Amidst escalating clan rivalries and a surge in illicit weapons inflow, former Somali warlord Hussein Farah Aidid voices apprehension that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is arming clan militia in central regions, contributing to the deadly clan conflicts that have claimed dozens of lives in recent weeks. Mr. Aidid, expressing concern, highlights the illegal arming of...
UN says collaboration key to stabilizing Somalia
The United Nations has lauded collaboration between the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) for stabilizing the country. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Pobee, who wrapped up a three-day visit to Somalia on Saturday, reassured ATMIS and Somali leaders of continued UN support. “I go with a lot of...
Ugandan army officers sacked for cowardice in attack on Somalia’s Bulo Marer Atmis base
A Ugandan military court has found two officers guilty of cowardice as Islamist fighters stormed an African Union base in Somalia in May. Colonel Deo Akiki and Major John Oluka ran away after they came under attack by al-Shabab in Bulo Marer, south of the capital Mogadishu. At least 50 Ugandan soldiers were killed, officials...
More than 75 persons found to be in Malta illegally this month
More than 75 persons have been found to be in Malta illegally since the beginning of November, the police said Saturday. A number of others were identified in various localities in Malta today, in particular Paola and Fgura, the police said, without giving an exact number. They are from Syria, Somalia, Pakistan, Mali, Nigeria, Guinea,...
Reassessing Somalia’s Progress “Beyond Implementation Challenges in Governance and Security”
Former Petroleum Minister Mohamed Mukhar authored an opinion piece that appears to undervalue the strides Somalia has taken in its post-conflict recovery. The article presents a critical perspective on Somalia’s challenges with implementing agreements, policies, laws, and international conventions since the establishment of its federal government institutions in 2012. To present facts accurately, it is important to...
More than 75 persons found to be in Malta illegally this month
More than 75 persons have been found to be in Malta illegally since the beginning of November, the police said Saturday. A number of others were identified in various localities in Malta today, in particular Paola and Fgura, the police said, without giving an exact number They are from Syria, Somalia, Pakistan, Mali, Nigeria, Guinea,...
Arab-Islamic summit rejects justifying Gaza war as Israeli self-defence
An Arab-Islamic summit hosted by Saudi Arabia called for an end to the war in Gaza and rejected justifying Israel’s actions against Palestinians as self-defence. The summit on Saturday condemned “Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, war crimes and barbaric and inhumane massacres by the occupation government”, a final communique said. It also called for...
Somalia fears worst humanitarian catastrophe in 30 years
Somalia’s government warns that flooding which has uprooted hundreds of thousands of people may turn into the country’s worst humanitarian disaster in decades, unless Somalis and the international community act quickly. “The situation is dire, and the extent of the human impact of the floods is rearing its ugly face. We are calling for the...
UK, Ethiopia launch peace program to mitigate instability along Ethiopia-Kenya-Somalia
The British Embassy in Addis Abeba together with Ethiopian Foreign Affairs and Peace ministries as well as the Somali regional government have launched a peace and security program dubbed ‘Deris Wanaag’ aimed to bolster resilience against violent extremism in the Ethiopia-Kenya-Somalia borderland regions. According to a press release sent to Addis Standard the UK will...
Once-in-a-century flooding swamps Somalia after historic drought -UN
The United Nations has described floods that uprooted hundreds of thousands of people in Somalia and neighbouring countries in East Africa following a historic drought as a once-in-a-century event. Around 1.6 million people in Somalia could be affected by the heavy seasonal downpours, which have been worsened by the combined impact of two climate phenomenons,...