Karachi:A.M.Network)The government of Somalia utilizes all its energy to secure Mogadishu and its surrounding areas while the government forgets the rest of the Somali regions in addition to that all of members of the government including president, parliament and the cabinets live in Mogadishu. In other words the current government of Somalia gives to the [...]

Kismayo: The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission, His Excellency, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif accompanied by the Force Commander, Lt General Andrew Gutti, and the Director of the United Nations Support Office for AMISOM (UNSOA), Amadou Camara and the Representative of Kenyan Defense Forces, Major General Francis K. Nthenge visited AMISOM forces in [...]

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag and Development Minister Cevdet Yilmaz will pay visits to Somalia and Sudan between February 22 and 24. Within the scope of Somalia visit, Bozdag and Yilmaz will meet president and prime minister in Mogadishu as well as attend ground-breaking ceremonies of a mosque, school and orphanage. On the second [...]

Press Statement Victoria Nuland: USA. Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC February 5, 2013 We are deeply concerned by a Mogadishu court’s decision to convict and sentence to one year in prison a 27-year-old alleged rape victim and the journalist who interviewed her. We are also concerned by reports of procedural irregularities and [...]

Mogadishu/New York,  30 January 2013 – The United Nations’ top political official, Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, visited Mogadishu and expressed the UN’s strong commitment to support Somali efforts to build peace. While in the Somali capital, USG Feltman met with Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon, the Ministers of Justice, Defense and Interior [...]

Double-gold medal winner detained in Oregon Detained … Team GB track star Mo Farah MO Farah was quizzed by US customs on suspicion of being a terrorist — even though he had his two Olympic gold medals in his suitcase. The Team GB hero, one of the world’s most famous athletes, was hauled off for [...]

Kismayu(A.M.Network)Vessels depart from Kismayo port under watch of Kenyan peacekeepers serving under AMISOM, despite UN ban on the exports. African Union peacekeepers who control one of Somalia’s most strategically important ports have allowed ships carrying charcoal to leave, violating a UN Security Council ban, a presidential order and Somalia’s own laws. Local witnesses and security [...]

Adis Ababa(A.M.Network)The son of prominent North Eastern legislator is in an Inter Governmental Authority on Development delegation that at the weekend travelled to Mogadishu, Somalia to urge the newly elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to change his mind on the ban on charcoal export. The delegation that included Igad executive secretary Mahboub Maalim, a representative [...]

Newyork(A.M.Network)The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday gave the African Union’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia a seven-day extension while its 15 members weigh an African Union request to review a two-decade old arms embargo to help the government defeat Islamist rebels. U.N. diplomats said that the council remained divided on the union’s request to begin allowing [...]

Mogadishu.(A.M.Network)Somalia have revealed they will arrive in Uganda on 8 November to allow time for 15 training days before the start of the East and Central Africa Senior Challenge Cup (Cecafa Cup). Instability in Somalia has left the team without training facilities in their country. Somali Football Federation Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab said: [...]

Kampala(A.M.Network)Several of Uganda’s lawmakers are demanding that Government pulls out its troops from Somali capital Mogadishu following series of accusations by the United Nations against the East African country. The call for the Ugandan troop withdrawal from Somalia by the country’s lawmakers comes at the backdrop of a report by a UN panel of experts [...]

Bardale(A.M.Network)Al-shabab snipers have attacked the home of Bardale district commissioner, Yoonis Ma’alin Mohamed in the early hours of  Monday morning around 1:00Am, in Bardale of Bai region, killing one body guard and wounding the chief. The attack happened in the early hours of Monday, in Bardale district, after a unit of Al-shabab fighters stormed at [...]

Mombaza.(A.M.Network)Kenyan police shot dead two suspected Islamists feared to be plotting attacks in the country’s popular tourist coastal region, officials said Sunday. Shooting broke out as police raided a house in the early hours of Sunday morning in the Majengo suburbs of Mombasa, Kenya’s main port, after a tip-off from a suspect arrested on Saturday. [...]

(A.M.Network)NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 22 – One of the four terror suspects whose photograph was released by the police on Sunday has surrendered to the police in Mombasa. Hassan Omondi Owiti presented himself at the Provincial Police headquarters in Mombasa on Monday morning where he recorded a statement. “He surrendered this (Monday) morning and is now [...]

(A.M.Network)Police have circulated four pictures of four Kenyans who joined Somalia’s Al-Shabaab militant group and have been linked to a number of terror activities in Nairobi and Mombasa. The four are said to have been to Somalia where they received military training before they returned to Kenya. Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said Sunday the suspects [...]

(A.M.Network)A German court on Friday sentenced 10 Somalis to between two and seven years in prison for hijacking a German-flagged ship off the Horn of Africa in Germany’s first piracy trial in four centuries. “The defendants are guilty of the attack on sea transport in conjunction with extortionary kidnapping,” the judge at the court in [...]

MINNEAPOLIS (A.M.Network) — A Minneapolis man accused of helping send young men through a terrorist pipeline from Minnesota to Somalia was convicted Thursday on all five terrorism-related charges he faced, including one that could land him in prison for life. The jury returned its verdict against Mahamud Said Omar after deliberating for about eight hours [...]

(A.M.Network)Dozens of Somali journalists on Thursday held protests against an article in the British paper the Guardian in which the writer alleged Somali reporters to be corrupt and that many of them are killed for their involvement in graft. The Guardian piece authored by London-based journalist Jamal Osman was entitled “Somali Journalists are dying of [...]

Mogadishu, 17 October 2012 – UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Dr. Augustine Mahiga today welcomed the endorsement by Parliament of Mr. Abdi Farah Shirdon “Saacid” as the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia. All of the 215 members present endorsed his candidacy. “The approval of Prime Minister Shirdon by the [...]

The African Union and a United Nations special envoy urged the UN Security Council on Tuesday to approve funding for a naval component of the AU forces fighting to stabilise Somalia. Kenya is the only African nation known to be contributing naval support for the AU’s military mission in Somalia (Amisom). But Kenyan naval units [...]

Marka(A.M.Netowrk)A US assassination drone strike has claimed the lives of at least 29 people in southern Somalia, Press TV reports. On Sunday, the unmanned aircraft targeted al-Shabab fighters near the Shalanbood region in Merka town. Earlier in the day, heavy clashes erupted between al-Shabab fighters and Somali government troops in the same region where at [...]

(A.M.Network)Oct 12 (Reuters) – Somalia does not plan to nullify oil and gas exploration contracts made in recent years in favour of those that were signed prior to the toppling of the government in 1991, a senior state official said on Friday. There are concerns by investors that deals signed by companies in Somalia could [...]

(A.M.Network)ROTTERDAM, Netherlands – A Dutch court has convicted nine Somali men of piracy and sentenced them to four-and-a-half years imprisonment after they were detained following a firefight with Dutch marines in April. While it convicted the nine Somalis of piracy on Friday, Rotterdam District Court cleared them of the attempted murder of marines who arrested [...]

(A.M.Network)Somali pirates have released the Greek-owned bulk carrier Free Goddess and its 21 Filipino crew members after holding the vessel for more than eight months, the secretary general of the Seafarers Union of Kenya said on Friday. Andrew Mwangura, whose role involves contact with ships sailing the Indian Ocean and catering for crews’ welfare, said [...]

TEHRAN,(A.M.Network)Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced his country’s preparedness to share experiences in different fields with African states, specially Somalia. “Iran is ready to transfer its experience in all fields, including the fields of healthcare, energy, road building and urbanization, to Somalia,” Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with Somalia’s Ambassador to Iran Khalif Kadieh Musa in [...]

WASHINGTON, October 11, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement Victoria… WASHINGTON, October 11, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement Victoria Nuland Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson The United States welcomes the October 6 appointment of Somalia’s new Prime Minister designate, Mr. Abdi Farah Shirdon by President Hassan Sheikh Mahamud. We look forward [...]

Kampaal(A.M.Network)President Mwai Kibaki in discussion with the newly elected Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud when he called on him at his residential hotel in Kampala, Uganda. PHOTO / PPS President Kibaki has called for the demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of the Al-Shabaab insurgents surrendering to the AMISOM forces. Speaking on Tuesday in Kampala Uganda, when [...]

MOGADISHU,Somalia, Oct. 8 ,(A.M.Network)- Organization of Islamic Cooperation Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu met with Somalia leaders Monday after the inauguration of the prime minister. Ihsanoglu met Monday with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and newly appointed Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid. Mohamud was elected in September along with some parliamentary leaders. Prior to last month, there [...]

Muqdisho (A.M.Network)Militant Islamist rebels in Somalia on Monday announced a ban against another aid group working in a region of Somalia hit hard by hunger. Al-Shabab said on Twitter that it had banned the British-registered aid group Islamic Relief. The extremists accused the group of working with the United Nations’ World Food Program, which the militants [...]

African Union troops alongside Somali forces yesterday seized the formerly Islamist-held town of Wanla Weyn, the latest loss for the Al Qaeda linked Shebaab fighters, commanders said. Its capture – reportedly without a fight – is a key step towards opening up the main highway linking the capital Mogadishu to Baidoa, a major town wrested [...]

The new leaders should avoid prescriptions but principally consult with the citizens By. Mohamed Bille Mohamed. Somali has passed a long process that aimed to shift from transitional era to official government and many historical moments were been passed after the approval of the constitution, selection of the New MPs, the presidential election and the [...]

Mogadishu(A.M.Network)Somalia’s President prof.Hassan Sheikh on Saturday named Abdi Farah Shirdon known as Saaid, a businessman as the country’s new Prime Minister nearly a month after the president was elected. At a joint news conference in the Somali capital Mogadishu, the Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud made appoint new Somali prime minister. Dr Saaid is a [...]

KISMAYO,(A.M.Network)Renewed clan warfare threatens the future of Kismayo, where African Union and Somali troops earlier this week pushed out Islamic extremists. Kismayo was the last bastion controlled by al-Shabab, the radical Islamists allied to al-Qaida who taxed goods coming into the port to fund their activities. Al-Shabab announced their withdrawal from Kismayo, via Twitter, shortly [...]

(A.M.Network)Thousands have been rendered homeless in Somalia after river floods, triggered by days of heavy torrential downpour, hit parts of the eastern African country. The floods wrecked havoc in Somalia’s central and southern regions while worst hit areas include the central region of Hiran and lower Jubba, where people and their animals have been swept [...]

Kismayo(A.M.Network)African Union troops and tanks occupied al Shabaab’s former stronghold of Kismayu on Tuesday, but the Somali Islamist militants gave notice of their intention to fight back, saying they detonated a bomb in the port city. The blast points to the al Qaeda-linked rebels’ ability to hit back with covert strikes and continues a pattern [...]

Mahamud Said Omar, 46, of Minneapolis, goes on trial Monday on five terrorism-related counts as part of the federal government’s long-running investigation of American Somalis recruited to fight with al-Shabab, a U.S.-designated terror group waging attacks in Somalia. THE ALLEGATIONS: Prosecutors say Omar encouraged and helped others travel to Somalia to fight. He’s accused of [...]

Hundreds of Somali troops on Monday entered the port city of Kismayo for the first time since Kenyan troops carried out an amphibious assault on the coastal port city last week, a military offensive that caused al-Shabab militants to flee. Residents in Kismayo said that Somali troops drove into the port city and met little [...]

NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday praised Somalia for the progress in its democratic transition and called on the international community to continue supporting the East African nation, stressing that “there is no time to lose” as the country is still facing serious humanitarian and security challenges. “Today the change we have [...]

The European Union has decided to provide new support to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), that will allow it to continue to fulfil its mandate and to reach its total strength of 17,731, as authorised by the UN. EU support covers costs such as troop allowances, costs of the police and civilian component [...]

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 25 – Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) jets finally hit the terrorist Al Shabaab stronghold of Kismayu in Somalia on Tuesday, destroying a warehouse and the armoury at the main airport.   Several Al Shabaab militants were killed in the deadly attack that occurred when KDF jets shelled the town Tuesday afternoon. “They [...]

A Kenyan soldier fighting in Somalia has been arrested after he allegedly shot and killed six civilians under unclear circumstances in Jana Cabdalla region near Kismayo. Officials said the incident occurred shortly after five other civilians were injured during a gunfight between Al Shabaab and KDF soldiers, which left one soldier dead. Military operations spokesman [...]

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom has just expressed her concern and anger over the killing of five journalists in Somalia in the past week. “I am horrified by the sudden upsurge of violence targeting the media in Somalia,” said the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural [...]

The U.N.’s representative to Somalia on Sunday condemned the killing of a Somali member of parliament. Politician Mustafa Haji Maalim was killed by gunmen Saturday, the U.N. said. Al Shabaab claimed the attack Sunday through its Twitter account. The al Qaeda-linked militant group has been fighting the … Mogadishu – The African Union on Sunday [...]

Mogadishu, 20 September 2012 – The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Augustine P. Mahiga is appalled by today’s suicide bomb attacks on a popular restaurant-café in Mogadishu. Initial reports indicate that numerous people were killed and wounded including prominent members of the media community. “I strongly condemn this cowardly and senseless attack. These [...]

The U.S. State Department is airlifting armored vehicles and other equipment to its missions in Tunisia and Somalia, part of efforts to boost security in the wake of last week’s attacks on diplomatic compounds in North Africa and the Middle East. A giant cargo plane operated by Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Airlines LLC took off from Washington, [...]

Health experts from Somalia, Somaliland, and Puntland are in Kenya for training on strengthening health care programmes. The health workers will undergo a four-day intensive training by experts from Medical and Public Health ministries and the Japan International Co-operation Agency (Jica) in Kisumu. The countries have entered into an agreement with Kenya to help train [...]

The political process that resulted in Mr. Mohamud’s election, backed by the United Nations, was condemned by Islamist militants, who said it was manipulated by the West. But Mr. Mohamud has broad international support to try to bring stability to his troubled nation.The inauguration was attended by regional leaders, including the prime minister of Ethiopia [...]

NAIROBI, Kenya—Kenyan police disrupted a major terrorist attack Friday in its final stages of planning, arresting two people with explosive devices and seizing a cache of weapons and ammunition, officials said. A manhunt has been launched for eight more suspects including would-be bombers and the masterminds behind the planned attack, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said. [...]

Apparent suicide bomber targets Mogadishu hotel President Mohamud was holding news conference at time Islamist rebels promise to keep fighting MOGADISHU, Sept 12 (Reuters) – Somalia’s new President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the visiting Kenyan foreign minister escaped unharmed on Wednesday from an apparent suicide bomb attack on a Mogadishu hotel where they were holding [...]

EUROPEA UIO EN Brussels, 10 September 2012 13600/12 PRESSE 374 Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the end of the transition in Somalia The European Union congratulates Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud on his election as the new President of Somalia. Today is a significant day in the history of Somalia. [...]

Celebratory gunfire erupted in Mogadishu on Monday night after Hassan Sheikh Mohamud defeated incumbent Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed to become Somalia’s new president. It is the first time since the 1991 overthrow of president Said Barre that a new leader has been chosen inside the country, a development hailed by the UN as a sign [...]

Personal Profile The Somali President Hassan Shiekh Mahamud:  Personal Data Name : Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Date of Birth : Nov. 29, 1955 Place of Birth : Jalalaqsi, Somalia Marital Status : Married with Children Qualification 1989 – 1990 Attended MBA program in SIDAM Somalia in collaboration with state University in New York (SUNY Albany) – not [...]

Kenyan police seize over 150 bomb detonators from Nairobi house NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenyan police seized more than 150 detonators in Nairobi on Friday, highlighting the security risks the east African country faces ahead of an election next year because of its struggle with al Qaeda-linked militants in neighbouring Somalia. Home to a large Somali [...]

US urges peaceful presidential vote in Somalia (AFP) – 5 hours ago WASHINGTON — The United States called on Somalia’s parliament Friday to hold a fair election for the war-torn nation’s next president, and for the losers to accept the results gracefully. The new Somali parliament, whose members were selected by traditional elders last month, [...]

Uganda has withdrawn a contingent of UPDF soldiers serving under the African Union peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and replaced them with another contingent of troops.   The Commander of the Land Forces, Lt. Gen Katumba Wamala Thursday received the withdrawing officers and men led by Brig. Paul Lokech.   The newly deployed contingent of [...]

6 September 2012 – As Somali parliamentarians prepare to elect a new president next week, the top United Nations envoy in the country urged them to choose a credible and effective leader who can advance peace and development in the Horn of Africa nation. “After two decades of civil war, a collapsed state and innumerable [...]

The UN has warned that 2.12 million people in Somalia are at risk of being starved for the August-December period as the African state is still in the grip of food security crisis, Press TV reports. A new report by Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU), managed by UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), [...]