Reports

EXCLUSIVE: How eight health workers were rounded up and murdered by Somali military in Gololey

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) On Wednesday afternoon, May 27th, around 1.30pm, Muse Mahi, 56-years-old, has finished his midday prayers in the mosque just next to the Mother and Child Health centre (MCH) in Gololey village in the Middle Shabelle region. Suddenly he saw an armed man with AK-47 wearing Somali…

Villa Somalia employee under scrutiny for being on double govt payroll

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) An employee working at the Office of Somali President (The Villa Somalia) has been caught with receiving overpayments from the government for almost more than three years, according to a document seen by Horn Observer and interviews with senior officials from the Somali Civil…

Madagascar gets Euro 4 million from African Development Fund for Sahofika hydropower project

ABIDJAN (HORN OBSERVER) The African Development Fund has approved a 4.02 million euro loan with a grant component to finance the Government of Madagascar's 30 million euro equity investment in the Sahofika hydropower project, which will generate affordable, clean energy benefitting some 8 million…

Somalia AG widens probe on corruption as hundreds of thousands of aid money unaccounted

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Somalia Attorney General, Saleban Mohamed Mohamud on Saturday issued a stern warning to government officials and their alleged allies in what he termed as a widening probe on public corrupt deals committed recently to loot funds meant to fight against Coronavirus.

Somalia struggles and unable respond effectively to COVID-19 pandemic

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Somalia, as do the associated deaths attributed to the disease. As the cases rise in number, the health systems in Somalia are facing rapidly increasing demand for patient care for COVID-19.

Minister welcomes new internet cable connecting Somalia with 23 countries in Africa, Middle East and Europe

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Somalia Minister for Post, Telecom, and Technology, Abdi Ashur Hassan, has praised the 2Africa subsea cable initiative, which will be one of the world's largest subsea cable projects that will interconnect Europe, the Middle East, and 21 landings in 16 countries in Africa.

Somalia Accuses Kenya of Seeking Postponement of ICJ Border Dispute hearing

MOGADISHU, Somalia (Horn Observer) Somalia government has strongly rejected Kenya's plans to delay the maritime case hearing at the Hague and accused Kenya of seeking to resolve the dispute outside the court., following Kenya's requests to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) an extension…

How Covid-19 pandemic disrupts ongoing interventions in Somalia's health sector

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Somalia now has the second highest number of confirmed COVID19 in the Horn of Africa region. From 3-14 May, the number rose from 722 to 1,284 with 53 deaths and 135 recoveries, according to the data released by the Ministry of Health on Thursday.

Somalia records 1,219 Covid-19 cases after confirming 49 new cases

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Somalia on Wednesday recorded 1,219 Covid-19 cases across the country after confirming 49 new cases, according to a data released by the Ministry of Health.

Al-Shabaab Emir's adviser among several killed in U.S airstrike in southern Somalia

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Two mid level al-Shabaab officials are among several killed after a suspected U.S airstrikes targeted the group's strongholds in Jamame and in Haway in the country's southern regions of Lower Jubba and Lower Shabelle on Monday.

Somali police forced injured female journalist to recant complaint case

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Mogadishu's Waberi police commissioner, Mohamed Abdukadir and his officers with the backing of Villa Somalia Communications Officer, have forced female journalist, Safiya Osman Abdulle to withdraw her case against Waberi police and district officials following an assault…

Somalia: Spate of Arrests, Intimidation of Journalists

NAIROBI – Somali authorities have been stepping up their intimidation of journalists as the country faces a growing number of Covid-19 cases. Since mid-April 2020 alone, authorities arbitrarily detained three journalists, accused two of various crimes, and prohibited a local radio station from broadcasting…

Somalia's Covid-19 Response: a Shift to Online Learning in Higher Education

Mogadishu – Nowadays, the much-admired gardens and once-full classrooms at the campus of Plasma University in Mogadishu are empty.

An IDP samosa vendor woman among two shot dead by police enforcing curfew in Somalia capital

MOGADISHU (Horn Observer) On Friday evening, Madina Abdullahi Abdi, 19-years-old displaced woman has heard that police enforcing an extended night curfew was approaching to her area at Mogadishu's Bondhere district. She hastily wrapped up her large plate of samosa which she vendored and went indoors.…

Somalia Launches Coordination Committee On ICT Policy and Strategy

(Mogadishu, Somalia) The Ministry of Post, Telecom and Technology (MPTT) has launched the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on the implementation of the ICT Policy and Strategy that was approved by the Cabinet.

NISA manhunts critical journalists in Somalia

MOGADISHU (Horn Observer) It was Thursday 23rd April when the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said it has forwarded a file case on the renowned Voice of America (VOA) journalist, Harun Maruf to the Office of the Attorney General to seek charges.

Somalia: Places of detention overlooked during Covid-19 crisis

BAIDOA (HORN OBSERVER) Like most countries around the globe, Somalia finds itself in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of known infections has risen dramatically in the last weeks. Sweeping public restrictions have followed suit in a bid to curb the spread of the disease.

World Bank Predicts Sharpest Decline of Remittances in Recent History

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2020 — Global remittances are projected to decline sharply by about 20 percent in 2020 due to the economic crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown. The projected fall, which would be the sharpest decline in recent history, is largely due to a fall in the wages and…

Saudi Arabia, Iraq, South Sudan, and Yemen bucked a global trend with spikes in executions

LONDON (Horn Observer) Saudi Arabia executed a record number of people in 2019, despite an overall decline in executions worldwide, Amnesty International said in its 2019 global review of the death penalty published today. The Saudi authorities put 184 people to death last year, the highest number Amnesty…

Somalia rejects Kenyan media claim of NISA's role with al-Shabaab

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Federal Government of Somalia has noted with serious concern the spreading of false and misleading information regarding Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) published by The Star (Kenya) and Standard media (Kenya).