Somalia Launches Digital Counter-extremism Center
Somalia’s government has launched a digital counter-extremism center that aims to dissuade young Somalis from supporting militant groups such as al-Shabab and Islamic State. The Somali Ministry of Information says the center will carry out campaigns on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and state-run media designed to promote stability in the Horn of Africa nation, which has […]
Al-Shabab Stones Man to Death in Somalia
A 44-year-old man has been stoned to death by the al-Shabab militant group in Rama Addey town in southern Somalia’s Bay region, reports say. The al-Shabab militant group on its official website said the man was convicted for adultery in Ufurow town, 60 kilometers west of Baidoa. Al-Shabab said the relatives of the woman involved […]
VOA Exclusive: Dozens More US Troops Deployed to Somalia
Dozens of American soldiers have deployed to Mogadishu to train and equip Somali and AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) forces fighting extremism in that country, U.S. military officials told VOA. The troops’ arrival marks the first presence of American military forces in Somalia, other than a small unit of counterterrorism advisers, since March 1994 […]
US Ambassador’s Gift to Somali President Leads to Confusion on Social Media
Controversy is surrounding Friday’s meeting between U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Stephen Schwartz, who was appointed by former president Barack Obama, and new Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo. The controversy is not so much about the meeting but what happened during the photo opportunity when Schwartz gave Farmajo a hat bearing a slogan that appears to […]
Somali Rape Law Gets First Test
A gang rape video recorded in central Somalia could serve as a powerful test case for Puntland state’s new sexual violence statute, and potentially for the rule of law in general in Somalia. A group of men arrested and accused of gang raping and stabbing a pair of young girls in Somalia’s Puntland state in […]
Somali Officials Vow to Retake Puntland Town
Somali regional authorities in Puntland are vowing to retake a town captured by pro-Islamic State militants this week. The president of the region, Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, said his administration would push back against the militants, who faced little opposition when they took over Qandala. “Puntland always defended itself, and is going to defend itself,” […]