Somalia Appoints Former al-Shabab Leader as Religion Minister
- Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre named his new cabinet, which includes a former high-ranking member of the Islamist militant group al-Shabab (Reuters)
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Latest News
Conflict With Al-Shabaab in Somalia
Regional Forces Clash with al- Shabab in Ethiopia, Killing More Than 150
- Regional forces in Ethiopia killed more than 150 people in a third round of clashes along the border with Somalia (Al Jazeera)
- Meanwhile, a local Somali official has welcomed Ethiopia’s creation of a buffer zone along the border, while federal officials have not commented on the proposal (Voice of America)
- Additionally, al-Shabab militants executed seven people by gunfire in the southwestern Bay region (Voice of America)
Suicide Bombing Kills at Least Eleven in Somalia
- A suicide bomber killed at least eleven people at a government building in southern Somalia, say witnesses; al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack (Associated Press)
Al-Shabab Attack Kills Seventeen, Per Ethiopian Security Officials
- Militants from the terrorist group Al-Shabab carried out a rare attack near the country’s border with Ethiopia, killing seventeen people, an Ethiopian security official said (Reuters)
U.S. Africa Command Says It Killed Two al-Shabab Militants in Somalia
- U.S. Africa Command says it killed two al-Shabab militants in an airstrike; the strike constitutes the first major action by U.S. special operations forces in Somalia since U.S. President Joe Biden ordered them to return to the country in May (Bloomberg)
Eritrea and Somalia Announce Agreement on Defense and Political Cooperation
- The Somali and Eritrean presidents announced the signing of an agreement covering defense, security, and political cooperation, building upon Eritrea’s training of Somali forces for nearly three years (Voice of America)
Somalia Authorizes Foreign Banks for First Time in Decades
- Somalia has granted banking licenses to the Egyptian Banque Misr and the Turkish Ziraat Katilim, the first foreign banks allowed to operate in Somalia in decades; the shift is meant to grow Somalia’s financial sector amid the challenges of famine and economic distress (Africanews)
Somali Residents and Security Forces Kill Seventy Al-Shabab Militants
- Seventy Al-Shabab fighters were killed by armed residents and security forces in Galmudug, Somalia, to repulse a raid (Reuters)
Biden Orders Hundreds of Troops Back to Somalia for Antiterrorism Mission
- U.S. President Joe Biden ordered up to 450 troops to deploy to Somalia for a counterterrorism mission against al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab, reversing the Trump-era decision to remove around seven hundred troops from the country in January 2021 (New York Times)
Al-Shabab Attacks African Union Peacekeeping Forces in Somalia
- A broadcaster that supports the militant group said the attack in Mogadishu left dozens of people dead (Bloomberg)
Bomb Attack by Al-Shabab Kill Six in Mogadishu, Somalia
- Al-Shabab killed six people during a bomb attack at a popular restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia (Associated Press).
UN Authorizes New AU Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia
- The UN voted to authorize a new a new African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in the country, where the militant group al-Shabab seeks to overthrow the government (Agence France-Presse)
Suicide Bomber in Somalia Kills Dozens
- An al-Shabab suicide bomber attacked a polling station in central Somalia, killing at least forty-eight people including a prominent Somali female lawmaker (Associated Press)
Al-Shabab Attacks International Airport in Somalia
- Al-Shabab gunmen attacked the international airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, injuring at least three police officers as they attempted to force their way into a military base within the airport (Associated Press)
U.S. Military Requests Several Hundred Troops to Combat Al-Shabab in Somalia
- U.S. military commanders have asked President Joe Biden to station several hundred troops in Somalia to help counter the spread of al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab; hundreds of U.S. commandos operated in the country until President Donald Trump ordered their withdrawal (Wall Street Journal)
United States Conducts Airstrike Against Al-Shabab Militants in Somalia
- The United States conducted its first airstrike in East Africa since August 2021, attacking al-Shabab insurgents after they advanced on allied Somali forces north of Mogadishu; U.S. Africa Command said while the number of insurgent casualties is still unknown, no civilians are believed to have been harmed (New York Times)
Al-Shabab Suicide Bomber Kills At Least Thirteen in Central Somalia
- At least thirteen people were killed after a suicide bomber detonated explosives at a restaurant filled with local officials and politicians in central Somalia; al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack (Al Jazeera)
Al-Shabab Attacks Several Police Stations, Killing Five
- Al-Shabab fighters attacked several police stations and security checkpoints in Mogadishu, Somalia, reportedly killing five people including two children (Al Jazeera)
Several Killed in Mogadishu, Somalia During Al-Shabab Attack Targeting Election Delegates
- At least six people were killed in the Somali capital of Mogadishu after a suicide bomber targeted a minibus filled with delegates involved in Somalia’s parliamentary elections; al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack (Al Jazeera)
Al-Shabab Militants Kill Four, Wound Eight in Southern Somalia
- The United States placed visa restrictions on current and former Somali officials accused of undermining the electoral process (Reuters)
Bomb in Somalia’s Capital Kills Four
- Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for a bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia that killed four people and wounded ten (ABC)
Spokesperson of Somali Government Injured in Al-Shabab Suicide Bomb Attack
- Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack that wounded the spokesperson of the Somali government on Sunday (Reuters)
Car Bomb in Somalia Kills Eight People
- The militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for a car bomb explosion that killed eight people in Mogadishu yesterday (New York Times)
Death Toll Rises in Fighting Between Somali Army and Former Ally
- Fighting in Somalia’s Galmudug state between the Somali army and its former ally, the Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama’a militia, has killed 120 people over the past three days—raising concerns around Somalia’s military capacity to defeat the al-Shabab insurgency (Reuters)
Al-Shabab Suicide Car Bomber Kills Eight Somalis
- A suicide car bomber killed at least eight and wounded seven people— mostly civilians—near the presidential palace in the Somali capital (Al Jazeera)