By Magati Obebo January 15, 2020, will mark yet another anniversary, the fifth, since bands of all Shabaab insurgents overran a KDF military camp at El Adde in Somalia killing scores. Some families of the deceased will mark the anniversary by laying wreaths on the graves of their loved ones. But a family in Kisii...
June 11, 2025
Category: Somali News & Politics
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Former Somali child refugee Abdilahi Elmi released from detention in Alberta
Sara Mojtehedzadeh A former child refugee facing deportation to Somalia has been freed from custody in Edmonton, after advocates and the United Nations successfully pressured Canada to stay his removal from the country. The release of Abdilahi Elmi, 34, comes after almost six months of detention in Edmonton following a high-profile — and as yet unresolved —...
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As drought compounds security woes, Somalis flee to Ethiopia
Crop failures, livestock die-offs, and Al-Shabab extortion demands are driving thousands of farmers and pastoralists to abandon their lands and seek refuge. By Katie Nguyen in Dollo Ado, Ethiopia When drought killed most of Barwako Noor Abdi’s cows and goats eight years ago, she had no choice but to abandon her home in Somalia’s parched Gedo region and seek help elsewhere...
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Saudi Arabia and Qatar race to increase their influence in Somalia
By Stasa Salacanin The modern scramble for Africa is intensifying and Arab nations have been the most active foreign players as well as fierce competitors in the region, especially after the beginning of the Qatar blockade by its Gulf neighbours in the summer of 2017. The rift has exceeded the Gulf region and reached all...
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Al-Shabaab leader slams Kenya’s claims on Somali waters
The leader of Somali Islamist group Al-Shabaab, Ahmed Diriye, issued a rare audio message on Thursday night, accusing the West of pillaging the country’s natural resources and criticising Kenya’s claim on disputed maritime waters. The message—his first audio missive since 2016—refers to recent events such as contentious elections in the semi-autonomous state of Jubaland at...
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King Abdul Aziz lookalike to star in new Saudi Movie ‘Born a King
NOOR NUGALI RIYADH: With his long dreadlocked hair, handsome Arabian looks and a quiet disposition, Rakan Abdulwahid is the 32-year-old Saudi actor who plays King Abdul Aziz in “Born a King.” His family history runs deep with the Al-Saud family. “My great grandfather fought alongside King Abdul Aziz,” Rakan told Arab News. His family’s lineage...
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Global gateway: Somaliland upgrades its window to the world
By Ronald Kato Since declaring independence from Somalia 28 years ago, Somaliland has struggled with a lack of investment, poverty and poor infrastructure. But a project to expand its port of Berbera promises to turn the self-declared republic of 4 million people into a global shipping hub and unlock its massive potential. Berbera sits on the...
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EUCAP Somalia: new Head of mission appointed
Today, Christopher Reynolds was appointed Head of the EU capacity building mission in Somalia, EUCAP Somalia. He takes over from Maria-Cristina Stepanescu (from Romania) who was the Head of mission since 1 September 2016. Christopher Reynolds, an Irish national, has been Deputy Head of the mission and Chief of Staff since January 2019. In 2016-2017, he was the...
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Egyptian tuk-tuk start-up Halan to expand to Ethiopia
By Yousef Saba CAIRO (Reuters) – Halan, an Egyptian technology start-up that uses two- and three-wheeled vehicles to transport passengers and goods, will begin operating in Ethiopia before the end of 2019, its chief executive told Reuters. The company, which targets underserved communities, is also expanding to more cities in the Egyptian governorates of Sharqeya,...
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10 topics the Somali president should address when he visits the US
By Michael Rubin On Sept. 9, Somalia’s government announced that President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed who is better known as “Farmajo,” would make his first visit to the United States as president, first visiting the United Nations General Assembly before traveling to Washington, D.C. This trip will be a homecoming of sorts for Farmajo who, after the collapse...