East Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia will now go to the polls starting in November this year, a section of senior stakeholders said on Thursday, weeks after a series of meetings in Dhusamareb and Mogadishu, mediated by members of the international community and local actors, amid simmering political tensions. Initially, deep suspicions among the political elites had literally stopped the dialogue, with federal states and the opposition accusing President Farmajo of devising a strategy to extend his term after approving the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo nominated Mohamed Hussein Roble for a substantial prime minister almost 56 days after the unprecedented removal of Hassan Ali Khaire, who has since declared interest in the country's presidency, effectively ending the long wait. Khaire, an oil leader, was ousted from office in which critics related to endless political conflicts in Somalia, with sources suggesting that his pressure for timely elections may have cost him his job. The former Prime…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - An Al-Shabaab defector believed to have taken part in the US naval base at Manda Airfield earlier this year in coastal Kenya has been convicted by a Somali military court in yet another dramatic performance showing efficiency in the internal systems of Horn Africa nation. The outspoken head of the military court, Colonel Hassan Ali Nor convicted Farhan Mohamud Hassan, who had served in the militant group for years before his departure, in a lawsuit exposing infiltration into government…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Soldiers affiliated with the National Intelligence Security Agency , Somalia's spy agency, organized a mutiny in the streets of Mogadishu on Wednesday, citing lack of payments and responsiveness from the government as some of the underlying factors that necessitated their actions. The about 100 soldiers marched in the streets of Mogadishu, causing a temporary traffic jam as they criticized their employer, the Somali federal government, for deliberately shifting resources to political campaigns…

NAIROBI - Somali money transfer companies have moved more than $ 3.7 million in cash between suspected arms dealers in recent years, including to a Yemeni under U.S. sanctions for alleged militant links, according to a report seen by Reuters. The findings of a Geneva-based research group, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, could further complicate Somali transfer companies' attempts to maintain access to international banking services. Although they provide a lifeline to millions in the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's hopes for a systematic and credible electoral process have been given a huge boost, with several sources entrusting Axadlefollowing agreements on various contentious issues that almost threatened to tear the country apart in recent months. In the last two weeks, leaders of the federal member states and leaders of the federal government have been drawn in over the model and date of elections, where the representation of the Banadir and Somaliland regions is also in the controversy. And…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Somali National Army opposed an attack on a convoy of military chief of staff Colonel Hassan A in the troubled Gedo region on September 15, officials said in an attack that would have been more devastating given the number of explosives planted on a major road . Security officials said the attackers targeted the military judge and his delegation after concluding their meetings in the troubled Gedo region, located in Jubaland, western Somalia. The judge dealt with a number of cases that had…

NAIROBI, Kenya - It is only a few weeks, if not months, before the US African Command embarks on a serious mission in northeastern and coastal Kenya that will see air strikes launched against the Al-Shabaab militants, the New York Times reports in what could be the final stretch to break down militants. For the past five years, the US-African Command, popularly known as AFRICOM, has intensified attacks on Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia, but has focused primarily on air strikes, which are considered necessary,…

The Israeli Dovertower company has signed a cooperation agreement with Dubai Ports World on shipping, according to Israeli media on Wednesday. The cooperation agreement was signed by Dovertower leader Shlomi Fogel during his visit to Dubai, the Hebrew newspaper Globes said. "Our work to build trade routes between the UAE, Israel and beyond will help our customers make business in the region easier and more efficient," said DP World President Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. The agreement also includes participation in a…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - At least 12 people have been arrested in connection with the rape and murder of a 19-year-old girl in Somalia, police said in a statement following growing international pressure on increasing cases of rape and torture against women and girls in the Horn of Africa nation. Hamadi Mohamed Farah was raped by a group of unknown men on Friday in Mogadishu before being thrown from the 6th floor of a building, according to police reports. The circumstances behind the incident are still mysterious, and…