Mohammed Omer Mulla

      Somalia committed to comply with any United Nations International Court of Justice ruling on its maritime border dispute with Kenya, and to accept the boundary that is delimited by the tribunal. “As a matter of international law, the court’s judgment will be binding on Kenya,” Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo said in a speech to the UN General Assembly. “We trust that, when that judgment is issued and the boundary is established, a lasting settlement of this longstanding dispute will finally be achieved.” The neighbors claim ownership of a 150,000 square kilometer (58,000 square mile) area off their Indian Ocean coastline, that’s said to be rich in oil, gas and tuna fish. In 2014, Somalia went to court to challenge a 2009 agreement that set its maritime border along latitudinal lines extending 450 nautical miles into the sea. On Sept. 3, the UN Security Council concluded that the African Union isn’t empowered to intervene in the ...

At least two people were injured in a bomb attack targeting a Turkish education body’s vehicle in Somalia’s capital on Thursday, police said. An improvised explosive device (IED) targeted a bullet proof vehicle carrying Turkish engineers of the Maarif Foundation near the busy KM-5 intersection known as Zoobe, said Jabril Ibrahim Ali, a police officer in Mogadishu. The wounded have been rushed to the hospital and their condition is not life-threatening, hospital sources said. Local media reports said a Turkish woman was injured in the attack but the engineers are safe. Through their propaganda radio, Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab militants claimed responsibility for the attack. Last week, three people including two bodyguards were injured in an IED explosion that struck a Turkish engineers' vehicle in the vicinity of Weydow, outside of Mogadishu. Source: Anadolu News Agency

Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Kenyan and Somali heads of state agreed ‘to restore relations to previous status’ and ‘take diplomatic steps to build confidence between the two governments’. Kenya and Somalia have been at loggerheads over a maritime and territorial dispute that is currently before the International Court of Justice, ICJ , in The Hague. Since February this year, when Somalia accused Kenya of auctioning oil and gas fields in the disputed maritime area, relations between the two countries have gone cold. Diplomats of the two countries have been working overtime to manage incidents including suspension of direct flights from Mogadishu to Kenya. The agreement reached in the United States on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, is the second time this year that both countries are committing to restoring diplomatic relations. In this new agreement, Somalia reportedly insisted that the maritime case should be left t...

  In photos released online yesterday, the Islamic State showed fighters within its Somali branch training in a makeshift camp in Somalia’s northern Puntland region.    The photo report details the militants undergoing basic weapons and physical training at the so-called “Dawoud al Somali” training camp, which is named after a killed military trainer of the group.  Additionally, the jihadist group claims these fighters are new recruits, which is likely given the recruitment efforts in the region. US AFRICOM has noted that the group has been able to recruit new members despite military efforts against it.  Ethiopia has also reported that it arrested Islamic State Somalia (ISS) members earlier this month who were recruiting Ethiopians into ISS.  The rudimentary camp is likely located somewhere in Puntland’s Bari mountains south of Bosaso, the Islamic State Somalia’s main stronghold . That area has seen numerous Puntland military ...

  At just 23, Hawa Adan Hassan, a university student in Somalia, is fast realizing her dream of becoming the best fashion designer in Africa. Her clothing designs are inspired by Somalia’s heritage of dress, which she says she is rightly proud of. Armed with scissors, she sits at her sewing machine bringing her imagination and creativity to life, developing original styles of clothing that are popular among the Somali community. “I have always wanted to become a fashion designer. My passion has been to suit people of all races, ages and sizes.” Adan spoke as her electric sewing machine made clanking sounds as the needle and thread penetrated a red fabric numerous times, fastening two pieces together. “I have always wanted to make clothes affordable for all people. That is why I love my career choice. I have developed -- I would call it -- a sixth sense for patterns, style, color and texture.” Adan’s customers come from all walks of life but are mainly wome...

Two weeks ago, I visited Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital. The first thing one might notice is the vast number of daily transactions that happen via Hormuud Telecom’s EVCPlus (from bus fare to shopping to buying properties) — a mobile money transfer service that transcends the banking system in the country. The service is a lifeline in Somalia and leads to massive economic damage if Hormuud’s network stops, and that is precisely what happened on 22 August 2019. The Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) serving under AMISOM—the African Union peacekeeping troops in Somalia—attacked a Hormuud Telecom mast, or cell tower, in Aws-kurun vicinity in Gedo, southern Somalia, disconnecting up to 4,000 people. There have been twelve attacks of this kind in less than two years with previous incidents killing and injuring Hormuud’s staff, according to a press release by the company following the latest incident. A recent report by Hormuud also claimed, “the perpetrators of every a...

  The al-Shabab militant group launched a series of attacks since Saturday that led to the death of at least 17 people in Somalia. Lower Shabelle region officials told VOA Somali that the militants attacked the town of Qoryoley late Saturday using rocket propelled grenades and heavy machine guns, killing nine people. The town’s Mayor Sayid Ali Ibrajim told VOA that an RPG fired by the militants caused most of the casualties. Somali government forces with support from African Union forces, who are based outside the town, repelled the attack, according to officials. Some of the residents in Qoryoley alleged that heavy weapons fired by AU troops caused some of the civilians casualties. The Governor of the region Ibrahim Adan Najah told VOA Somali that they are investigating the allegations. AMISOM forces did not immediately respond to the allegations. Also in Lower Shabelle region on Saturday, two civilians were killed after al-Shabab militants fired mortars on t...