Author: Mohamed Ali Jama
Security Forces Struggle to End Villa Rose Hotel Siege
Another hotel in Mogadishu, another terrorist attack, another siege and yet again the same security gaps as the militant group Al-Shabab has intensified its attacks in recent months. The police spokesman said 6 assailants stormed the Villa Rose Guest House early evening yesterday. Government officials and ministers have used the hotel as their residence in […]
Ma’awisley Vigilantes: The Surge to Oust Al-Shabab
It has already been three months since a motley array of Somali forces have been fighting the extremist group Al-Shabab on several fronts in the southern regions of Somalia. At the center of the surge, the ma’awisley, local self-defense groups, supplemented by the regular army and the police. However, mixed forces fighting on an equal […]
Terror attacks on Zoobe: All you need to know
More details are emerging from yesterday’s terrorist attacks that rocked Mogadishu. The two explosions that took place outside the Department of Education at the busy Zoobe intersection were reportedly carried out by Al-Shabab suicide bombers who detonated their car bombs. The site of the twin blasts is near the Somali Ministry of Education, but the […]
Public Anger over the Hayat Hotel Fiasco
Mogadishu is reeling and public anger is palpable two days after heavily armed al-Shabab militants stormed Hayat Hotel, one of the city’s supposedly secure hotels. it took nearly 30 hours for the longest siege in Somalia’s history to end, and for security forces to regain control after reportedly a group of armed men – the […]
Somali President Assaulted in Abu Dhabi
Ever since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahamoud appeared on video with obvious signs of assault on his face, stories have been rife. The video released by the Villa Somalia presidential palace was an attempt to dispel concerns over the president’s isolation since returning from the United Arab Emirates on June 24. What has fueled more […]
The Truth Behind The Lido Beach Restaurant Attack
The explosion two days ago at Mogadishu’s restaurant on Lido Beach is believed to be the work of a sophisticated network attempting to destabilize Somalia in order to secure an electoral win for the opposition. At the time of the blast, ten lawmakers and other dignitaries from Khatumo state of Somalia were having iftar with […]
Canadian Forces Abuses In Somalia, 29 Years Later
29 years ago, Canadian soldiers sent to Somalia as part of the global humanitarian effort captured a 16 year-old child named Shidane Abukar Arone and tortured him to death in their camp. On March 16, 1993, Shidane Arone was captured while looking for a lost child in proximity of the Canadian base in Beledweyne. He […]
No Somaliland Recognition Without Sool And Sanaag On Board
A recent remark by a British lawmaker promoting Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland has been sharply criticized by Somali Planning Minister Gamal Hassan. The minister, from the Sanaag region claimed by Somaliland, blasted the MP’s “complete ignorance of the situation on the ground”. The minister’s comment came at a time when British government and other […]
PM Roble Splashed By Revelation Of Land Grab
Somali Navy Commander General Abdihamid Mohamed Dirir accused Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble of looting naval land and building a house there. The revelation of the land grab was received like a bomb in the circle close to the Prime Minister who rush to exonerate him. He said it was “unfortunate and disappointing” that naval […]
ICJ Decision: A Victory At Great Cost
The long-awaited decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the case of the maritime dispute between Kenya and Somalia was handed down last week, largely proving Somalia right. It has been seven long years and Kenya’s repeated assaults on Somalia sovereignty have not swayed the Somali nation’s resolve not to be easily bullied. […]