Monday 21, April 2025 {HMC} Somalia’s National Independent Electoral Commission has extended the deadline for political association registration by nine days as the country gears up for its first one-person, one-vote local elections in over half a century, scheduled for late June.

Commission Chairperson Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan announced that the new registration window will run from April 22 to April 30, 2025. This marks the second time the Commission has extended the registration period for political associations.

In a statement issued Monday, the Commission said the decision was made in response to the slow pace of registrations and formal associations’ requests to finalize the necessary documentation.

“We are committed to providing equitable access to the process and ensuring that all political associations meeting the requirements have a chance to participate,” the statement read.

The extension comes as the Commission continues registering voters in Mogadishu, where thousands have already received voter cards since the process began last week. Registration is currently underway in multiple districts of the capital, including Shangani, Hamarweyne, Boondheere, and Shibis.

However, the reforms have drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders and officials in Puntland and Jubbaland, who argue that the central government is moving unilaterally without sufficient political consensus or institutional readiness.

Monday 21, April 2025 {HMC} The commander of Somalia’s Ma’awisleey community defense forces, Ali Jeyte Osman, has called for the relocation of children and wives of Al-Shabaab fighters from government-controlled areas to territories still under militant control.

During an interview with Radio Shabelle on Sunday, Ali Jeyte expressed frustration over the presence of families of Al-Shabaab militants living in safety within cities under federal administration while the group continues to target civilians and government forces.

“I would suggest that Al-Shabaab should take their children and wives to their places. They are in schools in the cities—I don’t think they should kill the children, but I would say take them to their places so that they feel the pressure,” Jeyte said.

Jeyte emphasized that while he does not advocate harming children, he believes the continued presence of militants’ families in urban areas undermines justice and places undue strain on communities still recovering from attacks.

He described Al-Shabaab as more ruthless than Somalia’s former colonial powers, accusing the group of having no respect for human life or religious principles. “They kill 500 people and claim they are closer to God, but they lie about the God who created them,” he said.

The controversial remarks come amid intensified military operations in the Middle and Lower Shabelle regions, where Somali government forces and allied militias are attempting to dislodge Al-Shabaab from key strongholds.

Al-Shabaab, which has waged a violent insurgency in Somalia for over 15 years, is designated a terrorist organization by the Somali government, the United Nations, the United States, and the African Union. The group continues to carry out suicide bombings, assassinations, and attacks against civilians and security forces across the country

Monday 21, April 2025 {HMC} An Ethiopian consular official stationed in Puntland was found dead in Las Anod on Saturday night, in a killing that has raised fresh concerns over security and accountability in the Sool region.

Farah Aydiid Jama, widely known as Bariiis, was reportedly abducted from his residence in Las Anod and later found tortured and executed in the Goja Adde Valley on the outskirts of the city. He was a security expert working with the Ethiopian Consulate in Garowe, the capital of Puntland, and was known for coordinating assistance to Ethiopian migrants in the region.

As of Sunday morning, neither the SSC-Khaatumo administration, the Puntland government, nor the Ethiopian Consulate had issued official statements regarding the killing.

The circumstances surrounding the murder remain unclear, though early reports suggest that the official was specifically targeted. Residents say the body showed signs of torture, indicating a deliberate and possibly politically motivated killing.

Las Anod has a grim history of targeted assassinations, especially during the period it was under Somaliland’s administration. A wave of killings, mostly targeting local officials—many of them from the Sool region—triggered widespread unrest that culminated in a mass uprising in early 2023. The unrest ultimately led to Somaliland forces being pushed out of the city and the establishment of the SSC-Khaatumo administration.

The question of who was behind those past assassinations remains contentious.

Authorities have not announced any arrests or suspects, and an investigation has yet to be launched.

Monday 21, April 2025 {HMC} A 14-year-old girl was killed by a lioness outside the Kenyan capital Nairobi when she was snatched at a ranch bordering the southern edge of a national park, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said Sunday.

The animal had entered a residential compound near Nairobi National Park on Saturday night after jumping over a makeshift fence, KWS Senior Corporate Communications Manager Paul Udoto told CNN.

The lioness then entered a house and attacked the girl, who was inside with a second teenager. “There is no evidence of provocation from the victims,” Udoto said.

The second teenager immediately raised the alarm, prompting KWS rangers and emergency teams to respond to the incident. Upon arrival, the team traced bloodstains leading to the Mbagathi River, where the girl’s body was recovered with injuries on her lower back.

Authorities have set a trap and deployed teams to search for the lioness. They are also trying to reinforce security measures, including electric fencing and AI-powered early warning systems to notify communities of nearby animal movements, Udoto said.

Separate animal attack
In a different incident on Friday, an elephant attacked a 54-year-old man while he was grazing livestock at a forest in Kenya’s Nyeri County. The man sustained chest injuries, fractured ribs and internal trauma, and was declared dead upon arriving at a hospital, KWS said.

The agency added that both attacks underscore a need for “continued investment in human-wildlife conflict mitigation – through strategic interventions, early warning systems, and strengthened collaboration with affected communities.”

KWS teams are still investigating the attacks, but preliminary findings suggest both are “linked to broader ecological pressures and human encroachment on wildlife habitats,” Udoto said.

KWS suspects the lioness was disoriented or diverted from her normal hunting behavior due to a scarcity of prey in her natural range and increasing human activity around the park, Udoto added.

The elephant, meanwhile, attacked the victim after he entered the forest to graze livestock. “It was the human activity that encroached upon the animal’s range, creating conditions for conflict,” Udoto said.

“KWS conveys its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and continues to work closely with local law enforcement and communities to enhance the safety of people living near protected wildlife areas,” the agency said.

Lion and elephant attacks are considered relatively rare, but they can happen in isolated areas, near national parks and game reserves.

Lion attacks account for less than 2% of all reported incidents involving humans and wildlife, Udoto said. Elephant-related incidents are more common and tend to happen during dry seasons, when the animals migrate in search of water and food and encounter farmland or settlements, Udoto added.