Farmajo sacks Ahmed Awad and appoints a new foreign minister

Photo/Somali Times Somali President Mohamed Farmajo has fired Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Isse Awad and replaced him with Mohamed Abdirizak Mohamud Abubakar. Another decree issued by President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo stated that Ahmed Isse Awad has been appointed ambassador, although the country has not been announced. Sources’ reliability told Somali Times that Awad relates to

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Jailed Saudi women activists ‘tortured’, forced to carry out ‘sex acts’, claims new report

Photo: Credit Reuters Jailed Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul There is mounting pressure on world leaders to boycott the upcoming G20 Summit, which is to be held later this month in Saudi Arabia, over the kingdom’s detention and alleged “torture” of women activists. The fate of female detainees has become a major source of

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How Ethiopia’s Civil War Emboldens Jihadis in Somalia

By Jack Erickson Ethiopian troops help fight Al-Shabaab in Somalia. What happens when they’re called back home? Observers could be forgiven for thinking these days that East Africa is on the verge of unraveling. An ongoing conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray province is affecting the entire region, with its consequences being felt most keenly in Somalia.

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3 soldiers dead, several people hurt in Somalia blast

Militant group al-Shabaab claims attack on security checkpoint near capital Mogadishu At least three soldiers died and several more people, including civilians, have been wounded in a blast at a security checkpoint outside Somalia’s capital on Thursday morning, officials said. The attack took place in Lafole town, some 22 kilometers (13 miles) southwest of Mogadishu.

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Global markets lower after Wall Street falls on virus fears

A currency trader passes by screens showing foreign exchange rates at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020. Asian stocks followed Wall Street lower on Thursday as anxiety about the economic fallout from rising coronavirus infections in the United States and Europe clashed

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IMF Executive Board Completes the First Review of the Extended Credit Facility for Somalia

Photo/Somali Times Implementation of the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) supported program is off to a good start despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, flooding and the desert locust infestation. The authorities’ swift response to the triple shock , supported by its partners and including tax relief on some basic commodities and expanding the social safety

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Exclusive: Ethiopia says disarms Tigrayan peacekeepers in Somalia over security

Photo: Credit Amisom. Ethiopia said on Wednesday peacekeepers from its Tigray region serving in Somalia had been disarmed over a security issue, raising concerns over the forces’ ability to fight al Qaeda-linked militants. Diplomatic and security sources said earlier that between 200 and 300 Tigrayans had had their weapons removed. Ethiopian troops began fighting forces

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Somali Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Guled organizing the 2021 elections process based on looting and corruption.

Photo/Somali Times “The 2021 elections will be similar to those in the South West, Galmudug and Hirshabelle.” Said Mahdi Guled. Somali Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed Guled Khadar said in a speech at the National Theater that they will win the first round of the 2021 elections. He cited the recent elections in some regional

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People go hungry in Ethiopia’s Tigray as conflict marches on

Ethiopia’s prime minister Abiy Ahmed said in a social media post on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020 that “the final and crucial” military operation will launch in the coming days against the government of the country’s rebellious northern Tigray region. (Ethiopian News Agency via AP) People are going hungry in Ethiopia’s rebellious northern Tigray region as

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Trump may withdraw troops from Somalia as part of global pullback

US President Donald Trump speaks during a Make America Great Again campaign rally at the Erie International Airport on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020 in Erie, PA [Noah Riffe/Anadolu Agency] President Donald Trump may withdraw nearly all U.S. troops from Somalia as part of a global pullback that includes reductions of forces in Afghanistan and Iraq,

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