Extreme Hunger Growing Threat in East Africa and Horn

 Source: Oxfam International posted on 22 March 2022 a warning titled “As Many as 28 Million People across East Africa at Risk of Extreme Hunger If Rains Fail Again.”

Oxfam International reports that 21 million people in East Africa and the Horn now face severe food insecurity.  The number could rise to 28 million depending on March rains.  The most impacted countries are Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan.  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (both countries are major sources of wheat for these countries) is contributing to the problem.  

Labels: COVID-19, drought, Ethiopia, food insecurity, hunger, invasion, Kenya, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Ukraine, wheat

Terrorism and Drought Confront Somalia

 Source: The Voice of America published on 30 March 2022 an article titled “US Ambassador to Somalia Condemns Al-Shabab Attacks” by Falastine Iman. 

U.S. ambassador to Somalia, Larry Andre, has condemned a recent series of attacks by al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia that have killed more than 60 people.  The attacks are occurring as Somalia is increasingly affected by drought.

Labels: al-Shabaab, drought, food insecurity, humanitarian crisis, Puntland, Somalia, terrorism

Somali Coastguard headquarters opens in Mogadishu

Source: Hiiraan Online, Thursday March 31, 2022

MOGADISHU (HOL) – Somali Police Force Commissioner Abdi Hassan Mohamed Hijar has unveiled a new headquarters for the Somali Coast Guard, which has been established inside the Mogadishu Port.
advertisements

The 3 million dollar project implemented by  United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) and funded by the European Union is set to boost Somalia’s maritime security and war against illegal fishing.

The facility is equipped with marine communications equipment and staffed with 60 naval officers who have been trained in maritime law enforcement, marine engineering and marine communications.

EU ambassador to Somalia Tiina Intelmann over the facility and floating jetty to the Somali police force in a ceremony in Mogadishu.

“The SPF maritime law enforcement component will have a much, much more effective ability to operate and interact offshore and within the coastal areas of Somalia, to ensure maritime crime is reduced and effectively work forward on that,” the UNOPS Country Director for Somalia, Tim Lardner, said on the sidelines of the inauguration.

Construction of the new facility began in 2018

PM Roble says Ikran Tahlil’s killers masterminded MP Amina’s assassination 

Source: Hiiraan Onlibne, Thursday March 31, 2022

Mogadishu (HOL) – Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble says he believes the people behind the assassination of lawmaker Amina Mohamed Abdi last week were the masterminds behind the disappearance and likely murder of former intelligence agent Ikran Tahlil.

Prime Minister Roble made the remarks at a commemoration event in Mogadishu for the late MP Amina Mohamed Abdi.

advertisements

“I’m as certain as death itself that those who killed Amina (Mohamed) were the same people who killed Ikran (Tahlil).”

Roble said hours before Amina’s assassination, he received threatening text messages targeting himself and MP Amina.

He said the intimidating messages emanated from an agreement between himself and Hirshabelle President Ali Gudlawe to remove the regional election commissioner.

PM Roble said he still has the text message in his possession.

MP Amina Mohamed Abdi was one of 48 people who were killed in Beledweyne last Wednesday. Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack.

PM Roble promised to seek justice for Amina Mohamed and her family, saying that he would seek out those who masterminded the attack.

“Those who paid for the suicide bomber to blow himself up are still alive, who brought him Beledweyne, Hiiraan… Lord willing, we will be victorious against them.

Ikran Tahlil was a cybersecurity expert employed with Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). She was abducted from her home near the NISA HQ on June 26 after her family said she allegedly received a phone call from her superiors to report to the office. She was last seen getting into the back of a vehicle near her home.

After nearly two months of mounting pressure, Somalia’s intelligence agency claimed that Al-Shabaab killed her without providing much evidence. Al Shabaab, which has waged a deadly insurgency against Somalia’s internationally-backed government for over a decade, denied they were part of the Ikran’s killing. 

Canada announces funding for education projects

Source: Mirage News
Thursday March 31, 2022

Canada has announced $67.2 million in development assistance funding for projects supporting the education of children and youth experiencing forced displacement.

This funding is being distributed as follows.

Projects resulting from the Together for Learning Call for Proposalsadvertisements

Brighter Outcomes: Strengthening Civil Society Organizations for Displaced Children’s Education

$6 million (between fiscal years 2022 to 2023 and 2025 to 2026)-Save the Children Canada

This project aims to enhance equitable and inclusive learning outcomes for refugees, internally displaced and host community children, particularly girls, adolescent girls and children living with disabilities in Ethiopia, specifically in the Oromia Region’s Bale zone and the Somali Region’s Dollo Ado and Dollo Bay zones, by strengthening the capacity of local organizations led by refugees and internally displaced people (IDP). This project will include training, the provision of small grants to fund core and program activities, and support for carrying out advocacy forums on inclusive education rights of internally displaced and refugee children with community and education authorities. The project aims to reach a total of 120,600 direct beneficiaries, including 27,340 refugee and internally displaced children, as well as teachers and facilitators, caregivers, parent-teacher-student associations and school members.

$7.9 million (between fiscal years 2022 to 2023 and 2026 to 2027)-Right To Play

This project aims to enhance the literacy and life skills of internally displaced and host community children aged 6 to 12, particularly girls and children living with disabilities in Gao and Mopti, Mali, and thus increase equity and inclusiveness in their communities. The project is centred on building the capacity of IDP- and women-led organizations financial support through grants and empowering them to promote the educational rights of host and internally displaced children. The project engages local education authorities, parents and community and religious leaders in addressing the intersectional barriers preventing host and internally displaced children from benefiting from quality education. The project expects to reach 37,550 children from IDP and host communities, including 5,260 children living with disabilities, and 69,350 parents, community and religious leaders and other community members.

Refugee Education and Development (READ)

$13 million (between fiscal years 2022 to 2023 and 2026 to 2027)-Plan International Canada

This project aims to enhance equitable and inclusive learning outcomes for refugee, internally displaced, returnee and host community children and youth, particularly girls and other marginalized groups facing intersectional barriers to education, living in conflict settings in Cameroon and Niger. The project strengthens refugee- and IDP-led organizations to ensure predictable funding, bolster internal capacities and build networks for advocacy for refugee education, poverty reduction and gender equality. The project expects to reach nearly 40,000 children from refugee and host communities as direct beneficiaries.

Geared for Success

$13.8 million (between fiscal years 2022 to 2023 and 2026 to 2027)-War Child Canada and Oxfam

This project aims to enhance equitable and inclusive learning outcomes for refugee, internally displaced and host community children and youth, particularly girls and adolescent girls, living in South Sudan and Uganda. The project gives community-based organizations led by refugees and IDP technical and financial support, including training, and provides core, direct and multi-year small grants to help strengthen the organizations and support gender-responsive education programming. The project expects to reach an estimated 132,040 beneficiaries, including 61,400 refugee, internally displaced and host community children and youth.

Will Ethiopia’s Truce Hold Up?

 Source: The Council on Foreign Relations blog posted on 28 March 2022 a commentary titled “Ethiopia Truce an Uncertain Prospect” by Michelle Gavin.

Last week, the Ethiopian federal government announced a truce in its conflict with Tigrayan forces, who agreed to accept it.  However, the truce is based on trust from both sides and some conditionality, putting into question its success.  

Labels: Ethiopia, humanitarian aid, Tigray Region, truce, trust

Extreme Hunger Growing Threat in East Africa and Horn

 Source: Oxfam International posted on 22 March 2022 a warning titled “As Many as 28 Million People across East Africa at Risk of Extreme Hunger If Rains Fail Again.”

Oxfam International reports that 21 million people in East Africa and the Horn now face severe food insecurity.  The number could rise to 28 million depending on March rains.  The most impacted countries are Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan.  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (both countries are major sources of wheat for these countries) is contributing to the problem.  

Labels: COVID-19, drought, Ethiopia, food insecurity, hunger, invasion, Kenya, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Ukraine, wheat

Attacks intensify as Somalia prepares for presidential election

Source: DW, Wednesday March 30, 2022

Concerns are growing over rising insecurity in Somalia as the Horn of Africa nation edges closer to a much-delayed presidential election. Al-Shabab militants have warned that they will target politicians.

    


Security officers patrol on the site of a car-bomb attack in Mogadishu.

In the latest violence to rock Somalia, militants overran the Af Urur military base in the north of the country on Sunday, killing four soldiers. 

That ambush comes barely a week after two deadly attacks: one on the Halane base near the airport in the capital, Mogadishu, and twin blasts in the city of Beledweyne, in central Somalia, which killed 48 people and injured more than 100.

Amina Mohamed Abdi, a prominent opposition politician and outspoken government critic, was among the people killed in the Beledweyne explosions.

Al-Shabab said it carried out the attacks to target politicians contesting Somalia’s elections, which are already more than a year overdue.

advertisements

The election of the lower house, which has been ongoing for several months, is now scheduled to be completed on March 31. 

This will pave the way for lawmakers to pick a president, a process that has been long and deeply troubled. 

National leadership crisis

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmaajo, extended his mandate by two years in April 2021 after his term expired with no agreement on how to replace him. 

The president has been at loggerheads ever since with Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, who accused Farmaajo of an “attempted coup” when he extended his term. 

The political infighting between the two has given the insurgents free range to operate, said Hussein Sheik-Ali, a former national security adviser who is now the chairman of the Hiraal Institute, a Somalia-based security think tank. 

“This upsurge in attacks comes periodically when they [al-Shabab] feel the government’s weakness,” Hussein said. “They try to penetrate and disrupt elections because of this prolonged election dispute.”

Farmajo (left) is embroiled in a bitter political battle with his prime minister, Roble (right)

Al-Shabab takes advantage 

Abdirahman Aynte, a former federal planning minister, told DW that the political contest between the president, who was elected in 2017, and the prime minister had created confusion about who is in charge of security forces. 

Al-Shabab is seeking to capitalize on this, he said. 

“There is no doubt that, whenever you have a squabble and infighting among the political leaders, al-Shabab … would certainly exploit a situation like that,” Aynte said.

“They’ve been doing that for over a decade because the country’s security forces, unfortunately, have been deeply politicized over the past few months and have been dedicated to carrying out politically motivated security operations as opposed to operations against terrorist groups,” he said.

AU mandate ends

Al-Shabab insurgents, who are linked to al-Qaeda, seek to establish an Islamic state in Somalia. 

They want to overthrow the federal government in Mogadishu and are also opposed to peacekeepers operating in the Horn of Africa country under the AU-led AMISOM military mission. 

Al-Shabab previously controlled large swaths of the country, but AMISOM forces pushed the group out of Mogadishu and significant parts of southern Somalia.

Despite these setbacks, al-Shabab has still “notched up a series of bloody successes” against both Somali targets and AMISOM troops, the International Crisis Group reported in a recent analysis of the al-Shabab threat. 

The uptick in al-Shabab attacks also comes as AMISON’s mandate is scheduled to expire on March 31.

From AMISOM to ATMIS

The withdrawal of AMISOM troops was originally planned for December 2020, but it has been postponed several times. 

Now, instead of a complete withdrawal, AMISOM is to be replaced by a transitional AU mission, known as ATMIS, on April 1.

Somali security forces are scheduled to only take over all responsibilities in December 2024.

Civil society activist Hodman Ahmed is worried that prolonging the AU-led mission with a transitional period will continue the cycle of violence in her country. 

She said it was no coincidence that Somalia adopted a revised transition plan for the ATMIS mission only a day before gunmen tried to gain entry to the Halane base camp, which houses AMISOM, the United Nations and other international agencies.

At the same time, the resumption of the “explosions and killings prolongs AMISOM’s presence” in the country, she said. 

Vital elections

Voices inside and outside of Somalia are calling for the elections to be finalized as soon as possible to help bring stability 

Aynte said the delayed elections had significantly contributed to the uptick in violence and the overall insecurity. 

“We know that, if this election can be completed in the next maybe two to three months at most, a new empowered administration would certainly be able to dedicate both financial and manpower resources to fight al-Shabab,” Aynte said.

He acknowledged that the presidential vote won’t be smooth. 

“It’ll be a very bumpy ride. But, in Somalia, we have gotten used to that,” Aynte said.
 

Mohamed Odowa in Mogadishu contributed to this article.


Edited by: Kate Hairsine

Fighting Resumes in South Sudan

Source:  The Associated Press published on 24 March 2022 an article titled “Fighting Resumes in South Sudan, Threatens Peace Agreement” by Deng Machol.

New fighting broke out between rival factions in South Sudan, threatening a fragile peace agreement between President Salva Kiir and his rival Vice President Riek Machar.  

Labels: peace agreements, Riek Machar, Salva Kiir, South Sudan, SPLA, SPLA-IO

Putin’s War: Position of African Democracies and Autocracies

 Source: The Guardian published on 28 March 2022 an article titled “Cold War Echoes as African Leaders Resist Criticising Putin’s War” by Jason Burke.

This article focuses on African leaders–about half of the total–who have refrained from criticizing Putin’s war against Ukraine.  It concludes that most of the African countries that voted in the UN General Assembly to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are democracies and Western allies while most that abstained are authoritarian or hybrid regimes.  

Labels: autocracy, CAR, Cold War, democracy, Eritrea, Mali, Mozambique, Russia, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, Ukraine, UNGA, Wagner Group, war, Zimbabwe

January Drone Attack in Tigray Declared War Crime by Human Rights Watch

 Source: Human Rights Watch published on 24 March 2022 a report titled “Ethiopia: Airstrike on Camp for Displaced Likely War Crime.”

On January 7, an Ethiopian government airstrike hit a school compound in the town of Dedebit housing thousands of displaced Tigrayans in northwestern Tigray.  Human Rights Watch said the drone strike killed at least 57 civilians and wounded more than 42 others.  It said the strike constituted “an apparent war crime.”

Labels: Afar Region, airstrikes, Amhara Region, drones, ENDF, Eritrean Defense Forces, Ethiopia, IDPs, Tigray Region, TPLF, Turkey, UNOCHA, war crimes

Source: UN: As impact of drought worsens, growing risk of famine in Somalia

Monday March 28, 2022Standing in front of his makeshift home in a camp for internally displaced people (IDP) in southern Somalia’s Luuq district, Ahmad Hassan Yarrow looks out towards what remains of the Juba River and shakes his head forlornly.
 
“Of all the droughts I have experienced in my 70 years, I have not seen anything as severe as this,” he says as he contemplates the scenery before him.
 
Yarow is one of hundreds of thousands of Somalis displaced by the country’s most recent and worsening drought, leaving their homes in the search for food, water and shelter.
 
The Luuq district, located in the Federal Member State of Jubaland’s Gedo region, is intersected by the Juba River. For more than three months now, the river’s waters have steadily dwindled, leaving only brown puddles.
 
As the waters evaporated, so did the hopes of local communities – made up mainly of farmers and pastoralists – which rely on the river for their livelihoods. Under a searing sun, their crops wilted and their livestock died, and, like many other Somalis around the country, the communities came a step closer to starvation.
 
“We lost everything in the drought,” says Salado Madeer Mursaal, a 28-year-old mother of one, who has also sought help at the IDP camp. “We need food, shelter, water and other basic human needs.”
 
‘Risk of famine’
 
With decades of conflict, recurrent climate shocks and disease outbreaks, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the humanitarian situation in Somalia was already grave. Even before the current drought, an estimated 7.7 million Somalis were in need of humanitarian assistance and protection this year – up 30 per cent from one year.
 
The situation has deteriorated, with the current drought wiping out crop harvests and  livestock dying due to a lack of water and pasture, depriving many pastoral communities of their only source of income.
 
“The country has seen three consecutive failed rainy seasons. The fourth, which is supposed to start in April and continue through June, is also projected to be below average. If that happens, then we are looking at a risk of famine,” says the Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Adam Abdelmoula.
 
The United Nations and its implementing partners have been heavily engaged in providing humanitarian support. In February, they collectively reached 1.6 million people with assistance, but, with Somalia’s federal authorities, they are calling for more funds to provide urgent humanitarian assistance.
 
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Somalia is currently one of the most severely drought-impacted country in the Horn of Africa. Some 4.5 million Somalis are directly affected by the drought, and about 700,000 people have been displaced.
 
Children are in an especially vulnerable position.
 
“As we speak now, 1.4 million children under five years of age are severely malnourished, and if we don’t step up our intervention, it is projected that 350,000 of them will perish by the summer of this year. The situation cannot be more dire than that,” says Mr. Abdelmoula, who also serves as the UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia and the UN Resident Coordinator.
 
“So I call on all those who are able to contribute, including the Somali diaspora, the business community, the traditional and non-traditional donors, everyone, to act and to act now,” he adds.
 
In the 2022 Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan, the United Nations seeks nearly $1.5 billion to provide humanitarian assistance to 5.5 million of the country’s most vulnerable people, including 1.6 million IDPs, 3.9 million non-IDPs, and people with disabilities.
However, just about four per cent – $56.1 million – has been received so far.
 
Seeking safety and shelter
 
In Luuq’s camps, there is a palpable mix of relief and resignation among the displaced.
 
After walking for several days, Fatuma Madeer Mursaal and her family arrived at the Boyle IDP camp in Luuq. There, they joined the more than 4,000 people seeking aid.
 
“We are farmers and we also had our livestock but all animals died in the drought. We have nothing left and we have come here for water, food, shelter and help,” says Ms. Mursaal, a 39-year-old mother of six.
 
The Boyle IDP camp is one of several camps which have sprung up around the country as desperate people move to locations where they hope they can access help.     
 
“It’s serious, and one of the biggest tragedies Somalia is facing today. The displaced communities have no shelter, water, medicine, or even food, and they depend on handouts. The drought has wiped out everything, and if the survivors don’t get urgent humanitarian assistance, they are likely to also die,” says the Luuq district’s local administrator, Commissioner Ali Kadiye Mohamed.
 
UN humanitarian agencies are working closely with implementing partners on the ground to alleviate the situation.
 
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been trucking water into camps such as the Boyle IDP camp, as well as constructing water tanks and pit latrines to help improve sanitation conditions.
 
At the Luuq District Hospital, funded in part by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN agency is working with an Irish charity agency, Trocaire, to treat, feed and stabilize children admitted with severe malnutrition. Local staff say they have seen a worsening of the situation.
 
“In January, 62 malnourished children were admitted here. In February, the number rose to 100, and as of 21 March, the number stands at 114,” said the hospital’s chief nurse, Abdirahman Mohamed Kasim.
 
“As soon as these children get to the hospital,” he continues, “we give them milk for primary and secondary stages of malnutrition, and, after their recovery, we transfer them to other feeding centres where they receive high energy biscuits and treatments for any further illnesses.”
 

Elsewhere in Luuq, the UN World Food Programme (WFP), which is implementing cash and food voucher programmes for vulnerable groups in Somalia, is providing preventative and curative nutrition support to women and children. The humanitarian food agency is scaling up its interventions, aiming to support 2.5 million people with food relief in the first half of this year, but – like so many other UN agencies – it can only do so if it receives more funding; in this instance, some $203 million to close a funding gap.

For Mr. Yarrow, looking out from his home in the IDP camp in Luuq, the issues of funding of the country’s humanitarian response are remote, academic issues, far from his concerns. His needs, and those of the many other displaced Somalis facing starvation, are more immediate.

“This drought has wiped out everything we had,” he says. “We are relieved to be here at this IDP camp where we are getting assistance but there are too many of us, and we are struggling. The food, water and shelter are not enough. There are many women, the old and children who are malnourished and sick, but have no medicine. We are doing our best to survive, but we need help.

US Sanctions Sudan Central Reserve Police

 Source: The U.S. Department of the Treasury published on 21 March 2022 an announcement titled “Treasury Sanctions Sudanese Central Reserve Police for Serious Human Rights Abuse.”

On March 21, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Sudan’s Central Reserve Police (CRP) for serious human rights abuse.  The CRP has used excessive force against pro-democracy protesters peacefully demonstrating against the military-led overthrow of the civilian-led transitional government in Sudan.  All property and interests in property of the CRP that are in or come within the United States, or that are in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are now blocked.  

Labels: Global Magnitsky, human rights, sanctons, Sudan, Sudan Central Reserve Police, US

Arms Transfers to Africa 2017-2021

 Source: The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published in March 2022 a study titled “Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2021” by Pieter D. Wezeman, Alexandra Kuimova and Siemon T. Wezeman.  

Between 2012-16 and 2017-21 imports of major arms by African states (SIPRI includes Egypt in the Middle East) decreased by 34 percent.  Russia was the largest supplier to Africa in 2017-21, accounting for 44 percent of imports of major arms to the region, followed by the US (17 percent), China (10 percent), and France (6 percent).

In 2017-21, Algeria accounted for 44 percent of total African arms imports, although they decreased by 37 percent between 2012-16 and 2017-21.  Arms imports by Morocco fell by 27 percent in the same period.  Egypt was the third largest arms importer in the world in 2017-21, accounting for almost 6 percent of the global total and were 73 percent higher than in 2012-16.  In 2017-21, Russia accounted for 41 percent of Egyptian arms imports.  The US was only the fifth largest supplier in that period.  

States in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounted for only 2 percent of total global imports of major arms in 2017-21.  Their arms imports were 35 percent lower in 2017-21 than in 2012-16.  In 2017-21, the five largest arms importers in SSA were Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mali, and Botswana.  

Nigeria received major arms from 13 suppliers in 2017-21.  Deliveries included 272 armored vehicles from China and 7 combat helicopters from Russia.  

Ethiopia received air defense equipment from Russia and Ukraine during the first three years of the period 2017-21.  While no transfers of major arms to war-torn Ethiopia from these two states were identified for 2020-21, several deliveries by other suppliers are known to have taken place, including multiple rocket launchers from China and unmanned aerial vehicles from Turkey and an unidentified supplier.

The largest arms supplier to Mali in 2017-21 was Russia, which delivered 4 armed transport helicopters and 4 combat helicopters.  

Labels: Africa, Algeria, Angola, arms transfers, Botswana, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Russia, Turkey, US

Somalia’s Electoral Impasse

 The Elephant posted on 19 March 2022 a commentary titled “Somalia’s Electoral Impasse” by Harun Ibrahim, University of Cape Town.  

The author argues that the prospects of holding an election in Somalia based on universal suffrage remain a distant dream.  Somalia is once again at a crossroads due to political disagreement over the electoral process.  There is growing political tension between the Somali president and prime minister.  The political process has involved widespread corruption and nepotism.  External players such as the UAE and Qatar have become increasingly involved in the support of preferred factions.  

Labels: clans, corruption, democracy, elections, Ethiopia, federalism, Kenya, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, Mohamed Hussein Roble, nepotism, NISA, Qatar, Somalia, UAE

Are Egypt-Sudan Military Talks Related to Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam?

 Source: Al-Monitor published on 22 March 2022 an article titled “Egypt Deepens Military Ties with Sudan as Ethiopia Moves Forward with Nile Dam” by Mohamed Saied.

Egypt and Sudan recently held high level military talks amid mounting tension with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is 80 percent complete, on the Blue Nile.  The rainy season is approaching in the Nile Basin at which time Ethiopia will begin the third filling of the reservoir behind the dam.  

Comment:  The rainy season in the Nile Basin has been good in the past two years and filling of the reservoir has caused no harm to downstream Sudan and Egypt.  A series of abnormally poor rainy seasons could pose a problem for downstream countries in the future.   

Labels: AU, diplomacy, Egypt, Ethiopia, GERD, hydropower, military cooperation, Nile waters, security, Sudan

Source: Hiiraan Online, Thursday March 24, 2022

MOGADISHU (HOL) – At least 48 people were killed and 108 others injured in two separate suicide bombings in Beledweyne, the capital of the Hiiraan region on Wednesday, according to Hirshabelle regional state president Ali Hussein Guudlaawe,

advertisementsAt a press conference, the president urged people to be careful on election days since terrorist groups may target huge crowds, and urged security agencies to beef up security and remain attentive.

Amina Mohamed, an outspoken MP, and Hassan Ali Abdi Dhuhul, a former MP, were among those killed in the first attack which has taken place inside the Lamagalay military camp.

Al Shabaab has claimed the responsibility for the attack.

President Mohamed Farmaajo and Prime Minister Mohamed Roble have separately condemned the attack and sent their condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased.

Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has ordered a thorough investigation into the killing of lawmakers.

Prime Minister Mohamed Roble together with opposition leaders have on Thursday attended the funeral prayer for the deceased MP Amina Mohamed and Hassan Ali Abdi Dhuhul in Mogadishu

Shabaab attacks international hub in Mogadishu where U.S. Embassy is located 

SOURCE : tHREAT mATRIX, Thursday March 24, 2022

On Wednesday, Al Shabaab conducted an attack against Halane camp near Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu.

The camp houses the U.S. embassy, the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), the headquarters for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and most foreign diplomats based in Mogadishu.

In the assault, two gunmen disguised as airport workers attempted to breach the base’s gates where they were confronted by security forces.

These Shabaab gunmen, armed with small arms and hand grenades, reportedly killed six security forces, including five AMISOM peacekeepers and trainers, and injured an additional three police officers.

advertisementsIn a statement by spokesman Abdiasis Abu Musab, Shabaab claimed credit for the attack, asserting that their militants broke through checkpoints, shot multiple foreign AMISOM troops, and set fire to buildings within the base.

The group also claimed to have fired mortars into the base, targeting AMISOM buildings. The Al Qaeda affiliate claimed that the attack targeted international troops in an effort to drive them from Somalia. Shabaab has long opposed the presence of foreign troops in the country and sees their withdrawal as a precondition for taking control of the country, much like the Taliban’s stance in Afghanistan.

Somali security forces reported that the two militants were killed and that the attack was thwarted.

However, Shabaab’s ability to inflict casualties on foreign troops within the well-defended Halane military base with only two gunmen is certainly cause for concern for the future of Somalia’s security.

This attack in Mogadishu follows Shabaab’s major assaults last month across the city, demonstrating the group’s continued willingness and ability to strike secure points across the Somali capital.

Source: WHO, EU supply ‘life-saving’ oxygen plant to Somalia
Tuesday March 22, 2022

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has supplied a duplex pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plant to a hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Taking place on 17th March, the plant was handed over by Dr. Mamunur Rahman Malik, WHO Representative and Head of Missions to Somalia. The EU-funded plant was provided as part of its ongoing support for the emergency response to Covid-19 in the country.

advertisementsWith front-line organisations such as Médecins Sans Frontières declaring medical oxygen as the most vital component of an effective Covid-19 response, the pandemic has exposed major weaknesses in the global medical oxygen supply chain and existing infrastructure.

Installation of the new plant – at the De Martino Hospital in Mogadishu – attempts to contribute to WHO’s vision to build an ‘inclusive and equitable’ health system post-Covid-19.

As the country’s dedicated Covid-19 patient healthcare centre, the De Martino hospital will utilise the new plant to provide up to 25 intensive care patients with vital oxygen, while another unit refills cylinders.

“Together, they can fill 100 40-litre oxygen cylinders in a day,” said H.E. Fawziya Abikar Nur, Federal Minister of Health and Human Services in Somalia.

“This support is part of a strategic roadmap to boost oxygen supply in hospitals across the country.”

Though essential for treating severe cases of Covid-19, medical oxygen is a key tool for treating other critical conditions such as pneumonia and trauma, while also providing support during childbirth.

According to Malik, in 2018 pneumonia was estimated to kill around two children aged under five every hour in Somalia.

“Global evidence shows that simple medical oxygen can reduce up to 35% of child deaths. It is so crucial and yet has no substitute,” he added.

As the worst of the pandemic begins to abate, WHO is using a two-pronged approach to offering medical oxygen – while offering medical oxygen to health facilities and the Government, the organisation is also training healthcare workers, biomedical engineers and technicians in using the installed plants.

Two additional PSA plants are under deployment in Garowe and Hargeisa, also in Somalia.

Source: UN launches project to support internally displaced people in Somalia 

Monday March 21, 2022

The United Nations and its partners on Sunday launched a four-year project to provide durable solutions for people displaced by conflict and climate change in Somalia.

The multi-million project named “Saameynta (impact in Somali)” will achieve durable solutions for more than 75,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vulnerable host communities in Somalia, the UN said in a joint statement issued here in the capital of Somalia.

Adam Abdelmoula, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, said finding durable solutions to protracted displacement in Somalia is desperately needed to enhance the livelihood situation of IDPs and their host communities.

“These IDPs are unlikely to return to their place of origin in the near future since their lands are now arid and unsuitable for farming or pastoralism,” Abdelmoula said.

Under the intervention, the UN and its partners will work together with the government to implement the National Durable Solutions Strategy.

advertisementsAccording to the UN, the project also seeks to decrease dependency on humanitarian aid, reduce poverty for thousands of impoverished individuals and promote IDPs integration in cities.

“Humanitarian assistance alone cannot address chronic issues such as mass displacement and recurrent droughts and floods. That is why durable solutions are a priority for the UN,” said Abdelmoula.

He said Saameynta’s sole approach aims to leverage the values generated by planned urbanization and investment in order to provide affordable housing, employment opportunities and community assets such as infrastructure, irrigation facilities, markets and other locally identified priorities for communities affected by displacement.

Saameynta will also increase the self-reliance and access to sustainable basic services, including water, shelter, and health services for IDPs residing in the cities of Baidoa, Bossaso and Beletweyne.

According to the UN, there are an estimated 2.9 million IDPs in Somalia due to decades of conflict and extreme weather events such as droughts and floods.

Of these, 2.2 million require urgent humanitarian assistance.

The project will also ensure the full participation of displaced women and girls living in overcrowded sites who continue to face a heightened risk of violence and harassment.

Saameynta comes at a crucial time as the displacement situation in the country has been further exacerbated by drought, closure of refugee camps in neighbouring countries and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.