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  After taking office on Sunday, the country's new PM Mohamed Hussein Roble has received on Monday a handful of foreign mission diplomats at the presidential palace in Mogadishu. The UN envoy to Somalia, James Swan said he was honoured to have an introductory meeting with the country's new Prime Minister, along with other representatives of the international community, to discuss a partnership in achieving national priorities. The PM is trying to burn the candle at both ends to implement the new election deal and realize Somalia's goal to hold timely, credible and peaceful polls next year.

  Somali and Kenyan troops engaged in a minutes-long firefight on Saturday at the two countries’ shared border, local officials and witnesses said after the Kenyan side fired shots to deter Somali demonstrators from approaching. The incident took place at the frontier between the Somali town Bulo Hawo and Kenya’s Mandera, close to where the border meets Ethiopia to the north. Multiple sources told AFP the exchange was triggered when a group of Somali demonstrators angry at the alleged killing of three civilians approached border posts manned by Kenyan soldiers. “Kenyan troops opened fire on Somali protesters who closed (in) on their positions along the Bulo Hawo border and the Somali troops stationed close to the area responded with heavy fire, this continued for several minutes,” Bulo Hawo police officer Mohamed Abdirahman told AFP by phone. None of the sources contacted by AFP reported any casualties from the brief exchange of fire. The demonstrators believed that three civilians “ki

  Two chambers of Somali parliament voted on Saturday to approve the electoral model which was signed on Sept. 17 between President Mohamed Farmajo and five regional states in Mogadishu. Mohamed Mursal Abdirahman, speaker of lower house of the parliament, said 252 lawmakers voted to approve the election for the 2020-21 polls which is crucial for the country's stability. Mursal said one lawmaker rejected the model while one abstained from voting for the electoral model which mirrors the 2016 version which saw the lawmakers elected by delegates chosen by clan elders. The lawmakers also voted to keep their seats until a new parliament is sworn in. The adoption of the new electoral model now paves way for parliamentary elections set to kick off in November. Under the new deal, both the government and regional states will appoint federal and regional-level electoral commissions to manage the election. On Sept. 17, Farmajo and five leaders of federal member states agreed that the number

  Residents in the Somalia-Kenya border town of El Waq today staged a protest against Kenyan forces operating in the town, who were accused of killing and abducting a number of civilians in the area. A day ago, Kenyan troops killed a civilian and took three others from a house in Yado area near the town. They later dumped the body of one of those taken near the near the area after killing him. The incident was earlier today condemned by members of the Somali parliament, who accused the Kenyan military of executions and abductions. The protesters, some of whom branded the Kenyan forces in the region as an enemy of the people, asked the federal government to deploy the especially trained Harma’ad police force in the town, to protect them against further brutality from the Kenyan forces. Protesters have also demanded justice for the victims. Harma’ad forces operate in large parts of Gedo and were deployed there together with the national army over a dispute between the federal government

  Sagal Faduma, a mother of three including five-month-old Maryan, is seated on a mat outside her house, a tree that lies next to the house in Xirkadheere, Banaadir region of Somalia providing a shade for the mother and daughter. Maryan has a crestfallen look on her face indicating that despite being hungry she does not want any of the porridge that her mother is trying to feed her, her eyes are wide with a partially opened mouth. Sometimes she can be seen eating the porridge but mostly rejects it. Sagal gives up on feeding her and Maryan screams with delight, her face gleaming with joy as she bounced up and down on her mother’s lap. Somalia is among high-risk Polio outbreak countries due to its fragile and vulnerable population that mostly includes nomads, displaced people and people living in rural and slum areas. In recent years Somalia has witnessed two polio outbreaks in 2013-2014 and 2017-2018, outbreaks which mostly affect children who are not vaccinated against the disease-caus

  Mogadishu – International partners take note of the agreement announced by the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) President and the five Federal Member State (FMS) Presidents regarding the 2020/21 electoral process. They acknowledge that this agreement resulted from a Somali-led and Somali-owned dialogue among FGS and FMS leaders, and understand that some details of the agreed process are still to be clarified and additional stakeholders may be consulted. The partners observe with regret that the announced model falls short of the longstanding Somali goal of direct voting for members of parliament in this electoral cycle. The partners urge that the 2020/21 electoral process be free, fair, transparent and inclusive. Looking to the future, international partners encourage rapid progress to establish other Somali democratic institutions, including the judicial services commission and the human rights commission, along with efforts to advance the review of the Provisional Federal Consti

  Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removed a Somali man Thursday who was convicted in 2016 in U.S. District Court of providing aid to a terror organization. Mahdi Mohammed Hashi, 31, a citizen of Somalia, was removed by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago Field Office via an ICE Air Operations charter flight without incident. Once in Somalia, ICE officers transferred custody of Hashi to local authorities. “We are dedicated to our mission of removing individuals who threaten the safety of our communities,” said Thomas Feeley, interim field office director for ERO Chicago. “This case illustrates that the U.S. will actively pursue those individuals engaged in supporting terror organizations. With the help of our federal and international partners, we continue to be vigilant against the threat to our communities.” From approximately April 2008 to August 2012, Hashi served as a member of al-Shabaab in Somalia. In 2012, he was extradited to the United States to fa

  A Swedish-Somali engineer has been named the new prime minister of Somalia after his predecessor was ousted by a no-confidence vote. Mohamed Hussein Roble came to Sweden in 1992, shortly after the armed coup that thrust the country into its long civil war. He became a Swedish citizen five years later.  In 2000, he gained his masters in Environmental Technology and Sustainable Infrastructure from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.  Most recently, he has been working for the International Labour Organisation in Nairobi, Kenya.  Roble's appointment was announced by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on Friday, with Abdinur Mohamed, his deputy chief of staff tweeting out a picture of the new prime minister on Friday.  The appointment still needs to be confirmed by a vote of country's parliament.  In a statement, President Farmajo called on Roble to "immediately form a capable government that will lead the country to elections and make significant efforts to

  Multiple men have been arrested over the rape and murder of a Somali teenager in a crime that’s shocked the world over. Hamdi Mohamed Farah, 19, was allegedly gang raped by 11 men before she was thrown off the side of a six-floor building last week. Local media reports said the student was invited to a location in the capital of Mogadishu by someone she had considered a friend. “We have arrested 11 people over the recent rape case in Wabari neighbourhood in Mogadishu and efforts to track and identify other suspects are ongoing,” local police said in a statement. The young woman had reportedly scored well on her high school exams and had a bright future that lay ahead for her, All Africa has reported. The crime has sent shockwaves across Somalia, with the general public expressing anger over the killing. People across the country have spoken out, calling for change over violent crimes against women in the country. Deputy chief of staff for Somalia’s president Abdinur Mohamed Ahmed twe

  Somali money transfer companies moved more than $3.7 million in cash between suspected weapons traffickers in recent years, including to a Yemeni under U.S. sanctions for alleged militant links, according to a report seen by Reuters. The findings by a Geneva-based research group, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, could further complicate attempts by Somali transfer companies to retain access to international banking services. Though they provide a lifeline to millions in the anarchic Horn of Africa nation, few banks will do business with them because of the risk of falling foul of international transparency and anti-money laundering regulations. Asked about the report, the Central Bank of Somalia, which regulates money transfer firms, said it was unaware of the transfers but would investigate and was in general making progress in countering terrorism financing. Contacted by Reuters, the four companies each said they did their best to comply with global &quo

  The police force of Somalia has issued a statement on Tuesday to update the public about their investigation into an alleged rape and murder of a young female in Mogadishu. Hamdi Mohamed Farah was violently subjected to sexual abuse before being thrown off from a six-storey hotel building in Waberi district last Friday evening, per police. The 19-year-old girl has scored high marks in the high school exit exam controlled by Somali government this year and had a brighter future ahead. Sections of the public have staged a rally in the capital to condemn the heinous act and called for justice for Farah, who became the latest rape victim in the long-chaotic country.

  International partners welcome the resumption of dialogue between the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and the five Federal Member States (FMS). The partners commend President Mohamed Abdullahi ‘Farmaajo’ and the FMS Presidents for participating in these important meetings in Mogadishu. The partners urge the Somali leaders to engage fully in serious dialogue aimed at reaching broad agreement on a credible and implementable electoral model. The partners hope that other key Somali political stakeholders will also be consulted, as discussions advance, to expand support for an agreement and its implementation. International partners appeal to Somalia’s leaders to be guided by the national interest and the democratic aspirations of the Somali people at this historic moment. * – African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, European Union, Finland, Germany, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Qatar, Spain, Swe

  Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has officially opened the Mogadishu Consultative Conference between leaders of the federal government and heads of the regional administrations in the country. The conference is the fourth such meeting to be held between the Somali leaders, with the previous three held in the Galmudug state capital, Dusamareb, which is now called Samareb. The leaders will discuss the electoral process, including the model to be used for the upcoming elections which are scheduled for late 2020 and early 2021. President Farmajo met the leaders of the five regional states in the country and the governor of Banadir region in Mogadishu ahead of the conference. The leaders of Puntland, Said Abdullahi Deni, Jubbaland, Ahmed Mohamed Islam aka Ahmed Madobe, Galmudug, Ahmed Abdi Kariye aka Qoor Qoor, Hirshabelle, Mohamed Abdi Waare, South West state, Abdiazi Hassan Mohamed aka Lafta-Gareen and the governor of Banadir region, Omar Mohamud Mohamed aka Filish are in atte

  People in need of emergency medical services can now call a 24-hour toll-free number to seek first aid and transport services from the Somali Red Crescent (SRCS). The new number aims to enhance the quality and efficiency of emergency services in Mogadishu. During emergencies, readiness and swift response to care for the wounded and sick often makes the difference between life and death. The SRCS first aid team is on standby to assist people and their community with first aid and ambulance services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “The ambulance service is free, and it is led by SRCS volunteers. The goal is saving lives. It’s part of the humanitarian work of the SRCS. The number connects the community to the first aid emergency responders – the first aid caregivers, the dispatcher and the team leader,” says Nur Abdikarim Ali, first aid focal point at the SRCS Mogadishu branch. This year, the first aid team adjusted their working methods to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect

  An explosion suspected to be caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) hit a restaurant in Boondhere District in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday. The Blue Sky Restaurant is located in the vicinity of where the Presidential Palace and Prime Minister’s Office are situated. Preliminary reports indicated that the attacker approached a security checkpoint near the restaurant and detonated the device. The number of casualties from the incident has not yet been established. This is the latest attack to hit the capital in weeks. Last month, militants set off a car bomb near a beachside hotel in an attack which killed at least five people and injured at least 10 others. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as yet. Al-Shabaab, the Islamist group which operates in Somalia, however, has frequently carried out such attacks in the past.

  Somali National Army on Tuesday killed 14 al-Shabab militants following an early morning attack at the strategic town of Bal’ad, 30 kilometers north of the Somali capital Mogadishu. Ismael Omar, Government spokesman who confirmed the incident, said a government soldier also died in the attack while seven civilians were injured in the latest attack in the Horn of Africa nation by al-Qaida linked terrorist group. “Situation in the town of Bal’ad is calm now following the earlier attack by al-Shabab; 14 terrorists were killed, one government soldier also died, seven civilians were wounded,” Omar said in a statement. Residents said al-Shabab fighters entered Bal’ad town in a surprise attack amid reports the militants took control of local government headquarters and police stations and later discharged inmates from prisons.

Three Somali special forces soldiers were killed and an American officer was wounded in a car bombing and mortar attack outside a military base in Somalia's south on Monday. The al-Qaeda-linked armed group al-Shabab said it was behind the attack and put the number of dead at 20. A Somali soldier was also wounded in the attack in Janay Abdalla village, some 60km (37 miles) from the port city of Kismayu, which is also Jubbaland state's administrative capital. "Two soldiers of Danab [special] forces died and two others were wounded. A US officer was seriously wounded," Mohamed Ahmed Sabriye, Jubbaland's director of communications, told the Reuters news agency. He later said one of the wounded Somali soldiers died. Ismail Mukhtar Oronjo, a Somali government spokesman, told Anadolu news agency it was a suicide car bomb that exploded outside the special forces base. "A car bomb blast targeted a military base in Janay Abdalla earlier on Monday," Oronjo said.

  Nearly 10 people have been killed in fierce fighting between Al-Shabaab fighters and armed local residents near Shabellow village, Ba’adweyne town in Mudug Region, central Somalia. The fighting came after heavily armed locals attacked an area where Al-Shabaab fighters were staying after previously forcing people living there to flee. The armed locals, who are being supported by troops from the Galmudug regional state as well as the National Army, pushed back the Al-Shabaab and are currently in control of the area where the fighting happened, according to Galmudug officials who spoke to the media. In another development involving Al-Shabaab and the National Army, soldiers today conducted operations around Sabid and Anole villages of Lower Shabelle Region in southern Somalia. Army officials involved in the operation said two Al-Shabaab members were captured while they were trying to plant a bomb and are currently being interrogated.

  The Somali National Army (SNA), backed by international partners, killed two Al-Shabaab commanders and injured three others in an operation Thursday (3 September) in the southern region of Middle Juba, a military officer confirmed on Friday. “Two senior Al-Shabab commanders in charge of security of the Middle Juba region were killed and three others injured in an airstrike conducted by the partners. Our forces are now pursuing the remnants who fled to the forest,” said Isma’il Abdi Malik Ma’alin, commander of the SNA’s 16th Unit. He said the army will maintain operations targeting militant hideouts in the region, where extremists have been hiding in the rural areas and conducting ambushes and planting landmines.

There has been a decline in primary health care visits and childhood vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic while infectious diseases rise in Somalia, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Tuesday. In a statement, the ICRC said diseases such as respiratory infections, measles, acute watery diarrhea and malnutrition could be going untreated. “The fight against COVID-19 has put an additional strain on health care resources and is stretching our ability to respond to multiple health threats at the same time,” said Ana Maria Guzman, the health coordinator for the ICRC in Somalia. “We are also seeing a decline in clinic visits during the pandemic, which is deeply worrying in that preventable deaths from diseases such as malaria or complications in child birth could claim more lives than COVID-19 itself,” Maria added. With a population of over 15 million, the Horn of Africa country has recorded 3,269 coronavirus cases, with 93 deaths and 2,443 recoveries, ac

A three-day campaign is underway in Somalia to immunize 400,000 children under the age of five against polio and measles. The effort, led by the World Health Organization and UNICEF,  targets children in 17 Banadir districts in Mogadishu, an area already batting a COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers say health workers will also offer children vitamin A and deworming tablets at fixed and outreach sites. Since the start of the year, 744 children in Banadir have reportedly been infected with measles. Banadir is home to the largest number of displaced people in Somalia and a hub for Somalis traveling internationally. Banadir also confirmed cases of 3 children with a rare strain of poliovirus that can be found in pockets of children with low immunity. Two forms of polioviruses, in circulation in Somalia since the end of 2017, have caused paralysis in 19 children so far across the country. Dr. Asma Ali, acting Head of WHO’s Polio Programme in Somalia, is relieved to be resuming he