NEW YORK: Somalia has managed in under a year to liberate more than 45 percent of the areas formerly held by the terrorist Al-Shabab group, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said on Saturday. Addressing the 78th UN General Assembly, he called for “the complete and unconditional removal of the arms embargo” that has been imposed...
Celebration of Somali influence on Toronto, ‘Dhis Bulshada,’ comes to Nuit Blanche
Toronto is home to one of the largest Somali diasporas in the country and this year, one of the city’s most popular art festivals will showcase the community’s art, culture and influence here. For the past two years, Aziz Farah has been slowly collecting Somali artifacts through online marketplaces, auctions and estate sales. This week,...
Fleeing militants pose challenge to Somalia’s security
WASHINGTON — As Somalia’s army and allied clan militias continue to drive al-Shabab fighters out of locales in central Somalia, analysts warn the country could still face security threats from Islamist militants on the run. Somalia’s National Army is in the middle of a military offensive against al-Shabab. Since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a...
President Museveni offers to mediate in Somalia & Somaliland unification efforts
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni yesterday received a Special Envoy from the Republic of Somaliland, Dr. Jama Musse Jama at State House-Entebbe. During the engagement, President Museveni agreed to be the unification facilitator between Somaliland and Somalia. Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an unrecognised sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, recognised internationally as...
Why Somalia is Poised to Win the War Against Al-Shabaab
Reflecting on the ongoing battle against Al-Shabaab in Somalia, there is a beacon of hope and optimism. For nearly two decades, this ruthless terrorist organisation has plagued our nation, causing untold suffering and bloodshed. However, under President Hassan Sheikh’s leadership, Somalia has a better chance to defeat this menace and usher in a new era...
Ruto holds talks with US Secretary of State Blinken over Sudan, Haiti
Kenya’s President William Ruto met with US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on the sidelines of the ongoing 78th session of the United Nations Assembly where they discussed peace in Sudan, Haiti and the East African region. The Secretary reaffirmed US’ shared democratic values and welcomed the deepening economic partnership between the United States...
Expert says tension at Oromo-Somali border may turn to ethnic conflict
The recent conflict caused by disputes on khat tax collection in bordering areas of Somali and Oromia Regions has created tension, sources said. Wazema reported here today that the conflict took an ethnic form after the armed forces from the Oromia side wearing uniforms of the Special Forces of Oromia Region attacked the Somali Internally...
IMF Staff Completes Staff-Level Agreement with Somalia on the Sixth Review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF)
Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Laura Jaramillo, conducted discussions with the Somali authorities in Nairobi, Kenya on September 11- 21, 2023 and reached a staff-level agreement on the sixth review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement. This agreement is subject to approval of the IMF’s Executive Board. At the...
UK Announces £5 Million in Funding for Somalia’s Security Forces
The UK Government has announced a further £5 million in funding for the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) Trust Fund to support Somalia’s Security Forces (SSF). The new funding was announced during a meeting between Somalia’s National Security Advisor, Hussein Sheikh Ali, and the UK’s Deputy National Security Adviser for International Affairs, Dame...
11 Somali soldiers killed as AU forces start second round of troop drawdown
Eleven Somali government soldiers were killed and three others injured in a roadside explosion Monday in the southwestern Gedo region, officials said, as the African Union peacekeeping force began a second round of troop withdrawals. The explosion targeted a convoy of military vehicles between the towns of Luuq and Doolow, deputy governor of security and...