Addis Abeba – Local officials have denied a report that al-Shabaab is operating in the Bale zone of the Oromia region, and that it killed several zonal police officers and militiamen. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in 130-page, National Inquiry Into Persons Deprived of Liberty report released on 21 March 2024, indicated that the security challenges in Bale Zone, include “the formation...
May 2, 2025
Global partners urge Somali leaders to build unity amid political tensions over new political system
MOGADISHU- Somalia’s international partners urged stakeholders in the country’s political system on Sunday evening to redouble their efforts to reach an agreement through an inclusive process amid political tensions. Political tensions rose after the two houses of parliament approved four chapters of its constitution on Saturday, paving the way for a new political system in the country. Hours after parliament...
Abdirizak Haji Hussein: The Audacious and Principled Leader
By Abdulrahman Baadiyow Somali Prime Minister Abdirizak Haji Hussein is portrayed as an audacious reformer and principled leader in historical accounts and assessments. President Adan Abdulle Osman recognized Hussein’s potential as a statesman due to his energy and honesty, contrasting him with the corrupt political class. Hussein’s integrity posed a threat to entrenched interests and deep state establishment, making him...
Somalia parliament approves parts of election overhaul plan
Somalia’s parliament on Saturday unanimously approved proposals to overhaul the country’s electoral system to reintroduce universal suffrage, a plan that has been criticised by some leading politicians. Last March, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud pledged to end the complex clan-based indirect voting system in place for more than half a century in the troubled Horn of Africa nation. The central government...
Somalia’s Parliament Approves Historic Constitutional Amendments
WASHINGTON — Somalia changed its constitution Saturday during a parliamentary vote that, among other things, gives the country’s president the power to appoint a prime minister. After weeks of intense debate, Somalia’s bicameral federal parliament approved amendments to the first four chapters in the country’s provisional constitution. In a joint session in Mogadishu, lawmakers voted on each chapter individually before casting...
Somalia on a dangerous precipice
By Abdelkarim A. Haji Hassan President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s ascent to the presidency in 2022 was met with widespread optimism among the Somali populace. Somalis yearned for stability and progress after decades of conflict, particularly following five years of President Farmaajo’s dismal autocratic rule, whose legacy would be seen as the architecture of the present dictatorial system in Somalia. President...
World Bank Scales Up Efforts to Boost the Resilience of 3 Million Ethiopians Living in Drought Prone Lowlands
WASHINGTON D.C., APO Group/ — Ethiopians living in climate-affected lowlands of the country will receive new support thanks to a $340 million credit from the International Development Association* (IDA) to enhance their livelihoods and climate resilience. A total of 3 million people, many of which are pastoralists and agro-pastoralists in drought-prone areas, are set to benefit. Ethiopians nationwide are struggling with...
Ethiopia will pay for any impact of GERD on Egypt: Irrigation minister
Egypt’s Minister of Irrigation and Water Sources Hani Sewilam warned Ethiopia on Wednesday that any harm caused by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) to Egypt will come at a cost. “Any dam constructed along the Nile River affects Egypt. Some impacts are manageable, others are not. Ethiopia will pay for any impact on Egypt one day,” Sewilam said. The...
6 Kenyan traders killed by al-Shabaab terrorists near Kenya-Somalia border
NAIROBI, Kenya– Six Kenyan traders were shot dead by al-Shabaab terrorists in Dhobley town, a border town shared between Kenya and Somalia, on Friday. The town located approximately 562 kilometers (349 miles) southeast of Nairobi lies near Garissa County on the Kenya-Somalia border. Confirming the attack, Garissa County police chief John Samburumo told Anadolu: “Security has been beefed up in...
Nationwide blackout plunges most of Ethiopia into darkness
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia– Ethiopia’s power authority on Thursday said electricity was cut off in almost the entire country due to a system failure. The state-owned Ethiopian Electric Power said on Facebook that electricity was “completely cut off” in all parts of the country, except for Bahir Dar, the capital of the Amhara region in the north, and surrounding areas at...