Somalia news

Somalia: A Political Solution for Somalia

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:17:14 GMT

[Chatham House] Last week Foreign Secretary William Hague made a surprise visit to Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, ahead of an international conference on Somalia taking place in London this month. The visit comes at an important juncture for Somalia's internal politics and its relations with the rest of the world.

Somalia: Saving Country? - Reflections On the Last 20 Years, and the Upcoming 'London Conference'

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:41:53 GMT

If I were a Somali I would thank Allah for the pirates. For more than 20 years the world has stood by while successive civil wars destroyed the country, killing hundreds of thousands of people by bullets, disease and starvation and reducing what was once a prosperous land to a war zone.

Somalia: Calls for Independent Probe of Journalist's Murder

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:59:03 GMT

[IFJ] The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliates, the National Union of Journalists of Great Britain and Ireland, and the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), today called on the British Foreign Secretary William Hague to ensure that the "independent inquiry" he called for into the murder of Hassan Osman Abdi, director of Shabelle Media Network, is truly independent.

Somalia: London Conference 'An Opportunity' for Somaliland

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:23:52 GMT

[IRIN] Hargeisa - More than two decades after it unilaterally asserted its independence from the rest of Somalia, Somaliland plans to lobby hard at a major conference in London in February for something it has sorely lacked since its inception: international recognition of its sovereignty.

Somalia: Getting Country Wrong - a History of International Misreading

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:27:13 GMT

Writing a book about Somalia has become a cotton industry of late. Countless pundits with little or no experience of the country try to reduce its extraordinarily intricate conflict to images of destruction, decay and death.

Somalia: UN group urges end to interim political arrangement

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:27:12 GMT

Djibouti, Feb 7 : The international group that brings together the United Nations and its diplomatic partners in support of efforts to restore peace and stability in Somalia insisted on Monday that the country's current transitional governing arrangements must end on Aug 20 this year, as stipulated in recent agreements, and called for a new draft ... (more)

Somalia: Heads of Govt to Debate Nation's Future

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:52:35 GMT

[African Arguments] If I were a Somali I would thank Allah for the pirates. For more than 20 years the world has stood by while successive civil wars destroyed the country, killing hundreds of thousands of people by bullets, disease and starvation and reducing what was once a prosperous land to a war zone. But the seizure of more than 200 ships by kids with guns in small craft has changed all that.

Somalia: The EU Joins Hands to Tackle Instability

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:19:44 GMT

[EU Navfor] The European Union will remain fully engaged in Somalia: this is the message conveyed in the first week of February by the EU during a visit in Mogadishu by senior representatives operating under the EU Common Security and Defence Policy.

Al-Shabab Militants Say They Will Wage Fighting Against Beledweyn Town

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:15:41 GMT

[Shabelle] Baladweyne - The hard-line militants of Al-shabab said Tuesday that they will continue fighting and blasts against the TFG soldiers and eithopian forces in the town of Beledweyne of Hiran region in central Somalia. Sheik Yusuf Ali, the governor of Hiran province for Al-shabab fighters told a rebel-controlled local FM radio that they are committed to attack the town unless TFG soldiers and their allied Ethiopian forces out of Beledweyne, the capital city of Hiran region which is just 350-Km away north of Mogadishu.

Somalia: Mass Displacement Begins in Southwestern Town

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:14:52 GMT

[Shabelle] Qoqani - Mass displacement began in some districts of Lower Jubba region in southwestern Somalia on Tuesday after hitting frequent battles and shells between TFG backed by kenyan army and Al-shabab fighters, reports said.

Somalia: Nugal and Karkaar Proceed to Semifinals

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:14:33 GMT

[Garowe Online] Garowe, Somalia - Both Nugal and Karkaar proceed to semifinals after their wins against Haylan and Bari in Tuesday's games, Radio Garowe reports.

Somalia: Somali-American Admits in Minneapolis Federal Court to Sending Money, People

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:14:20 GMT

[Shabelle] Minneapolis - A Somali-American man admitted Monday that he helped raise money so others could travel from Minnesota to join the terror group al-Shabab in Somalia, and that he sent money to Somalia so one of those travelers could buy a firearm. Ahmed Hussein Mahamud, 27, of Westerville, Ohio, pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

TFG Soldiers, Al-Shabab Militants Battle in Capital

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:13:43 GMT

[Shabelle] Mogadishu - Heavy fighting has broken out in the Somali capital, Mogadishu overnight after militants attacked pro-government forces positions at Aslubta, Bangale and Ex-control Afgoye areas in the capital, witnesses said.

Somalia: USAID Assistant Administrator Lindborg On Famine in Country

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:07:46 GMT

[State Department] U.S. Agency for International Development

Terror Attack Shakes Garissa

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:45:24 GMT

[Nairobi Star] Panic has once again gripped Garissa town and its its environs following the weekends attack in which three people were shot dead by suspected members of al shabaab.

Somalia: Getting Country Wrong - a History of International Misreading

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:38:07 GMT

[African Arguments] Writing a book about Somalia has become a cotton industry of late. Countless pundits with little or no experience of the country try to reduce its extraordinarily intricate conflict to images of destruction, decay and death.

Somalia: Gunmen Kill Two - Wound Two in Garissa Town, Operations Underway

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:51:40 GMT

[Shabelle] Garissa - Masked gunmen have shot and killed at least two people overnight at a bar in Garissa town, the capital of northeastern province of Kenya, reports said on Saturday.

Why the international community has to come together to help Somalia - By William Hague

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:27:48 GMT

A In September 1992 Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd visited Mogadishu. He could not have known that it would be 20 years before any of his successors set foot in the country again.

Somalia: UN Insists Interim Political Arrangement Must End in August

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:36 GMT

[UN News] The international group that brings together the United Nations and its diplomatic partners in support of efforts to restore peace and stability in Somalia insisted today that the country's current transitional governing arrangements must end on 20 August this year, as stipulated in recent agreements, and called for a new draft constitution by mid-April.

Somalia: The State of an American Citizen Held in Somalia Is Worsening

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:20:58 GMT

[Shabelle] Galka'yo - The health situation of an American national who also held a German passport kidnapped recently in central Somalia by unknown gunmen is worsening day after day, a colleague said on Sunday.

SOMALIA: London conference "an opportunity" for Somaliland

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

HARGEISA 07 February 2012 (IRIN) - More than two decades after it unilaterally asserted its independence from the rest of Somalia, Somaliland plans to lobby hard at a major conference in London in February for something it has sorely lacked since its inception: international recognition of its sovereignty.

Columbia Student solves Piracy in 3 minutes

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:03:09 GMT

As a Graduate student at Columbia University in Economics I've been studying the math behind piracy in Somalia largely to find the only people losing money in these transactions are the taxpayers funding massive military presences on the seas.

Kenya: Kenya's Airstrike Kills 100 Al-Shabaab Fighters

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:53:33 GMT

Nairobi - At least 100 fighters including eight top Al-Shabaab commanders have been killed in the latest battle in a town northeast of Badhade, Somalia, officials said on Friday.

Schools Will Be Opened in Mogadishu, President Says

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:51:03 GMT

[Shabelle] Mogadishu - The president of Somalia's Transitional Federal government TFG Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed has announced on Monday that his government is planning to open at least 100 schools with veracity levels in Mogadishu to enhance the educational system.

Al-Shabab Attack With Shells On Southwestern Town

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:51:00 GMT

[Shabelle] Qoqani - Al-shabab fighters have launched a propelled grenades an mortars on the town of Qoqani in southwestern Somalia that is holding troops from Somali government allied with neighboring Kenyan army, residents said on Monday.

14 Killed After Al Shabaab Attack On Compound

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:45:48 GMT

[Garowe Online] Luuq, Somalia - At least 14 people were killed and over 30 injured after Al Shabaab insurgents attacked a base that was holding troops in Luuq, Radio Garowe reports.

Somalia: Parliament Votes to Attend Conference in London

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:45:46 GMT

[Garowe Online] Hargeisa, Somalia - The two houses of parliament in Somalia's separatist region of Somaliland have voted overwhelmingly voted in favor of the Somaliland, Radio Garowe reports.

Somalia: TFG Evicts IDPs From Government Buildings

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:45:44 GMT

[Garowe Online] Mogadishu, Somalia - The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia has confiscated government property that was lost after the collapse of the Siad Barre regime, Radio Garowe reports.

Somalia: Iran,Nation Study 2nd Phase of Aid Shipment to Mogadishu

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:40:15 GMT

[Shabelle] Tehran - Heads of Iranian and Somalia Red Crescent societies on Saturday discussed second phase of Iran's humanitarian aid to Mogadishu.

Ahlu Sunna Hails London Conference On Nation

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:40:12 GMT

[Shabelle] Dhusamareb - The moderate islamist group of Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a has greatly hailed the upcoming London conference on Somalia- move that hosting UK wants to play major role on the country's crisis.

Somalia: EU Condemns the Brutal Assassination of Shabelle Media Director

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:38:31 GMT

[Shabelle] Brussels - Statement by the spokesperson of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the assassination of leading Somali journalist, Hassan Osman Abdi fantastic.

Ethiopian Troops Arrest Five Linked With Al-Shabab in Beledweyn Town

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:22:05 GMT

[Shabelle] Beledweyn - At least five people were arrested on Sunday by Ethiopian troops in Beledweyn town of Hiran region over connection with terror attacks on military bases in the town, according to locals.

Puntland President Statement At ICG Meeting

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:18:15 GMT

[Garowe Online] H.E. Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud (Farole)

Somalia: Shabelle Media Network Director Was Killed By Al-Shabab

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:39:04 GMT

Nairobi - The prime Minster of Somalia's Transitional Federal government Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has accused Al-shabab fighters of being behind the assassination of the latest Shabelle Media director Hassan Abdi Osman 'fantastic' who was shot dead last Saturday in Mogadishu.

Somali pirate 'Six Toe Joe' captured by Royal Navy sailors

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:39:03 GMT

A Somali pirate dubbed Six Toe Joe because he has an extra digit on each foot has been captured by Royal Navy sailors.

Three Dead As Al-Shabab, Residents Battle

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:45:17 GMT

[Shabelle] Adale - Witnesses say, at least three people were killed and more that number injured on Saturday in a heavy battle between the hard-line Al-shabab militants and local residents in middle Shabelle region of southern Somalia.

Somalia: Shabelle Media Network Director Was Killed By Al-Shabab

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:45:15 GMT

[Shabelle] Nairobi - The prime Minster of Somalia's Transitional Federal government (TFG)Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has accused Al-shabab fighters of being behind the assassination of the latest Shabelle Media director Hassan Abdi Osman 'fantastic' who was shot dead last Saturday in Mogadishu.

Kenya's Airstrike Kills 100 Al-Shabaab Fighters

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:45:14 GMT

[Shabelle] Nairobi - At least 100 fighters including eight top Al-Shabaab commanders have been killed in the latest battle in a town northeast of Badhade, Somalia, officials said on Friday. Military spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir said the Kenyan helicopter gunships on Friday hit at Al-Shabaab positions, which included 200 Al-Shabaab fighters, one of the largest concentrations of the Al-Shabaab fighters, killing at least 100 fighters and destroying nine technicals and nine trucks used by the fighters.

Puntland Football Games Underway

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:40:38 GMT

[Garowe Online] Garowe, Somalia - Sanaag beat Ayn on Friday 3-2 in an exciting finish to the forth games of the Puntland regional football tournament which began the first of February, Radio Garowe reports.

Pm - 'Somalia Is a Free Country'

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:40:34 GMT

[Garowe Online] Nairobi, Kenya - Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Gaas who held a press conference in the Somali embassy in Nairobi told reporters that Somalia will not return to colonialism after an article that falsely stated that the Italian government suggested that it should, Radio Garowe reports.

Community Leader Killed in Galkayo

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:03:50 GMT

[Garowe Online] Galkayo - Armed men approached Abdirahman Mohamed Abdulle on Sunday evening and opened fire on him killing him instantly, Radio Garowe reports.

Govt Al-Shabab Will Be Eradicated From Mogadishu Soon

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:03:32 GMT

[Shabelle] Mogadishu - The Transitional Federal government (TFG) of Somalia has promised Monday that it will wipe out the remnants of Al-shabab militants from the capital Mogadishu as soon as possible.

Mudug Beats Sanaag in Nail Biter, Sool Triumphs Over Ayn

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:02:48 GMT

[Garowe Online] Garowe, Somalia - Puntland football games are heating up as the teams are moving closer to semi finals, Radio Garowe reports.

Kenya Takes Control of Two Key Al Shabaab Towns

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:21:40 GMT

[RFI] Kenyan forces have taken over two al Shabaab controlled towns after two airstrikes left the towns of Hosingo and Badade, in Southern Somalia, under the control of Kenyan forces and the Somalia's Transitional Federal Government.

Kenya: Portrait of a Jihadist

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:54:12 GMT

[Monitor] On a hot afternoon sometimes in 2007, an executive meeting at one of Nairobi's oldest mosques, Masjid Pumwani Riyadha, was violently cut short by hundreds of youth who threw out five executive officials accusing them of corruption and mismanagement of the mosque's development programmes.

Somalia: Interest in Stable Country Grows

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:45:00 GMT

[Nation] The international community has shown renewed interest on Somalia following improved security in the country that has been at war since the overthrow of Siad Barre in 1991.

Somalia: Al-Shabaab Describes Turkey As Neo-Colonialist

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:00:16 GMT

Sheikh Abdulkadir Mumin, a senior officer in Al-Shabaab, the radical Islamist group opposing the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia has criticised the role of Turkey in Somalia.

SOMALIA: Somalia famine over but emergency remains, says UN

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:06:23 GMT

The UN Somalia Food Security Nutrition Analysis Unit and the US famine warning network FEWS NET said in a statement Friday that famine conditions have ended in Somalia, but that humanitarian conditions are still dire.

Somalia: Somaliland and the London Conference On Somalia

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:45:19 GMT

[Fahamu] Listening to Somaliland - and deploying some of its methods in achieving stability - is crucial to addressing the crisis in Somalia.

Britain Names New Ambassador to Somalia

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:52:36 GMT

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UK appoints ambassador to Somalia

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:29:12 GMT

Foreign Secretary William Hague arrived in Mogadishu on Thursday and appointed Matt Baugh as a senior U.K. Somalia representative.

VIDEO: Calls to tackle Somalia problems

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:08:43 GMT

Britain has called for a stronger international approach to tackle the root causes of the problems in Somalia.

Ethiopian army 'to leave Somalia'

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:41:32 GMT

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said he will withdraw his troops from Somalia once African Union forces are there.

Ethiopian army 'to leave Somalia'

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:32:35 GMT

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said he will withdraw his troops from Somalia once African Union forces are there.

AFRICA/SOMALIA - Caritas Somalia: more than one million internally...

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:23:23 GMT

There are one million 356 thousand internally displaced persons in Somalia, of whom 500,000 live in the so-called Afgoye corridor.

UN re-establishes office in Somalia after 17-year absence

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:00:54 GMT

MOGADISHU, SOMALIA -- The United Nations on Wednesday announced that it has formally re-established its office in Somalia after 17 years.

Navy SEALs free 2 Western hostages in Somalia

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:42:03 GMT

US Navy SEALs from SEAL Team Six conducted a successful nighttime raid in Somalia to free a US and a Danish hostage being held by kidnappers in Somalia.

US Forces Rescue Kidnapped Westerners in Somalia

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:04:25 GMT

American woman, Danish man taken last October in Somalia are safe now after daring operation northwest of Mogadishu

Navy SEALs free captives in Somalia

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:27:22 GMT

MOGADISHU, Somalia - President Barack Obama on Wednesday praised US special forces troops who rescued two aid workers -- an American woman and a Danish man -- in a successful predawn raid in Somalia.

Navy SEALs raid Somalia pirate compound, free hostages

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:03:31 GMT

MOGADISHU, Somalia - U.S. military forces flew into Somalia in a nighttime helicopter raid Wednesday, freed an...

US raid frees two pirate hostages in Somalia

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:45:00 GMT

US helicopters swooped into central Somalia and rescued two hostages from pirates.

Sources: US raid in Somalia frees American, Dane

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:07:25 GMT

MOGADISHU, Somalia Two Western officials say that an American military helicopter raid into Somalia has freed an American and a Dane held hostage in Somalia.

US military raid in Somalia frees American, Dane

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:56:01 GMT

MOGADISHU, Somalia - U.S. military forces flew in helicopters under the cover of darkness on a raid into Somalia...

U.S. Military Frees Hostages Held In Somalia

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:32:43 GMT

MOGADISHU, Somalia — U.S. military forces flew into Somalia in a nighttime helicopter raid Wednesday, freed an American and a Danish hostage, and killed nine...

Sources: US raid frees American and Dane held hostage in Somalia

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:15:42 GMT

Two Western officials say that an American military helicopter raid into

UN Somalia Representative Opens Mogadishu Office

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:15:44 GMT

UN's Somalia representative opens office in Mogadishu for first time in 17 years

Somalia: Foreigner 'Kidnapped in Central Somalia'

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:57:11 GMT

RNW Africa (Hilversum)-A foreigner has been kidnapped in a semi-autonomous province of central Somalia, a local official said Saturday.

Frontline States Join Amisom to Protect Interests in Somalia

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:34:47 GMT

East African (Nairobi)-The decision by Kenya to join African Union Mission in Somalia is an opportunity for the frontline states to harmonise their disparate interests in Somalia.

Operation in Somalia at midpoint

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:53:48 GMT

KISMAYU, Somalia, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- The Kenyan military said Saturday it is about halfway through its mission of ridding southern Somalia of the militant group al-Shabaab. "As we are speaking ...

Operation in Somalia at midpoint

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:52:21 GMT

KISMAYU, Somalia, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- The Kenyan military said Saturday it is about halfway through its mission of ridding southern Somalia of the militant group al-Shabaab. "As we are speaking ...

German engineer abducted in Somalia

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:10:57 GMT

A foreign national -- reportedly a German engineer working for the government -- has been abducted in Somalia, according to Xinhua.

Police: Gunmen kidnap American in north Somalia

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:21:13 GMT

MOGADISHU, Somalia &#8212 Gunmen kidnapped an American man in the northern Somali town of Galkayo on Saturday, officials said.

Police: Gunmen kidnap foreigner in north Somalia

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:09:57 GMT

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Police say gunmen have kidnapped a foreigner in the northern Somali town of Galkayo. Policeman...

Somali Ambassador: Try Accused Pirate in Somalia

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:52:11 GMT

Somali ambassador to United Nations says accused pirate should be tried in Somalia, not US

SOMALIA: Somalia is the new hotspot on the ‘jihadi tourism’ trail

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:06:15 GMT

Somalia is hardly an attractive destination, but a former US soldier has just joined the ranks of foreigners trying to join the al Shabaab Islamist group. Why is Somalia gathering so many of the world’s wannabe jihadists?

Oil exploration starts in Somalia

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:54:22 GMT

Oil exploration begins in the arid north-east ast of war-torn Somalia - the first drilling in 21 years.

jets kill 'at least' 9 in Somalia

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:45:53 GMT

MOGADISHU, Somalia -; A witness says at least nine people were killed after jets bombed a militant camp in southern Somalia.

jets kill 'at least' 9 in Somalia

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:08:02 GMT

MOGADISHU, Somalia -; A witness says at least nine people were killed after jets bombed a militant camp in southern Somalia. Witness Noh Haji said Tuesday the jets pounded bunkers and burned ...

Ugandans honoured for peace keeping in war-torn Somalia

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:27:53 GMT

UPDF soldiers arrive at Entebbe International Airport after their peace keeping deal in Somalia in September.

Somalia: 'TFG Has Made 'Very Significant' Progress in the Past Year 'James Swan Says

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:37:41 GMT

Garowe Online (Garowe)-The United States Special Representative for Somalia James Swan who spoke to VOA on Wednesday talked about the constraints the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) could have on Somalia and the "very significant" progress Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia has achieved, Radio Garowe reports.

COMMENT: What happens in Somalia... -Tammy Swofford

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:06:15 GMT

We are civilised. What happens in Somalia stays in Somalia. We are civilised. And we are cowards Ideas find expansion in the presence of solid intellectual companions.

AU Asks UN Security Council to Expand Somalia Mission

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:45:23 GMT

AU seeks to crush Islamist insurgents who have challenged Somalia's transitional government

US Envoy Sees Progress in Somalia; Challenges Remain

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:14:40 GMT

James Swan says US is pleased with recent progress, but concerned over Somalia's continued political squabbling

Maternal Health Poses Another Major Challenge for Somalia

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:27:02 GMT

Maryan Jamal Ali gave birth to twins in her tent in Sayidka IDP camp, Mogadishu, Somalia.

Briefing Page: Africa

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:23:27 GMT

Kenyan troops entered Somalia in mid-October to attack al-Shabab militants and have been supported by Somalia 's weak army.

AU Prepares Big Anti-Shabab Military Push in Somalia

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:47:49 GMT

UN Security Council is being asked to upgrade size and firepower of AU mission in Somalia

Money must continue to flow to Somalia

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:16:17 GMT

A girl from southern Somalia sits outside a makeshift shelter at a refugee camp in Mogadishu, Somalia, Tuesday, Aug 9, 2011.

Somalia: Gunmen Abduct a Minister in Central Somalia

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:31:45 GMT

Shabelle (Mogadishu)-Somali gunmen have on Tuesday abducted in Galka'yo town the education minister for the self-proclaimed separate region of Galmudug in central Somalia, officials said.

Somalia: Al-Shabab Militants Withdraw From a Key Town in Central Somalia

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:31:39 GMT

Shabelle (Mogadishu)-Somalia's Islamist al-Shabaab insurgents have withdrawn from Bulo-Burde district of Hiran region in central Somalia - a move that behind the Joint military offensives by TFG soldiers, Shabelle valley militias backing by Ethiopian troops in the region.

KDF Must Finish the Mission in Somalia

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:22:10 GMT

Nation (Nairobi)-What would happen if the KDF withdrew from Somalia today?