Browsing: Somalia

• The civil society has opposed Somalia plan to reduce Adult Age to 15 
• Under Somalia’s provisional constitution, a child is defined as a person under the age of 18.
• he proposed amendments also include physical development as the determining factor in a person’s majority.

Somalia’s parliament should reject any proposed constitutional amendments that would weaken rights protections for children, Human Rights Watch has said.

On March 30, 2024, both houses of parliament are expected to vote on the proposed amendments, which would reduce the age of majority – increasing the risk of child marriage and lowered juvenile justice standards – and possibly permit certain forms of female genital mutilation.…

• These businesses, along with their affiliates in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Cyprus and UAE form the backbone of a sophisticated network that launders millions of dollars for Al-Shabaab.
• US says firms such as Nairobi-based Crown Bus Services and other investment projects that masquerade as legit commercial ventures, empower Al-Shabaab’s lethal agenda.
• Al-Shabaab is estimated to siphon over $100 million per year from the regional and global financial system.

The US, through its Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), has cast a wide net across the UAE, Kenya, Uganda, and Somalia, targeting entities and individuals with wide-ranging sanctions for their complicity in financing Al-Shabaab terror network.

This designation, enveloping 16 entities and individuals, reveals the intricate web of financial operations spanning from the Horn of Africa to the opulent corridors of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the serene island nation of Cyprus.

This sprawling network, carefully pieced …

• The US Navy SEALs executed a complex boarding of a dhow near the coast of Somalia in the international waters of the Arabian Sea, seizing Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missile components.
• The seized items included propulsion, guidance, and warheads for the Yemen-based terror group Houthi medium-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles.
• During the operation, however, one Navy SEAL fell into the rough waters off Somalia’s coast, and a second SEAL followed, attempting to rescue him in vain.

The US Navy has declared two SEALs, who went missing off the coast of Somalia 11 days ago, dead following a futile search and rescue mission.

The two Navy SEALs were reported missing after a risky mission involving the boarding of a vessel loaded with missile assembly materials in operation on the night of January 11 off the coast of Somalia, as stated by the United States Central Command in an …

• The Horn of Africa has been grappling with the most severe drought in 40 years since late 2020.
• Rain-fed agriculture in parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia worst hit as harvests drop to 70 percent of normal standards.
• A United Nations-backed conference raised $2.4 billion on May 24th to address famine in the Horn of Africa.

The worst drought in a-half-century is causing severe economic hit on economies in the Horn of Africa. This is due to the economies’ heavy reliance on agriculture, and other climate-vulnerable resources.

Drought has led to reduced rainfall and water, severely reducing agricultural production. Crops failed, and pasturelands dried up. As a result, millions of heads of livestock died due to a lack of water and fodder. Millions of farmers are experiencing significant crop losses and decreased livestock productivity. Consequently, huge populations are grappling with thinning incomes and food shortages.

Agricultural losses, food insecurity

Rain-fed …

• The program, which runs for 18 months, aims to support political stabilization and reconciliation in Somalia, a fragile country in the Horn of Africa.
• In line with the National Stabilization Strategy the financing will go to water infrastructure, security, and reconciliation initiatives. 
• The EU is making tangible progress in supporting Somalia’s transition to a peaceful and stable nation. The project also seeks to enhance the legitimacy of Somali authorities in locations recently liberated within Hirshabelle, Galmudug, Southwest, and Jubaland State.

The European Union alongside the Nordic International Support Foundation have launched a $4.9 million Rapid Nationwide Stabilisation project in Somalia aimed at further strengthening the fragile country’s water infrastructure, security and reconcilliation initiatives. 

The European Union to the Federal Republic of Somalia together with the Somali authorities and its implementing partner the Nordic International Support Foundation recently launched the new program which will run over an 18-month period.

“We are …

• AfDB announces US$ 1.5 billion funding for emergency food responce
• AfDB pledges seeds & fertilizers for 20 million smallholder farmers
• Oxfam warns of famine in Somalia

In May 2022, the African Development Bank (AfDB) Board of Directors approved $1.5 billion in funding for what the bank called the African Emergency Food Production Facility; one year down the road, has the funding achieved its purpose?

AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina described the facility as a necessary support for Africa’s emergency food response in the face of shortages caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.

The bank’s President said the funding will help to significantly increase food production in Africa and avert what he at the time described as ‘the looming food crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.’

Making the announcement at the Summit of G7 leaders last year in Washington, Mr. Adesina announced that the African Development Bank (AfDB) would out of its own …

The diplomatic Somalia-China relations have played a crucial role in the Chinese government’s development of over 80 infrastructure projects in Somalia, including the national stadium, Banadir hospital, and north-south highway.…

According to a Fair Tech Institute whitepaper by Access Partnership, a global public policy firm for the technology sector, the annual number of natural disasters is set to increase by 37 per cent from 442 to 541 occurrences by 2025.

The whitepaper highlights the urgency with which national governments and the private sector must attach satellite technology to implement more effective disaster management efforts in Africa and globally.

The whitepaper comes after several organizations agreed that climate change would make weather-related disasters more frequent and widespread in coming years.…

Somali PM Mohamed Roble has apologised to the UAE for the seizure of US$9.6 million in April 2018.

The Somali government, at the time, said the money seized at Mogadishu airport was intended for purposes of destabilising the country.

On the contrary, the UAE claimed it was for paying the salaries of the Somali military.

Read: Mastercard signs partners to elevate e-commerce in Somalia with new debit card launch

The back story

After the seizure, security officials in Somalia said the substantial amount of cash was intercepted after the plane landed from Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, at Mogadishu airport.

There were three suitcases carrying the US$9.6 million which were put in storage inside Somalia’s national bank, according to two senior security officers.

Security officials in Somalia said they had intercepted a substantial amount of cash that landed from Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, at Mogadishu airport on …

• MyBank, Mastercard and Network International have partnered to launch a new Mastercard debit card in Somalia
• The new physical card is a first for MyBank in the country and will enable consumers to transact in-store at various points of sale and at ATMs
• The initiative is expected to contribute to significantly boosting digital payments penetration in Somalia and will be supported by an awareness programme, educating customers on the card benefits and usage

As part of continued efforts to expand access to the digital economy and drive financial inclusion in Somalia, MyBank, Mastercard, and Network International have partnered to launch a new Mastercard debit card that seamlessly enables online shopping in Somalia.

The new physical card is a first for MyBank in the country. It will enable consumers to transact in-store at various points of sale and ATMs while also giving them the ability to make online purchases through e-commerce …