Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - House Speaker Mohamed Mursal on Saturday was forced to postpone the parliamentary session after chaotic scenes in which MPs came from both sides of the political divide in Somalia. The current parliament had its mandate expired in December 2020, but the country is yet to go to the polls, leading to a political quagmire that has threatened to throw the country into chaos, even after years of political war. Mursal, a close ally of outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, had convened the session…

ASMARA - Eritrean Defense Forces will leave the conflict-ridden Tigray region in recent months following an operation by Ethiopian National Defense Forces. leading to a massive humanitarian crisis. Eritrean forces joined the conflict after the Tigray People's Liberation Front launched missiles targeting Asmara to the capital of the Red Sea country. It is not clear why the TPLF attacked Eritrea at the time. But on Thursday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki agreed to withdraw…

The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) handed over control of the Afgoye military base to the Somali National Army (SNA) as part of plans to secure the transfer of security responsibilities to Somali forces. Afgoye city was removed from Al-Shabaab's control in May 2012 in a joint operation by AMISOM and SNA. The city, located along the main supply route to northern, western and southern Somalia, had since been secured by AMISOM's Ugandan troops. The base was handed over on Wednesday by AMISOM Deputy Commander in…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia has questioned Kenya's plans to close the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps, which have hosted thousands of refugees from Somalia and South Sudan, in a move that could further pressure relations between the two countries. Earlier in the week, Kenya, through Home Secretary Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang'i an ultimatum to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and demanded that the two camps be closed without negotiations. Nairobi said the UN body should spend a maximum of 14 days to…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The United Kingdom has called for the swift implementation of the agreement ahead of the elections on 17 September in Somalia, adding that the political leadership must ensure the success of the planned dialogue to start in the country. According to James Duddridge, who is the British Minister for Africa, the country will hold elections according to the model agreed in 2020, adding that the Baidoa recommendations should also be introduced. The statement comes at a time when the international…

The IMF provides additional temporary assistance to Somalia The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it had provided additional temporary assistance to Somalia under the intensified heavily indebted poor country (HIPC) initiative of $ 0.97 million over a period of time. The IMF said in a statement issued Thursday night that the interim assistance will cover Somalia's debt…

EDITORIAL | There was a joy this week from officials of the Somali Federal Government after receiving Abdirashid Janan, who had reportedly 'surrendered' to the authorities. Janan, who was branded a refugee a year ago, was interior minister in Jubbaland state until Monday this week. Until Tuesday of this week, Mogadishu officials had branded him as a militia leader, a refugee, a bully and a murderer who killed and ran away from justice. These accusations have suddenly been swept under the rug now. And it is not that…

Janan arrives in Mogadishu after his surrender to the Somali government MOGADISHU, Somalia - Former Jubaland security minister Abdirashid Janan arrived in Mogadishu on Thursday afternoon, a day after he surrendered to the government in the city of Gedo region in Beled-Hawo. The wanted minister was abroad, a private jet flew from Dolow on the Somalia-Kenya border along with Prime…

Mortar attacks are targeted at the UN, AU's headquarters in Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia - At least three civilians were killed and five wounded when a mortar blockade on UN and African Union peacekeeping missions (AMISOM) in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday said a police officer. Abdi Yusuf, a police officer in Mogadishu's Dharkinley district, told the Anadolu Agency by…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The UN humanitarian agency said on Wednesday attacks on aid workers providing humanitarian supplies in Somalia resulted in the deaths of 15 aid workers by 2020. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 12 workers were injured, 24 abducted and 14 arrested in 2020, with 56 incidents involving aid workers reported. "In a single tragic incident, seven health workers were abducted and subsequently murdered. Several cases of confiscation of humanitarian supplies,…