Somalia’s president has called on the international community to lift an arms embargo on his country as government soldiers battle to regain territory from the armed group al-Shabab. Speaking on Thursday at a Somalia conference held in London and attended by world leaders, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmajo, said government forces would defeat the … Read more
Somalia’s security forces have shot dead a 31-year-old government minister after mistaking him for a militant Islamist, officials have said. He was killed in his vehicle near the presidential palace in the capital, Mogadishu, the officials added. The president has cut short his visit to Ethiopia following Abdullahi Sheikh Abas’ killing, state radio reports. He … Read more
The United States is deploying “a few dozen” troops to Somalia to assist the national army and conduct unspecified security operations, a US military spokeswoman said Saturday. The soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division, a light infantry unit trained for air assaults, will mainly train and equip Somalia’s army “to better fight Al-Shabab,” an Al-Qaeda … Read more
Al-Shabab says President Farmajo’s, centre-left, threats to defeat them are not new Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabab has dismissed President Mohamed Abdullahi Faramajo’s declaration of war. The response was carried on the Somali Memo website which is affiliated to the al-Qaeda-linked group. On Thursday, President Farmajo offered the militants an amnesty at the same time … Read more
Somalia’s new president appealed to the international community Thursday for more aid to avert a famine threatening his country that could also undermine fledgling political hopes born in his peaceful election. “Almost half of our people are facing acute food shortages and about 15 percent are facing famine” amid a severe drought, Somali President Mohamed … Read more
Somalia’s Parliament elected former Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, a dual US-Somali citizen, as the country’s new president Wednesday. Farmajo was declared victorious after incumbent President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud dropped out of the contest following the second round of voting. Amid rising security concerns, the 328 members of Parliament met at an air force hangar … Read more