Jubaland have been struggling to stamp the authority on electoral processes…

United States to send envoy to Horn of Africa WASHINGTON - The United States is in the process of deploying an envoy to the Horn of Africa, a region that has struggled with instability in recent years after a series of political differences and economic challenges that have threatened to plunge many countries into chaos. For example, Ethiopia faces a life challenge in the Tigray…

EDITORIAL | Northeastern State of SomaliaPresident Said Abdullahi Deni has this week dealt with the aftermath of one of the most daring raids by Al-Shabaab brains on a prison facility in Bossaso, the state's main financial capital on the Gulf of Aden. On Thursday, March 11, the president officially dissolved the local district council following the jail attack that marked the biggest terrorist attack in Northeastern State this year. But this requires much more. On March 6, the terrorists attacked a correctional…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Thousands of soldiers affiliated with the Somali National Army will be administered with the COVID-19 vaccine, Kenya's defense chief has said, just a week after the East African nation received a shipment of the vaccines from Europe. COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc in East Africa, where Kenya has so far registered more than 1,500 deaths. Somalia may have fewer cases, but the fact that health infrastructure is almost dysfunctional may have many people getting or dying from the undetected virus.…