Thursday, March 28News That Matters

Tag: Somalia

Car bomb Explosion leaves Many Dead Near Parliament.

Car bomb Explosion leaves Many Dead Near Parliament.

FEATURED, NEWS, Politics
At least three people have been killed and eight others wounded after a car bomb exploded near a checkpoint close to the Somali parliament headquarters in the capital Mogadishu. A security official and witnesses reported the explosion on Saturday as the explosive-laden vehicle passed through a security checkpoint causing security forces to open fire. The car exploded close to another checkpoint at the Sayidka junction, according to local media and police sources. “The police were chasing the hostile vehicle after spotting it a few kilometres away from where it exploded,” security official Abdirahman Mohamed told the AFP news agency. “Three civilians died according to the information we have received so far and eight others are wounded,” he said. “The police opened fire on the...
Ethiopia Withdraws Thousands of her Troops from Somalia

Ethiopia Withdraws Thousands of her Troops from Somalia

FEATURED, NEWS, Politics
 Ethiopia pulled back thousands of troops who’ve been helping Somalia’s government fight an Islamist insurgency, according to three people familiar with the matter, raising concerns of a security vacuum in the war-torn nation. Their departure from Somalia comes as federal soldiers continue to battle forces loyal to the ruling party in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump told top advisers he’s also considering extracting U.S. troops from Somalia. Ethiopia is redeploying about 3,000 troops to help with the Tigray offensive, the people said, asking not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak to the media. The troops being withdrawn are Ethiopian National Defence Force soldiers and don’t fall under the command of the...
Trump to Withdraw US troops from Somalia.

Trump to Withdraw US troops from Somalia.

FEATURED, NEWS, Politics
Pentagon has begun drafting plans for US president, says Bloomberg, citing people familiar with matter President Donald Trump has informed his top advisers that he wants to withdraw US troops from Somalia, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday. Citing people familiar with the matter, the report said the Pentagon has begun drafting plans for Trump. The talks have involved National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations. The US has 650-800 troops in Somalia to help the African country fight the al-Shabaab terrorist group. The move will allow Trump "to make good on campaign pledges to bring soldiers home even though the c...
Six Soldiers Killed by Roadside Bomb in Somalia

Six Soldiers Killed by Roadside Bomb in Somalia

FEATURED, NEWS, Politics
Attack takes place in Middle Shabelle region, al-Shabaab claims responsibility for it At least six Somali government soldiers were killed and four others wounded when a roadside bomb blast struck a military vehicle in the Middle Shabelle region on Wednesday, an official said. Ibrahim Adan, a police officer in the region told Anadolu Agency over phone that an “improvised explosive blast hit the military vehicle carrying soldiers traveling from Bal'ad district to a military observation post in the area.” Three soldiers escaped the attack and the wounded were transported to Mogadishu for treatment, he added. Bal'ad is an agricultural town located 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu and it is the second largest town in the Middle Shabelle region. Somali-base...
Trump, ‘Get your hands off Somali refugees!’

Trump, ‘Get your hands off Somali refugees!’

FEATURED, NEWS, Politics, TECH
Before being admitted to the hospital for coronavirus infection, Donald Trump spent the last two weeks on yet another vile anti-immigrant tirade. Both in a policy statement to Congress and on a campaign stop in Minnesota, Trump veered to his campaign cornerstone to send yet another message to his racist base that immigrants are not welcome in this country.  But it is more dangerous than that.  Trump went after Rep. Ilhan Omar in her very own home state and screamed to the crowd, “She tells us how to run our country, can you believe it? How the hell did Minnesota elect her? What the hell is wrong with you people?” (NYTimes, Oct. 1) Rep. Omar’s background is Somali. She is the first Somali American, the first naturalized citizen of African birth and the first woman of ...
Top 24 Richest and Poorest Countries of Africa – 2020 Edition

Top 24 Richest and Poorest Countries of Africa – 2020 Edition

FEATURED, Latest News, Politics, Tourism
The Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of Congo has a mixture of economic sectors such as mining, fishing, forestry, agriculture, and copper and cobalt. While the country’s total GDP of $48.46 billion may seem high in comparison to other African countries, but that is mostly due to its large population. With 89.56 million people living in the country, it brings the GDP per capita figure to an astounding low of $495.08. This places the country in the top ten poorest countries in Africa by that metric. Nonetheless, this country is a perfect example of a mixed economy that is trying to build towards the future. According to the African Development Bank Group, growth dropped from 5.8% in 2018 to 4.3% in 2019, due to a slowdown in extractive...
Three Injured as Cargo Plane Crashes at Airport.

Three Injured as Cargo Plane Crashes at Airport.

FEATURED, NEWS, TRAVEL
A cargo plane has crashed at the international airport in Somalia's capital. The country's transport minister said three of the four crew members on board were injured after the incident at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on Saturday. Photos posted from the scene show the plane's cockpit crushed against a concrete barrier close to the sea. Transport minister Mohamed Abdullahi Salad told reporters that the plane had just taken off for Beledweyne town in central Somalia, but returned to the airport after detecting mechanical problems. Markings on the plane indicate that it is operated by Silverstone Air in neighbouring Kenya. A spokesman for the UN mission in Somalia, shown in photos responding to the crash, did not immediately respond to a request...
3 Dead, Scores Injured After Suicide Bomber Explodes In Restaurant

3 Dead, Scores Injured After Suicide Bomber Explodes In Restaurant

FEATURED, NEWS
By Our Reporter Three people are confirmed to have died and several others sustained severe injuries after a suicide bomber detonated  explosives in a restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia on Wednesday. Information ministry spokesman Ismail Mukhtar Omar said the attacker walked into the Blue Sky restaurant near Mogadishu National Theatre on Wednesday before blowing himself up. "The target of the suicide bomber was civilians sitting at the restaurant," he said. "He walked [among] them and detonated himself, killing three civilians and wounding seven. "I was walking towards the location when the blast occurred and instantly got to the incident scene. Among the dead was a very young child." Witnesses said security forces cordoned off the scene after the blast, temporarily susp...
World Bank Appoints New Country Director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda

World Bank Appoints New Country Director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda

FEATURED, NEWS, Politics
By Keefa Nuwahereza Appointment comes at a time when governments of Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda are confronting both immediate and longer-term health and economic impacts of COVID-19 crisis The World Bank has appointed Mr. Keith Hansen as the new Country Director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda effective September 8, 2020. Mr. Hansen, who has over 30 years of experience in development practice, will lead an active multi-country portfolio consisting of over 100 projects totaling more than US$13 billion. Under Mr. Hansen’s leadership, the World Bank will work closely with the four countries to provide innovative products and services that respond to their diverse development challenges and contribute to achieving sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction, with...
Child Marriages After First Menstrual Cycle to be Allowed.

Child Marriages After First Menstrual Cycle to be Allowed.

FEATURED, Health, NEWS
Globally, around 21 percent of young women were married before their eighteenth birthday. Approximately twelve million girls are married before they turn this age every year, and currently, there are about 650 million girls and women alive today who were married as children Child marriage is a human rights violation, and although the harmful practice has declined over the last ten years, there is no area in the world that is on track to meet its target of eliminating it by 2030 .Somalia’s child marriages are now in the spotlight as the country considers new legislation. Somalia is one region that has a particularly high rate of child marriage, with more than 45 percent of young women having been married or “in union” before the age of eighteen between 2014 and 2015. There has been a...