Tag Archives: somalia

The Islamist group, al-Shabab, is reported to have seized a strategic town in central Somalia. Residents of Amara in the Galmudug region said the militants stormed an army base before over-running the town. The insurgents captured several armoured vehicles, burning some of them. Earlier this month the Somali military captured …

Somalia started administering COVID-19 vaccinations Tuesday. In order to reassure the nation about its safety and efficiency, the health minister was the first to receive the jab. The country which has recently experienced a surge of cases, on Monday received its first shipment of 300,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine …

Under the covax scheme, health authorities in Somalia received 300,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. According to the health Ministry, people at highest risk of contracting the virus will be the first to receive vaccines, including health workers, the elderly and those with chronic health conditions. Official Press Release: …

Somalia’s former president, Ali Mahdi Mohamed, died on Wednesday at a hospital in neighbouring Kenya aged 82, BBC News reports. He rose to power in 1991 after the overthrow of President Siad Barre and stayed in office until 2000. He was succeeded by Abdiqasim Salad Hassan. President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo …

International Organization for Migration (IOM) says at least 20 African migrants died after smugglers threw them overboard off the coast of Djibouti. The UN agency says at least 80 people were thrown off the vessel after the traffickers realised it was overloaded. According to IOM, their boat had been carrying …

Heavy gunfire has been reported in Somali capital, Mogadishu, as a group of opposition leaders defied a government ban on public gatherings and held protests. Security forces have closed most roads in the city over the planned protests. The opposition parties want President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo to leave office after …

The Somali government has suspended public gatherings citing a rise in Covid-19 cases. The move is likely to affect Friday’s planned protests against the political uncertainty in the country after President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo‘s term ended before elections were held. The council of ministers met on Wednesday and was briefed …

Somalia’s opposition presidential candidates have called for protests on Friday over what they call “illegal stay in power by the president”. Former President Sheikh Shariff Sheikh Ahmed said, while making the announcement on behalf of other candidates, that the government had failed to organise both parliamentary and presidential elections. President …

Somalia’s government spokesman Mohamed Moalimu has said a planned meeting next week will help end political uncertainty in the country. He told the BBC’s Newsday programme that the government was always ready to facilitate free and fair elections. The country missed the 8 February deadline to hold elections because of …

Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has called for a meeting with federal state leaders next week to resolve the impasse on how to proceed with elections. The term of President Farmajo ended on Monday after talks on the elections collapsed on 5 February. Opposition groups have said they no longer …