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Somali government forces, opposition clash

Somali government forces, opposition clash

ABDI SHEIK SOMALI government troops and opposition supporters - including some soldiers - exchanged gunfire in Mogadishu yesterday in street clashes that broke out during a protest march over delayed elections. Demonstrators said they had been attacked first by the government forces. Residents reported sporadic shooting and said rocket-propelled grenades had also been fired. The violence, which followed fighting overnight, subsided by Friday afternoon. But it fueled concern that the military could split along clan lines. It could also strengthen an al Qaeda-linked insurgency, especially as hundreds of U.S. troops have just pulled out of Somalia. Lawmakers were due to…
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Suicide bomber kills six in Mogadishu ice-cream parlour

Suicide bomber kills six in Mogadishu ice-cream parlour

A suicide bomber blew himself up in an ice-cream parlour in the Somali capital Mogadishu, killing six people and wounding eight, an official said. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the blast, but the Islamist insurgent group al Shabaab frequently carries out bombings in the capital and elsewhere. The group is allied with al Qaeda and wants to rule Somalia according to its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law. The Gelato Divino parlour is located near K4 Junction in the heart of Mogadishu, near the international airport. "A suicide bomber blew up himself in the ice-cream restaurant,"…
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‘Humanitarian e-commerce’ thrives in Somalia amid pandemic

‘Humanitarian e-commerce’ thrives in Somalia amid pandemic

ABDI SHEIKH MUSLIMA Abdirahman, a Somali mother of nine, escaped death twice in the past two years while shopping for groceries in Mogadishu, where Islamist insurgents regularly carry out suicide bombings on busy streets and markets. She shudders at the memories: "I wiped my tears with my veil and went home on foot without buying anything." But earlier this year Abdirahman traded her dangerous errands for online shopping, thanks to the World Food Programme's "humanitarian e-commerce" system in Somalia -- part of its global shift from distributing food to handing out cash. Conceived as a way to protect women in…
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At least 13 Somali soldiers killed after clash with al Shabaab

At least 13 Somali soldiers killed after clash with al Shabaab

FEISAL OMAR and ABDI SHEIKH AT least 13 Somali troops have died after the army attacked militant group al Shabaab in jungle and farms near the district of Afgoye northwest of the capital, Mogadishu, a military official said. Al Shabaab has battled since 2008 to overthrow Somalia's internationally-recognised central government and establish its rule, based on its own interpretation of Islamic law. "We left Afgoye district and attacked al Shabaab in the farms outside Afgoye," Major Mohamed Ali told Reuters, describing Wednesday's incident in the district about 30 km (19 miles) from Mogadishu. "We killed four militants and chased al…
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Somali architect looks at city’s ruined past and dreams of the future

Somali architect looks at city’s ruined past and dreams of the future

ABDI SHEIKH  MOGADISHU is a city of ruined glory: crenellated towers crumble by the sea and sand whirls against the pockmarked archways of the roofless old cathedral. But one young man, returning to his family's homeland, walks through the streets and dreams of their future. Omar Degan, 30, was born in Italy to Somali parents who left three years before civil war broke out in 1991. He studied architecture in Italy and Hong Kong before returning to Mogadishu in 2017, part of an influx of young diaspora Somalis returning to rebuild their country. "I feel extremely sad and angry when…
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Somali pirates hijack Panama-flagged ship

Somali pirates hijack Panama-flagged ship

ABDIQANI HASSAN SOMALI pirates have hijacked a Panama-flagged ship, a regional official told Reuters on Thursday, the first successful hijack since 2017. The ship was travelling from the United Arab Emirates to Mogadishu port when it appeared to develop mechanical problems said Musse Salah, the governor of Gardafu region in the semi-autonomous northern region of Puntland. It was attacked by six pirates on Wednesday night, he said. The number and nationality of the crew was unclear but discussions were underway to free them, he said. At the height of their power in 2011, Somali pirates launched 237 attacks off the…
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Death toll from attack on Mogadishu hotel rises to 16

Death toll from attack on Mogadishu hotel rises to 16

ABDI SHEIKH AT least 16 people were killed in an attack by the Islamist group al Shabaab on a seaside hotel in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, according to government spokesman Ismail Mukhtar Omar. The toll includes 11 victims and five assailants, Omar said. "Security forces lost one, 18 people were injured," he said in a Twitter post. Militants stormed the high-end Elite Hotel in Lido beach, detonated a car bomb and then opened fire with assault rifles, the latest attack by al Shabaab, which has been battling the country's central government since 2008. The hotel is owned by Abdullahi Mohamed Nor,…
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Blast rocks military base in Somali capital, at least eight dead

Blast rocks military base in Somali capital, at least eight dead

ABDI SHEIKH A huge blast has rocked a military base in Somalia's capital Mogadishu near a stadium, killing at least eight people and injuring 14, emergency workers said. Soldiers opened fire after the explosion which sent clouds of smoke into the sky, said Halima Abdisalan, a mother of three who lives near the area. "We ran indoors in fear," she told Reuters. "Soon I could see a military pickup speeding and carrying many soldiers covered with blood. I do not know if they were all dead or injured." Army officer Major Abdullahi Mohamud said it was an attack. "It must…
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