Today’s top news: Sudan | OCHA

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Country-Based Pooled Funds allow donors to contribution funds to support aid efforts

Source: Aljazeera, Monday January 1, 2024

The head of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has visited Djibouti, the nation at the forefront of regional initiatives to facilitate a ceasefire following over eight months of ongoing conflict.

Djibouti is the latest stop on Mohamed Hamdan Daglo‘s first trip abroad since fighting erupted between the RSF and the Sudanese army in mid-April.

His regional tour, which has also taken him to Ethiopia and Uganda, came as diplomats scramble to broker a meeting between Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”, and his rival, Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The warring generals have not met face to face since the outbreak of the conflict that has killed more than 12,000 people by some conservative estimates and forced millions to flee.

Hemedti said on X that he discussed the latest developments in the war with Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh.

“I outlined our unwavering commitment to ending the conflict and working toward a substantive solution that finally halts the historic suffering of our resilient Sudanese people.

“I emphasised our readiness to participate in negotiations aimed at achieving a swift, just, and comprehensive peace in Sudan.”

In another post on X, Djibouti Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said the visit was part of his country’s efforts, as head of regional grouping IGAD, to try to forge a ceasefire in Sudan.

“Next week, as chair of IGAD, Djibouti will also prepare the ground for Sudanese dialogue and will host a critical meeting,” Youssouf had said on X on Saturday, without giving further details.

On Thursday, Hemedti met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa, following discussions with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni the day prior.

IGAD, a bloc representing eight East African countries, has been trying to bring al-Burhan and Hemedti together since the war erupted.

On Wednesday, Djibouti’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a meeting between the rivals planned for December 28 had been “postponed to early January for technical reasons”.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

Source: Hiiraan Online, Tuesday January 2, 2024

Mogadishu (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has lashed out at a port deal signed by Ethiopia with the breakaway region of Somaliland.

Speaking at an emergency parliament session in Mogadishu on Tuesday, President Mohamud declared the agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland null and void, saying it goes against international law. He emphasized that no one can cede an inch of land, sea, or sky to someone else.

“International law does not allow what occurred on the first of January in Addis Ababa. It is also against international customary law and will not be enforced. Ethiopia’s actions threaten good neighbourliness and peace and stability in the region,” said the president.

President Mohamud also directed a message to the Somaliland administration, stating that the Ethiopian government cannot grant them international recognition.

“Brothers, Ethiopia does not have recognition for you. Even if they claim they will recognize you, there is no recognition. Somalia belongs to Somalis. We have always defended our territorial integrity and sovereignty, and we will assert our exclusive rights in accordance with international laws. We will protect every inch of our sacred land and not tolerate attempts to relinquish any part of it,” President Mohamud added.

He called on the Ethiopian government to cease interfering in Somalia, prompting Mogadishu to recall its ambassador to Ethiopia for deliberations, citing concerns that the deal jeopardizes regional stability.

Monday’s agreement, signed in Addis Ababa by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, would clear the way for Ethiopia to set up commercial marine operations, giving it access to a leased military base on the Red Sea, Redwan Hussien, Abiy’s security adviser, said.

The agreement also included recognizing Somaliland as an independent nation in due course. Somaliland would also receive a share of state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, according to Redwan.

Somaliland has not gained widespread international recognition despite declaring autonomy from Somalia in 1991. Somalia says Somaliland is part of its territory.

Last week, Somalia and Somaliland agreed to restart talks to resolve their disputes, following mediation efforts led by Djibouti

Somalia says Ethiopia-Somaliland port deal null and recalls ambassador

Source; Tuesday January 2, 2024

Somalia’s cabinet said on Tuesday that a pact its breakaway region of Somaliland had signed with Ethiopia allowing it to use the Red Sea port of Berbera was null and void, adding that it endangered the region’s stability.

Somalia also recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia for deliberations over the Somaliland port agreement.

Landlocked Ethiopia relies on neighbouring Djibouti for most of its maritime trade.

Monday’s agreement, signed in Addis Ababa by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, would clear the way for Ethiopia to set up commercial marine operations giving it access to a leased military base on the Red Sea, Abiy’s National Security adviser Redwan Hussien said.

The agreement also included recognising Somaliland as an independent nation in due course.

“Ethiopia’s step … endangers the stability and peace of the region,” Somalia’s cabinet said in a statement after an emergency meeting.

Somaliland has not gained widespread international recognition, despite declaring autonomy from Somalia in 1991. Somalia says Somaliland is part of its territory.

Last week the Somali National News Agency said Somalia and Somaliland had agreed to restart talks to resolve their disputes, following mediation efforts led by Djibouti.

Reporting by Abdi Sheikh; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Alexander Winning

Ethiopia ‘Secures’ access to sea after deal with Somaliland

Source VOA, Harun Maruf
Tuesday January 2, 2024

Ethiopia and the self-declared republic of Somaliland have signed a “historic” initial agreement that will allow landlocked Ethiopia to have access to the Red Sea, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office announced Monday.

The announcement was made in Addis Ababa where Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi is visiting. According to Ethiopia, Ahmed and Abdi signed the “Memorandum of Understanding,” or MoU, for the partnership in the Ethiopian capital.

It said the MoU is “intended to serve as a framework for the multisectoral partnership between the two sides.”

“The Memorandum of Understanding shall pave the way to realize the aspiration of Ethiopia to secure access to the sea and diversify its access to seaports,” said a statement issued by Ahmed’s office.

“It also strengthens their security, economic and political partnership. Furthermore, the Memorandum of Understanding also indicates the pathway [to] bolster their political and diplomatic relations,” the statement said.

Abdi arrived in Addis Ababa on Sunday and was welcomed by Demeke Mekonnen, Ethiopia’s deputy prime minister.

The office of the spokesperson of Somaliland’s president posted a purported recording of Abdi saying that Somaliland has agreed to lease 20 kilometers of coastline along the Red Sea in Somaliland to Ethiopia. Without specifying the location of the piece of land, Abdi said Ethiopia will have a marine force base on the leased land.

In return, the recording claims, Ethiopia will officially recognize Somaliland once the final deal is signed. He did not say when the deal will be signed. VOA Somali has not verified the authenticity of the recording.

“The Prime Minister of Ethiopia has requested from us to enter an understanding for their military to have a base on the sea as they have a maritime force,” Abdi is heard saying in the recording.

“And for us, Somaliland has many times been asking Ethiopia to recognize our nationhood … as we have agreed, which is written here, we allow them 20-km [of] sea, and they will recognize Somaliland when the agreement is signed,” he said.

Abdi said Ethiopia will use Berbera seaport for some of its imports. Ethiopia mainly uses the port in Djibouti.

“God willing, Ethiopia will become the first country to recognize Somaliland, and we will become the first country to allow Ethiopia a 20-km sea,” he said on the recording.

Ethiopia has not officially said it will recognize Somaliland. But Ahmed, who was sitting next to Abdi, did not contradict the remarks made by the president of Somaliland.

The office of Ethiopia’s prime minister said the signed MoU “reaffirms the principled position of the Ethiopia government to advance mutual interests through cooperation on the basis of reciprocity.”

“The Memorandum of Understanding ushers in a new chapter of cooperation and has a huge significance for regional integration in the horn,” the statement said. “It also enables Ethiopia to enhance its role in maintaining regional peace and security.”

The federal government of Somalia has not yet commented on the development, but the state-run news agency reported that the cabinet will convene an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the deal between the two countries.

Federal Somali lawmaker Mursal Khalif said on X that he believes Somalia “will respond appropriately to news of Ethiopia infringing on our territorial integrity.”

Despite the new agreement signed between Somaliland and Ethiopia, Somalia still considers Somaliland as part of Somalia. Somaliland declared separation from Somalia in May 1991 but has not yet received international recognition.

The announcement comes just days after Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Abdi met in Djibouti and agreed to resume talks between both governments. The federal government of Somalia has not yet commented on the development.

Are Sudan Armed Forces Up to the Task?

 Source: The New York Times published on 20 December 2023 an article titled “Sudan’s Army Faces Scrutiny after Major City Falls to Rival Forces” by Abdi Latif Dahir.

The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) confirmed that they withdrew from Wad Madani, Sudan’s second largest city about 85 miles southeast of Khartoum, as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began attacking the city.  An estimated 300,000 people, many of them displaced from Khartoum, have now fled Wad Madani.  The fall of Wad Madani raises serious questions about the ability of the SAF to maintain control of those parts of Sudan that it still holds

Food Shortages Increasingly Threaten Sudan

 Source: Aljazeera published on 21 December 2023 an article titled “WFP Temporarily Halts Food Aid in Parts of Sudan as Fighting Spreads.”

As fighting spreads into the grain producing part of Sudan, there are growing fears that food shortages will become an ever more serious threat.

Sudan at War

 Source: The International Crisis Group (ICG) posted on 21 December 2023 a 42-minute podcast titled “Sudan at War.” This is a panel discussion moderated by ICG’s President Comfort Ero at the 2023 Doha Forum.  The panelists are US special envoy for the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer, UN special envoy for the Horn of Africa Hanna Tetteh, director of the Sudanese think tank Confluence Advisory Kholood Khair, and ICG Africa director Murithi Mutiga.  

The discussion reflects the situation in Sudan as of a week earlier when there was more optimism about the prospects for a ceasefire.  Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo had agreed in a meeting in Djibouti to accept an unconditional ceasefire that the two generals subsequently ignored.  

There is growing recognition that the African-led peace process is not working, and the UN needs to become more engaged.  Sudan has become a wider problem than one confined to Africa.  The Saudi/US-led peace process has been put aside for the time being.  So far, the belligerents have had no incentive to end the fighting.  The country is on the verge of disintegration.

A British sea monitoring agency says another vessel has been hijacked near Somalia

Source: AP, Source: Saturday December 23, 2023

Somalia maritime police from PMPF patrol in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of semi-autonomous Puntland State in Somalia, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Somalia’s maritime police force on Thursday, Nov. 30 intensified patrols in the Red Sea following a failed pirate hijacking of a ship in the Gulf of Aden earlier this week. (AP Photo/Jackson Njehia)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Another vessel has been hijacked near the coast of Somalia, a British sea trade monitoring agency said Friday, raising more concerns that Somali pirates are active again, nearly a decade after they caused chaos for international shipping.

A dhow trading vessel was seized by heavily armed people near the town of Eyl off the coast of Somalia, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said. It cited military authorities as the source of the information.

The agency did not offer any details on who the hijackers were but said an investigation is underway.

The European Union’s Naval Force reported that a Maltese-flagged merchant vessel was hijacked in the nearby Arabian Sea last week and moved to the same area off Somalia’s coast. The bulk carrier Ruen had 18 crew onboard when it was hijacked near the Yemeni island of Socotra, around 240 kilometers (150 miles) off Somalia.

One crew member was evacuated to an Indian navy ship for medical care, the EU Naval Force said. Suspicion has also fallen on Somali pirates for that hijacking, although the EU force said the hijackers and their demands were unknown.

There has been a recent surge in attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen, disrupting a major global trade route. The Houthis targeted Israeli-linked vessels over the Israel-Hamas war initially, but then escalated their attacks, hitting ships without clear ties.

The Pentagon said last month that five armed assailants who hijacked a commercial ship near Yemen and were captured by U.S. forces were likely Somalis and that attack — initially blamed on Houthi rebels — was “piracy-related.”

Somalia’s maritime police intensified its patrols following the announcement.

Attacks on vessels by Somali pirates peaked to more than 350 between 2010 and 2015, but had declined drastically since, largely due to patrols by U.S. and other allied naval forces.

Somali troops take over security of Presidential and Parliament Houses from AU troops

Source: Hiiraan Online, Sunday December 17, 2023

Mogadishu (HOL) – The Somali National Army officially assumed security responsibility for the State House and the Parliament House from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troops in a ceremony held in Mogadishu on Sunday.

The Commander of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyiddin, the Director General of the Presidency, the Abdihakim Mohamed Yusuf, and representatives from the African Union and the United Nations attended the handover ceremony at the presidential palace.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud congratulated the 77th Brigade of the National Army for taking over the security responsibility of the country’s leadership.

The transition aligns with a recent United Nations Security Council Resolution authorizing a phased withdrawal of ATMIS forces, set to be completed by the end of 2024. ATMIS, which replaced the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) in March 2022, has been instrumental in supporting the Somali government against threats, including Islamist militias.

Villa Somalia, the presidential complex in Mogadishu, housing the offices of the President, Prime Minister, and Parliament, has been under the protection of the African Union forces since 2007. At its peak, the ATMIS mission included around 20,000 troops. Its ongoing reduction and transfer of bases to Somali forces reflect the growing international confidence in Somalia’s capability to manage its security affairs.

Sudan’s Feuding Generals Accept Principle of Talks

 Source: The Associated Press published on 10 December 2023 n article titled “Sudan’s Generals Agree to Meet in Effort to End their Devastating War, A Regional Bloc Says” by Samy Magdy.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development announced that Sudan Armed Forces General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo agreed to the principle of meeting within 15 days in order to pave the way for confidence-building measures that would eventually lead to political talks to end the conflict in Sudan.

Sudan’s warring generals agree to ceasefire and face-to-face peace talks, US diplomat says

Source: AFP, Tuesday December 12, 2023

Sudan’s army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan (left) and Gen Mohamed Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. AFP

Sudan’s warring generals have agreed to an unconditional cessation of hostilities and a face-to-face meeting to end their eight-month-old war that has devastated the already impoverished African country, displacing millions and creating the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, a senior US diplomat has said.

Speaking at a panel of the Doha Forum on Monday, the special US envoy to the Horn of Africa, Mike Hammer, said the two generals agreed to a ceasefire and a one-to-one meeting during a summit meeting of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development in Djibouti over the weekArmy chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan attended the meeting, but his one-time ally and deputy, Gen Mohamed Dagalo, now leader of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary, who has rarely appeared in public since the war’s early stages, stayed away, instead talking to the gathered leaders on the telephone.

“We were able to get commitments from both of them for an unconditional ceasefire, as well as a hopefully assumed to be held, one-to-one meeting between the two,” said Mr Hammer, who attended last weekend’s IGAD summit that brought together leaders from member-states Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

“Really, this is a conflict between two military establishments. It’s not really a conflict of the Sudanese people. And it is regrettable that those institutions that pledged to protect people are the ones who are causing them the most harm.”

Mr Hammer made no mention of the particulars of the proposed ceasefire or the face-to-face meeting between Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo, and there was no word immediately available from either the army or the RSF on what was agreed on in Djibouti.

The two generals had not met since fighting broke out in mid-April after weeks of growing tension over the terms of Sudan’s transition to democratic rule and plans proposed by politicians to integrate the RSF into the armed forces, something that Gen Dagalo has vehemently opposed. Also resisted have been calls to take the military out of politics.

Gen Dagalo was Gen Al Burhan’s deputy in the military-led Sovereign Council that acted as a presidency after the 2019 removal of dictator Omar Al Bashir.


Speakers discuss the Sudan war during a session at the Doha Forum on Monday 11/12/2023. Mohamad Ali Harisi / The National


The pair jointly seized power and toppled a civilian-led government in a coup in October 2021, derailing the democratic transition, plunging the nation of some 49 million into its worst economic crisis in living memory and creating a security vacuum that led to tribal and ethnic violence in Sudan’s outlying regions.

Both men insist they are fighting for the benefit of the Sudanese people and to restore the democratic transition, claims that are universally rejected as empty rhetoric in a nation that has seen seemingly endless civil strife since independence nearly 70 years ago.

The fighting has laid waste to large parts of the Sudanese capital and displaced 6 million people. It has also killed up to 9,000 people as of October, according to the UN. However, activists and doctors’ groups in the country say the real toll is far higher.

Deadly sectarian-motivated attacks in the western Darfur region are blamed on the RSF and its allies. They killed thousands from ethnic African communities and forced many more to flee to neighbouring Chad.

Last week, the US concluded that both sides have committed war crimes, citing the Darfur attacks and the army’s reckless use of air strikes and heavy artillery in densely populated Khartoum districts. The International Criminal Court says it is investigating the killings in Darfur last summer.

“They have to live up to their words and their actions have to live up to their commitments,” said Mr Hammer, alluding to the agreement of a ceasefire and face-to-face meeting by the two generals.

“Enough is enough! they have destroyed the country,” he said. “If they do not stop (the fighting), this will inevitably lead to the break-up of Sudan, which no one wants to see,” he added, saying Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo would be held responsible if that happens.

“The situation is grave, the moment is now for them to stop.”


Sudanese displaced by the fighting riding with their furniture and other belongings on a truck on a road from Khartoum to Wad Madani to the south. AFP

Representatives of the army and the RSF participated in two rounds of indirect negotiations sponsored by the United States and Saudi Arabia since the war broke out in April.

The negotiations, held in the Saudi port city of Jeddah on the Red Sea, produced a series of ceasefire agreements during the early stages of the war, but collapsed soon after coming to force or were not diligently respected.

“None of the combatants have an incentive to stop fighting,” Hanna Tettah, the UN Special envoy to the Horn of Africa told the Doha Forum panel on Monday. “And there is no end in sight that meets the desires of the combatants.”

Citing the impact the war has had on the region, she suggested that the Jeddah process be broadened to include Sudan’s neighbours, like Egypt and Chad, as well as regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Hamza Hendawi reported from Cairo.

President Mohamud to chair security conference for Somalia at UN in New York

Source: Hiiraan Online, Tuesday December 12, 2023

New York (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will preside over a security conference for Somalia at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

The conference will convene representatives from 26 countries, the United Nations, the Arab League, the European Union, the African Union, and other delegates.

The key topics to be addressed include Somalia’s security development plan and international support for Somalia’s security and development. President Mohamud arrived in New York on Monday night.

On December 1, 2023, the United Nations Security Council lifted the arms embargo imposed on Somalia more than 30 years ago. The 15-member body adopted two British-drafted resolutions: one to remove the full arms embargo on Somalia and another to reimpose an arms embargo on al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stated last month that Somalia has one year to expel the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militant group from the country, with the deadline for the remaining African Union peacekeepers to depart set for next December.

Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab has been waging a brutal insurgency against the Somali government since 2006 in a bid to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

US Determines War Crimes and Ethnic Cleansing in Sudan

 Source: David Shinn blog, Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement on 6 December 2023 titled “War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Ethnic Cleansing Determination in Sudan.”

The US Department of State has concluded that members of the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have committed war crimes in Sudan.  In addition, members of the RSF and allied militias have committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.

Explanation of Recent Severe Flooding in Southern Ethiopia, Eastern Kenya, and Somalia

 World Weather Attribution posted on 7 December 2023 an academic study by various specialists titled “Compounding Natural Hazards and High Vulnerability Led to Severe Impacts from Horn of Africa Flooding Exacerbated by Climate Change and Indian Ocean Dipole.”

After years of drought, the short rainy season (October to December) in the Horn of Africa brought exceptionally heavy rains, particularly in November, leading to severe flooding in the south of Ethiopia, eastern Kenya, and many regions in southern and central Somalia.  In Somalia alone, more than 100 Somalis lost their lives and more than one million have been displaced.  

Climate change and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) contributed approximately equally to the flooding event.  The IOD is a natural phenomenon that oscillates between neutral, positive, and negative phases while human-induced climate change will continue to increase until the burning of fossil fuels is stopped. 

Leaders of East African bloc hold summit on Sudan crisis

Source: AA, Sunday December 10, 2023

Leaders of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) gathered Saturday in Djibouti to discuss the Sudan conflict that has been raging since April 15.

“The violence threatens the country’s existence and regional stability. Today’s summit is a beacon of hope. Sudan needs peace”, Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who is also chairman of the Eastern Africa bloc, said in a statement after the summit.

He demanded an immediate cease-fire in Sudan.

“The Assembly effectively secured a commitment from the Sudanese belligerents to promptly convene & agree upon a cessation of hostilities—a crucial step in addressing the aspirations of the Sudanese people!” IGAD Secretary General Workneh Gebeyehu wrote on X.

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Addis Ababa remains committed to supporting a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The summit also focused on broader issues on regional peace and security initiatives, according to the Somali presidency.

Sudanese Sovereignty Council President Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Somali President Hasan Sheikh Mahmud, Kenyan President William Ruto, Gebeyehu and African Union Commission President Musa Faki as well as representatives of the US, UN and EU attended the summit.For eight months, fighting has spread from Khartoum to several states across the country.

At least 12,260 victims have been killed and more than 33,000 injured in the conflict.

A humanitarian crisis continues to worsen as nearly 6.8 million people have fled their homes seeking safety in Sudan or neighboring countries.

Sudan has been mired by fighting between the army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the ruling Sovereign Council, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Several cease-fire agreements brokered by Saudi and US mediators have failed to end the violence.

UN vows to help Somalia promote human rights

Source: Xinhuanet, Sunday December 10, 2023

The United Nations on Sunday reaffirmed its resolute support to Somalia in the full realization of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Catriona Laing, said Somalia is at a crucial stage of development focused on achieving its vision of an inclusive, peaceful and stable Somalia based firmly on human rights.

“The principles and values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are as relevant today as they were when the document was first drafted,” Laing said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, to mark both Human Rights Day and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on Dec. 10. It commemorates the day in 1948 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi announces major cabinet reshuffle

Source: Hiiraan, Sunday December 10, 2023

Hargeisa (HOL) – The President of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, recently issued decrees reshaping his cabinet, including the Minister of Youth and Sports and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

advertisementsAbdirahman Hirsi Jama Dhoble, the former Minister of Youth and Sports, and Abdi-Nasir Omar Jama, the former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, were removed from their positions, as stated in the presidential decrees.

 “The responsibilities of our nation are cyclical, necessitating leadership best suited for the times. Effective today, your tenure in these roles ends.”

Following these dismissals, Abdirisaq Musa Farah has been appointed as the new Minister of Youth and Sports. Rooda Jama Elmi Abdulle steps in as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Saleeban Jama Diriye takes on the Deputy Minister of Financial Development role.

This reshuffle is the second significant cabinet change implemented by President Bihi this year.

IGAD summit in Djibouti pledges to resolve Sudan crisis

Source: Hiiraan Online, Sunday December 10, 2023

Djibouti (HOL) – The 41st Extraordinary Assembly of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Heads of State and Government convened in Djibouti this Saturday, focusing on the crisis in Sudan. The summit, chaired by Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, brought together key African leaders and international delegates, focusing on the ongoing crisis in Sudan.

A major development at the summit was Sudan’s General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan’s commitment to an unconditional ceasefire and engagement in political dialogue. The IGAD leaders also agreed to establish a framework for mediation efforts in Sudan, including the expedited appointment of a Special Envoy.

The assembly recognized the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, calling for immediate international support and condemning external interference in the conflict. The leaders endorsed a comprehensive report by the IGAD Quartet Group, led by Kenyan President Dr. William Ruto, and hailed the Humanitarian Access Agreement signed in Jeddah.

Attendees included Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Kenyan President Dr. William Ruto, and Somali President Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Representatives from the African Union, the United Nations, and other nations with interests in the Horn of Africa also participated.

The summit’s resolutions, encapsulated in a communique, will be presented to the African Union Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Security Council for endorsement. IGAD leaders resolved to remain actively engaged with the situation in Sudan, emphasizing their commitment to a peaceful and democratic solution.

UN Security Council lifts 1992 arms embargo on Somalia, paving way for military strengthening

by Jama Abdillahi | Dec 3, 2023

Source: UN Security Council lifts 1992 arms embargo on Somalia, paving way for military strengthening