Somalia

FILE - Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama – Official X account There's a significant shake-up brewing with Somalia's stance on engagement in regional security. In a strategic twist reported by Hiiran, November 2024, the Somali government intends to shut the door on Ethiopian military participation in the upcoming African Union mission. This mission, slated to kick off in January 2025, is set to take over from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Explaining this landmark decision on…

Somalia President Brings Back General Odowaa Yusuf, Noted for Oppositon Tactics, as Army Head MOGADISHU, Somalia - General Odowaa Yusuf Rage, recognized for his pivotal role when he became the chief of the Somali National Army (SNA) at the tender age of 32 in 2019, has been reappointed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. After nearly a year away from the position, he's stepping back into the limelight. Odowaa's return follows his previous dismissal by President Mohamud, who had replaced him in 2023 with Maj. General Ibrahim…

KISMAYO, Somalia - Recent weeks have witnessed a stormy political landscape in Somalia, as Jubaland has decided to walk away from its relationship with Mogadishu. Alongside Northeastern State, it becomes the second of the five states to voice dissatisfaction with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's leadership and his push for significant constitutional reforms. The leadership of Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe in Jubaland halted collaboration with the federal government, declaring an end to cooperation following a crucial meeting…

KISMAYO, Somalia - In a surprising twist, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, known as ATMIS, has seemingly balked at the Somalian federal government's request to take over Kismayo airport's operations. The situation stems from Mogadishu's desire to disrupt upcoming elections in Jubaland following a fallout with the region's leader, Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe, insiders report. ATMIS, a key player in maintaining security across various areas of Somalia, asserted that they won’t step into the management shoes of…

Somalia: Hassan Sheikh Reverses His Stance on Jubaland's Election Framework MOGADISHU, Somalia - A political showdown brews in the Horn of Africa nation as Jubaland's leader, Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe, turns his back on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's direct election vision. Instead, Jubaland is veering towards holding indirect elections. Recently, Madobe made a dramatic exit from Mogadishu, declaring that implementing nationwide voting rights would undoubtedly lead to extending presidential terms—a notion that, he…

Somalia has voiced its concerns to Germany over the idea of "compulsory" deportation of Somali nationals.On a Wednesday visit, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had a sit-down with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. The main agenda? They chatted about teaming up on handling the return of Somali migrants from Germany.Posting to X, Farhan Mohamed Jimale, who speaks for the Somali government, shared that President Mohamud emphasized to Chancellor Scholz that forced repatriation isn't the way forward for Somalis in…

American Drone Takes a Nosedive in Somali Turf MOGADISHU, Somalia - Earlier this week, a U.S. military drone crashed in southern Somalia, as confirmed by the U.S. Africa Command. This disclosure ended swirling rumors about the machine’s ownership, pivotal in battling the Al-Shabaab insurgency. Initial chatter in the area sparked curiosity, with speculation floating around a possible Turkish drone crash in the Al-Shabaab-occupied town of Farsoley, in Lower Shabelle. This town sits about 130 km southwest of Somalia's…

Somalia Blocks Ethiopia from Joining New AU Mission, Citing Sovereignty Issues MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia's Defense Ministry declared on Friday that Ethiopia will be excluded from the upcoming African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), expected to begin in January 2025. This edict comes amid a pivotal moment in the Horn of Africa, which grapples with the persistent menace of Al-Shabaab. Somalia contends that Ethiopia has overstepped its boundaries, encroaching on Somali sovereignty after…

Mogadishu (AX) — In a significant move, the Somali government recently declared that Ethiopian forces would be sidelined from the forthcoming African Union mission, which is set to replace the existing African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, ATIMS, by January 2025.Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama shared this pivotal decision during a chat with Somali National Television, highlighting Ethiopia's purported breach of Somalia’s sovereignty as a key reason for their exclusion."Ethiopian forces have been…

MOGADISHU/BERLIN - In a recent development, Somalia has agreed to bring back 20 of its citizens who ran afoul of the law in Germany, facing grave charges like murder and sexual assault. This decision emerged from powwows between the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, underscoring that the repatriation is not a dig at the larger Somali refugee family in Germany. Somalia's state minister for Foreign Affairs, Ali Omar, in a chat with VOA Somali, stressed that these folks have…