The Somali government says it has reached an agreement with traditional elders to move ahead with plans to adopt a draft constitution. A government minister told VOA that a Constituent Assembly will provisionally adopt the measure during an 8-day conference that begins on Saturday. Constitution and Reconciliation Minister Abdirahman Hosh Jibril said leaders set the […]
Somali Government, Elders Agree on New Constitution
AU Troops Recover Relief Food Stolen by Al-Shabab
African Union troops in central Somalia have recovered more than 500 bags of food aid that were stolen by the insurgent group al-Shabab. The AU says the food, which was meant for drought-stricken Somali families, was instead being used to feed al-Shabab militants at a training camp outside Mogadishu. The African Union Mission in Somalia […]
AU Troops Recover Relief Food Stolen by Al-Shabab
African Union troops in central Somalia have recovered over 500 bags of relief food that had been stolen by the Somali insurgent group al-Shabab. The AU says the food, which was meant to help feed drought-stricken Somali families, was instead being used to feed al-Shabab militants at a training camp outside Mogadishu. The African Union […]
AU, Somali Forces Target al-Shabab Training Camp
African Union and Somali forces have launched a military operation against what they say is a major training camp for al-Shabab militants outside Somalia’s capital. The African Union Mission for Somalia (AMISOM) said in a statement Wednesday the operation aims to capture Lanta-Buro village, 40 kilometers west of Mogadishu. Officials hope capturing the village will […]
Aid Group Warns of New Food Crisis in Somalia
Save the Children is warning that poor rainfalls and conflict threaten to push hundreds of thousands of Somalis back into hunger, just months after the country recovered from a devastating famine. The organization’s spokesperson, Andrew Wander, told VOA poor rains will likely delay the upcoming harvest in south-central Somalia, which was the hardest hit by […]
4 Aid Workers Kidnapped in Kenya Freed in Dramatic Rescue
Four international aid workers kidnapped in Kenya are now free and headed home, following a dramatic rescue by security forces inside Somalia. The hostages were rescued on Monday during a joint operation by Kenyan and Somali military forces, three days after being captured. A Somali police official told VOA the four were discovered after a […]
4 Foreign Aid Workers Rescued in Somalia
Kenyan and Somali officials say four foreign aid workers kidnapped Friday from a refugee camp in Kenya and taken to neighboring Somalia have been rescued and are safe. Officials say the aid workers were rescued overnight in Somalia after a short gunfight. On Friday, Kenyan police said one person was killed when unknown attackers kidnapped […]
First Direct Somalia-Somaliland Talks End in London
Two days of the first-ever formal talks between Somalia and the breakaway region of Somaliland ended near London Thursday. Both sides agreed that the talks should continue. Somali Interior Minister Abdisamad Moalim Mohamud told VOA that both sides agreed to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, piracy, illegal fishing, and dumping toxic wastes. He said […]
South Africans Freed From Somali Pirate Captivity
Two South Africans kidnapped 20 months ago by pirates off the Somali coast have been freed. Somali Defense Minister Hussein Arab Isse told reporters Thursday the pair were rescued by security forces during an early morning raid. However, a security source told VOA that a ransom was paid to win their release. The couple, Deborah […]
South African Couple Freed from Somali Pirates
Two South Africans kidnapped 20 months ago by pirates off the Somali coast have been freed. Somalia Defense Minister Hussein Arab Isse said Thursday that Somali security forces assisted in the release of the couple, who appeared at a news conference in Mogadishu on Thursday. The couple, Deborah Calitz and Bruno Pelizzari, had been held […]