Kampala | THE INDEPENDENT | A four-day workshop on electoral security and dispute resolution for senior Somalia government officials involved in election planning and management concluded successfully in Kampala, Uganda on Thursday The aim of the workshop organised by African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is to ensure Somalia is fully prepared for …
Read More »Cuban doctors kidnapped by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Suspected Somali Al-Shabaab jihadis kidnapped two Cuban doctors Friday and killed their police protection officer in northeastern Kenya, police sources said. They said the two doctors and their guard were on the way to work in the town of Mandera when they were attacked. “It …
Read More »Invisible children of Africa
Children who have no birth certificate cannot prove their age, parentage, or identity, or get official papers COMMENT | Dominique Nouvian Ouattara | A name, an official identity, and a nationality recognised by everyone: most of us take these things for granted. Yet, for nearly a quarter-billion children around the …
Read More »AMISOM commanders meet over military operations
Mogadishu, Somalia | THE INDEPENDENT | Military commanders of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), are meeting at the senior leadership level, to develop a comprehensive plan that will guide the implementation of the new Concept of Operations (CONOPS), which was approved by the Military Operations Coordination Committee (MOCC) – …
Read More »Somalia port boss killed, car bomb leaves 9 dead in Shabaab attacks
Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | Somalia’s Al-Shabaab militants on Monday shot dead the Maltese manager of a port, while detonating a car bomb in the capital which killed nine people and wounded several others. In a deadly day for the restive nation, a gunman shot Maltese national Paul Anthony Formosa, …
Read More »Brig. Kabango checks on UPDF readiness in Somalia
Uganda’s contingent commander tours Forward Operating Bases to assess troops’ operational readiness Barawe, Somalia | THE INDEPENDENT | The contingent commander of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces Brig. Gen. Michael Kabango, visited troops in Barawe and Maryan Gubay Forward Operating Bases this week, to check their operational readiness. The troops in …
Read More »Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab
Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | The Al-Shabaab, meaning “youth” in Arabic, is fighting an armed insurrection in Somalia, which has been mired in chaos since 1991. Here is some background on the Islamist group with links to Al-Qaeda. – Al-Qaeda links – The Shabaab stem from Somalia’s Islamic Courts that …
Read More »AMISOM to reconstitute military bases to enhance troops’ safety
Mogadishu, Somalia | THE INDEPENDENT | The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is reconstituting its Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) to enhance safety and security of its troops. The exercise will also involve reviewing the design and layout to help establish sustainable FOBs which have positive impact on troop protection, logistical …
Read More »Somalia’s Puntland picks ex-minister as regional president
Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | Businessman and politician Said Abdullahi Deni was elected president of the semi-autonomous state of Puntland in northern Somalia on Tuesday in a vote by regional lawmakers. Puntland, like much of the rest of Somalia, has suffered from decades of clan warfare and, more recently, terror …
Read More »UN council regrets Somalia’s decision to expel envoy
United Nations, United States | AFP | The UN Security Council on Saturday expressed regret after Somalia expelled a UN envoy but added that it expected “full cooperation” between Somalia and the United Nations. The council released the unanimous statement after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday agreed to …
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