Mohammed Omer Mulla

Puntland's incumbent president: Abdiwali Mohamed Ali Gaas Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas, the incumbent President of Puntland state of Somalia, announced within this month, that he would run again for Presidential election. Abdiweli made his announcement in a ceremony held in Garowe ,where more dignitaries including traditional leaders and his government officials also attended. In the ceremony, he delivered a long speech he focused on his performances during the five-year office. More than 20 candidates including ex-officials and neophytes are opposing the incumbent president. Puntland presidential election will take place on January 8, 2019, as planned.  He remarked, that during his 5 years term made a tremendous achievements on areas include, infrastructures, and sustaining peace and stability, and nurturing Somalia's Federalism model. While his opponents, include local Puntland argue that he failed his promises in delivering One-man-one-vote elections, securing the b...

The country with mainland Africa’s longest coastline is inviting China to its shores. Somalia  granted fishing licenses  to 31 Chinese vessels to exploit tuna and tuna-like species off its coast in a bid to tap the sector for economic growth. The vessels are associated with the China Overseas Fisheries Association, a distant-water trawling group created in 2012  to promote  the East Asian giant’s competitive fishing edge abroad.  Starting this month, ships will be allowed to operate for a one-year period in Somali waters, with the agreement  stipulating an automatic renewal  for an additional year. Foreign fishing vessels will also not be permitted to operate between 24 nautical miles (44 kilometers) to the seaward side of the Somali baseline and the Somali baseline in order to protect small-scale fishing operations. Upon entering or leaving Somalia’s Exclusive Economic Zone, the boats will also have to declare their positions, besides the weight o...

Journalists from Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan to the U.S. were targeted for murder in 2018 in reprisal for their work, bringing the total of journalists killed on duty to its highest in three years. The number of journalists killed in conflict fell to its lowest level since 2011.  A CPJ special report by Elana Beiser. The number of journalists targeted for murder in reprisal for their reporting nearly doubled in 2018 from a year earlier, driving up the overall count of journalists killed on the job. Afghanistan, where extremists have stepped up deliberate attacks on journalists, was the deadliest country and accounted for much of the increase. At least 53 journalists were  killed around the world between January 1 and December 14, 2018, of which at least 34 were  singled out for murder . CPJ tracks three types of journalists’ deaths on the job: reprisal murders; deaths in  combat or crossfire  (11 this year, the lowest since 2011); and deaths on other  ...

(JOHANNESBURG) — An intense spate of six U.S. airstrikes on a coastal town in Somalia, in which 62 people were killed, were pre-emptive strikes to prevent a major extremist attack, according to a Somali intelligence officer. The U.S. military said Monday it carried out four strikes on Dec. 15 in which 34 people were killed and two more on Dec. 16 which killed 28. The air attacks targeted Gandarshe, south of the capital, Mogadishu, it said. No civilians were injured or killed in the attacks, it said. The strikes were carried out in close coordination with Somalia's government and were "conducted to prevent al-Shabab from using remote areas as a safe haven to plot, direct, inspire, and recruit for future attacks," said the U.S. military statement. The U.S. airstrikes were aimed at al-Shabab fighters who were preparing a major attack on a Somali government military base in the Lower Shabelle region, said a Somali intelligence official, who insisted on anonymit...

Add caption (Baidao)-Lawmakers in Somalia's South West region elected a new president Wednesday, with a former leader of militant group al-Shabab kept off the ballot despite angry protests last week from supporters. Officials confirmed to VOA that Somalia's former state minister for trade, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, also known as Lafta Gareen, is the region's new leader. Mohamed won 101 out of 147 votes from regional lawmakers, defeating three other candidates.  Analysts predicted the victory of Mohamed last week after Mukhtar Robow, the former spokesman and deputy leader of al-Shabab, was arrested by Somali police in the region's main town, Baidoa, and taken to Mogadishu. Somalia's federal government banned Robow from running in the election, noting that he is subject to U.N. Security Council sanctions. They also accused him of being a security threat. At least 12 people were killed in Baidoa in violence that erupted following Robow's arrest. Among thos...

The US has established its first diplomatic presence in Somalia for nearly 30 years. The state department said the "historic event" reflected the progress the east African nation had made. Ambassador Donald Yamamoto is heading the embassy in Mogadishu. Previously it had been based in Nairobi, Kenya. The US closed its embassy in Somalia in January 1991 amid fighting between rebels and the government and had to airlift out its ambassador and staff. Al-Shabab threat Commenting on the latest move, state department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement: "This historic event reflects Somalia's progress in recent years and is another step forward in formalising US diplomatic engagement in Mogadishu since recognising the Federal Government of Somalia in 2013." She added: "Our return demonstrates the United States' commitment to further advance stability, democracy and economic development that are in the interest of both nations." ...