The al-Qaeda-allied al-Shabab militant group has dismissed reports that it was planning an attack against the Somali president and prime minister. Pro-al-Shabab Somali Memo website quoted an unnamed senior al-Shabab commander who termed the claim by the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) “laughable”. The Shabab commander said Nisa …
Read More »Somalia: Al Shabab plans to kill President Farmajo and PM Roble
The al Shabaab group linked to al Qaeda plans to target Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, the country’s intelligence agency warned on Tuesday. Violence by the group, which aims to topple the central government and impose its own severe version of Islamic law, has …
Read More »Somalia: female MP killed in suicide bombing
At least 15 people, including a female member of the Somali federal parliament, were killed in two suicide bombings in Beledweyne town in central Somalia. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has termed the killing of Amina Mohamed Abdi “an assassination”. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has tweeted a message of …
Read More »Somalia: several dead in the attack on the main airport military base
A gunfight at the entrance to the international airport complex outside the Somali capital, Mogadishu, has left at least eight people dead, local media reported. Aden Adde International Airport hosts peacekeepers, the offices of UN organisations and diplomatic missions. According to a police spokesman, five of the dead were foreigners, …
Read More »Somalia: Army thwarts Al-Shabab attack on main airport military base
Somali security forces have thwarted an attack on a military base at the sprawling international airport complex outside the capital, Mogadishu, the state television reported. The Somali army killed two armed assailants who were trying to break into a military base, state television said. Earlier in the day, state TV …
Read More »Somalia: elections once again postponed
Somalia has once again pushed back the deadline for completing parliamentary elections, which are already more than a year overdue, because of political disputes. The remaining 50 seats in the country’s lower house must now be filled by the end of this month. Somalia has not held a one-person-one-vote election …
Read More »US rejects bid to recognize self-declared republic of Somaliland
The US Department of State has rejected the latest request for recognition by the leader of self-declared republic of Somaliland. Although secessionist from Somalia more than 30 years ago, Somaliland is still not recognized as an independent state by the African Union or the United Nations. Its president Muse Bihi …
Read More »Somalia: elections will not take place as planned
Somalia is likely to miss a deadline to conclude long-delayed parliamentary elections as political disagreements continue in the country. The federal government had set a deadline of March 15 to complete the polls, but more than 50 seats in the legislature are yet to be filled. This could in turn …
Read More »Somalia: further postponement of electoral deadlines
Somali authorities have once again extended the deadline for the completion of the elections scheduled for February 25, privately owned Radio Risala reported Somalis will go to the polls on March 15, according to reports. Somali leaders cited drought reasons, security concerns and financial challenges for the extension of the …
Read More »Somalia: Al-Shabab militants spend millions on weapons
The Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabab spent huge sums of money in 2021 to purchase weapons, according to a report by a Mogadishu-based research group, the Hiraal Institute. The research group claims that Al Shabab spent around $24 million to purchase weapons. The report further alleges that al-Shabab, which is …
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