Somalia

Villa Rose Hotel

Security Forces Struggle to End Villa Rose Hotel Siege

Another hotel in Mogadishu, another terrorist attack, another siege and yet again the same security gaps as the militant group Al-Shabab has intensified its attacks in recent months. The police spokesman said 6 assailants stormed the Villa Rose Guest House early evening yesterday. Government officials and ministers have used the hotel as their residence in […]

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Macawisley

Ma’awisley Vigilantes: The Surge to Oust Al-Shabab

It has already been three months since a motley array of Somali forces have been fighting the extremist group Al-Shabab on several fronts in the southern regions of Somalia. At the center of the surge, the Ma’awisley vigilantes, local self-defense groups, supplemented by the regular army and the police. However, mixed forces fighting on an […]

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Zoobe 2

Terror attacks on Soobe: All you need to know

More details are emerging from yesterday’s terror attacks that rocked Mogadishu. The two explosions that took place outside the Department of Education at the busy Soobe intersection were reportedly carried out by Al-Shabab suicide bombers who detonated their car bombs. The site of the twin blasts is near the Somali Ministry of Education, but the […]

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1969 Revolutionary Council

Why the 1969 Revolution is still relevant today

Today is the anniversary of the October 21, 1969 revolution that put the armed forces in control of Somalia. It all started with a bloodless coup after the assassination of the first democratically elected president, Abdirashi Ali Sharmarke, on October 15, 1969. President Sharmarke was elected in 1967 amid controversy over an election marred by […]

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The assassination of Farhan Qarole

Farhan Qarole: The Tragic Loss of a Hero

General Farhan was mostly on the front line whether leading a fight against terrorists and other criminal organizations or working with the people and his superior to improve the national security. He was one the rare officials who did not spend his time meeting foreign diplomats in Halane.

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Khadija and Umal

Will the Controversy over Minister Khadija’s Pants Spark a Wider Debate

Somalia’s chaotic political and security life has recently sparked new controversy. The attire of a female minister drew the ire of a religious scholar. Those who think it’s just plain wrong to criticize pants or trousers do not appreciate its potential fallout. Those who stick to the apparent dichotomy that emerges from the confrontation of […]

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NCC

Could Dispute between Federal and Regional Leaders Derail Debt Relief?

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s first four months at the helm of Somalia have been marred by conflicts on his own making. The latest conflict with regional states had been simmering for some time and erupted late last month. A concerted message came on August 31 from regional state governments, particularly their finance ministries, stating that […]

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HSM and Deni

Somali President Entangled in his Secret Deals with Deni

President Hassan Sheikh Mahamood has been in the Somali regional state of Puntland for three days where he is trying to resolve a bitter dispute between him and the President of Puntland, Said Abdullahi Deni. Already, as soon as he arrived at the airport in Garowe, the capital of Puntland, Deni greeted him coldly and […]

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HSM Hayat Hotel Speech

Public Reactions to President Mohamud Address

Three days after the tragedy of the Hayat hotel terror attack which killed more than 21 people and injured more than a hundred, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud broke his silence. Earlier in the day, he had chaired a meeting of the Security Council which includes the heads of the security services as well as the […]

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Hayat Hotel Attack

Public Anger over the Hayat Hotel Fiasco

Mogadishu is reeling and public anger is palpable two days after heavily armed al-Shabab militants stormed Hayat Hotel, one of the city’s supposedly secure hotels. it took nearly 30 hours for the longest siege in Somalia’s history to end, and for security forces to regain control after reportedly a group of armed men – the […]

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