Somalia

Puntland Decides: Challenges and dynamics of Puntland State presidential election

GAROWE (HORN OBSERVER) – Tomorrow marks a pivotal moment for the Puntland State of Somalia as members of the 6th Parliament are set to elect a president and vice president to guide the region for the next five years.

Al-Shabaab celebrates UN arms embargo lift, claims victory against Somali military operation

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) - In a video statement released on Thursday, Al-Shabaab's deputy emir Mahad Warsame, also known as Mahad Karate, expressed satisfaction with the United Nations Security Council's decision to lift the decades-old arms embargo on Somalia in December.

Somali defense official calls for insurgent mobilization in Somaliland, Ethiopia

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) - General Abdullahi Ali Caanood, the spokesperson for the Somali Ministry of Defense, expressed concerns over the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Ethiopia and Somaliland, citing it as a catalyst for insurgency-like activities within Somaliland and Ethiopia.

Al-Shabaab displays graduation of recruits, speaks about Russia grain and Ethiopia's Red Sea desire

BELEDWEYNE (HORN OBSERVER) – In an undisclosed location in Somalia, the terrorist group Al-Shabaab released a video on Thursday showcasing the graduation of its new jihadist recruits.

Liberia-flagged vessel boarded by pirates off Somalia; concerns mount for crew safety

GAROWE (HORN OBSERVER) – The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has received a report confirming that a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier fell prey to suspected Somali pirates on Thursday, southeast of Eyl, a coastal town in the Nugaal region of Somalia's Puntland State.

Somali president to seek Egyptian alliance amid escalation with Ethiopia and Somaliland

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is urgently traveling to Cairo, Egypt, amidst rising tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia following the signing of an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Ethiopia and Somaliland.

Al-Shabaab and Somalia unite against Ethiopia and Somaliland

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – In the wake of the Ethiopia-Somaliland Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Monday Jan., 1, the Al-Shabaab terrorist group has issued a statement, threatening both Ethiopia and Somaliland.

Somalia rebukes IGAD, demands apology over alleged bias towards Ethiopia

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – The Somali government strongly condemns the statement from the Executive Secretary of IGAD, accusing it of favoring the Ethiopian Government and demanding an immediate apology and withdrawal of the statement.

IGAD raises concerns over Ethiopia-Somalia relations

DJIBOUTI (HORN OBSERVER) – The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, has expressed deep concern about recent developments in the relationship between Ethiopia and Somalia.

Somalia: ATMIS donates relief food to IDPs in Hirshabelle state

Jowhar – The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), working with Hirshabelle State authorities, has given emergency relief food and other essentials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Federal Member State.

Gender disparity persists as 66 newly sworn-in Puntland lawmakers include just one woman

GAROWE - Reporting by Kaab TV -----

Somaliland grants Ethiopia sea access in exchange for recognition – president

HARGEISA (HORN OBSERVER) – Somaliland's President, Muse Bihi Abdi, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali on Monday, granting Ethiopia a lease for a 20-kilometer sea base in the Red Sea.

Somalia: ATMIS sets degrading of Al Shabaab and improving SSF as top priorities for New Year

Mogadishu – Degrading Al Shabaab and improving the capability of the Somali Security Forces (SSF) are top priorities for the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in 2024.

2023: Misuse of Facebook Community Standards and cyberattacks is how Somalia suppressed critical voices

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – The manipulation of Facebook Community Standards and the use of DDoS attacks have emerged as a concerning tool employed by Somalia's National Communication Authority (NCA) in collaboration with the national intelligence (NISA) to suppress critical voices among journalists…

Somaliland president Bihi is in Addis Ababa days after the Djibouti agreement with Mogadishu

HARGEISA (HORN OBSERVER) – Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi has embarked on a state visit to Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, just days after the historic agreement between Somalia and Somaliland leaders to resume dialogue.

With new details emerging, SJS demands independent probe into TV director's killing in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia 31 December 2023 – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) expresses profound concern over the apparent lack of progress in the investigation into the 'assassination-style' suicide bombing that claimed the life of our colleague, Abdifatah Moalim Nur (Qeys), the director of…

Eritrea-trained forces fight Ma'awisley militia in the outskirts of Somali capital

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – Heavy gunfight echoed through the Darmooley neighborhoods on the east side of Mogadishu as clashes erupted between Eritrea-trained forces and the Ma'awisley militia, both vying for control of crucial checkpoints in the area, according to eyewitnesses on Saturday.

Escaping Desperation: Mogadishu's youth prepared for risky journey to Europe and America in 2024

MOGADISHU – In a startling revelation, a significant number of Mogadishu's youth are contemplating migration in 2024, opting for perilous journeys to Europe and America to escape worsening living conditions, unemployment, and insecurity.

Puntland's Electoral Odyssey: From Hopes of Democracy to Clan-Based Selection

GAROWE (KAAB TV) – Inaugurated in 1998 as a beacon of stability amid the ruins of Somalia's military dictatorship, Puntland has emerged as a bastion of relative peace within the tumultuous Somali republic. In stark contrast, neighboring Somaliland had declared its independence from the rest of…

Former MP shot dead in Somali capital Mogadishu

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – Unidentified gunmen targeted and fatally shot Ibrahim Salah Deyfullah, a former member of Somalia's parliament, in Mogadishu on Friday afternoon, the family and government officials confirmed.