Tuesday 8,April 2025 {HMC} The Somali National Army, in coordination with local forces, launched a major offensive against Al-Shabaab militants who had infiltrated the Aboorey area in the Hiiraan region. The joint forces successfully cleared the area, forcing the militants to retreat. Pursuit operations are currently underway to track down the fleeing insurgents.

This operation is part of a wider military campaign targeting Al-Shabaab hideouts across central Somalia. Recent offensives have been reported in areas surrounding Runirgood district, and in Guulane and Ceel Cali Axmed in Middle Shabelle, as well as between Buulo-Burde and Jalalaqsi in the Hiiraan region.

Security officials report that Al-Shabaab has suffered significant losses in these coordinated operations.

Tuesday 8,April 2025 {HMC} Armed militants who abducted five chiefs in Mandera are demanding for Sh6 million before letting them walk back to Kenya.

The Standard has established that the elders who have been leading negotiation efforts had briefed the families that the militia linked to terror group Al Shabaab wanted Sh6 million in exchange for the chiefs’ freedom.

This is after it was reported that the chiefs had been released on Sunday after two months in captivity.

However, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Monday their release but said the five were still in Somalia.

The chiefs and a daughter of one of the administrators have been in captivity in Somalia, where they were taken on February 3.

The five Mohamed Adawa, Mohamed Hassan, Abdi Hassan, Mohamed Noor Hache and assistant chief Ibrahim Gabow were heading to Elwak ahead of President William Ruto’s tour of the county.

“Yes, it is true we have good news from Mandera that the five chiefs have been released. We will issue a comprehensive statement once they arrive in the country,” said Murkomen while in Mombasa over a fact-finding tour on deteriorating security in the coastal region.

Preliminary reports indicated that the chiefs were released on Sunday and handed over to Kenyan elders at the centre of the negotiations.

“No money was given, but we understand the elders were told to consider giving unspecified reward as a gesture of goodwill,” said a source aware of the process.

According to Murkomen, once the chiefs arrive in the country, they will be debriefed before being interrogated.

A relative to one of the chiefs however maintained they were still in darkness regarding the whereabouts of their loved ones.

The source, however, confirmed that they had been contacted by the elders on Sunday, who told them that Al Shabaab wanted Sh6 million in exchange for the chiefs’ freedom.

Last Tuesday, The Standard reported that the militants were willing to release the chiefs. This after elders from both sides of Kenya and Somalia finally managed to persuade the insurgents to set free the chiefs believed to been held within Jilbi region.

For almost two months, the chiefs had remained in captivity, and elders were engaged in the hope that they could reach out to the militants who live among local communities. The Al Shabaab militants had initially demanded some ransom.

“We’re waiting whether they will honour their promise of setting the chiefs free after Eid Mubarak celebrations. This message was relayed through our elders engaging those from the Somalia side. So it remains a wait-and-see situation at the moment,” said our source.

Nominated Senator Mariam Omar recently called on the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to provide regular and detailed updates on the efforts being made to rescue the abducted chiefs.

“We are urging the government to prioritise the immediate and safe return of these abducted leaders and civilians,” said Omar.

Tuesday 8,April 2025 {HMC} Criminal investigators in Kenya said on Monday they have concluded a probe into the death of a young mother in 2012 who was last seen alive in the company of British solders who were in the country for training.

The office of the public prosecutor said it had received the file and had put together a team of senior prosecutors to review the case.

The body of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru was found in a septic tank at Nanyuki town, north of Mt. Kenya, weeks after witnesses said she was seen leaving a bar with British soldiers.

Wanjiru’s family has in the past decried delayed justice because nobody had been charged in court.

On Monday, U.K Defense Secretary John Healey met Wanjiru’s relatives and vowed to “help the family secure the justice they deserve.”

“It was deeply humbling to meet the family of Agnes Wanjiru today. In the 13 years since her death they have shown such strength in their long fight for justice,” Healey said in a statement on X. “We will continue to offer our full support to the Kenyan authorities.”

Healey said he would meet Kenya’s President William Ruto, adding: “I will emphasise the need to accelerate progress in this case.”

In a statement shared by the British embassy, the family said it was grateful to have met Healey after being “offered too many empty promises.” They added that they were hoping the U.K and Kenya would work together to bring closure to the matter.

Wanjiru’s daughter, who was five-months old when her mother disappeared and is now 13, has remained in the care of her grandmother and aunt.

Britain has roughly 200 military personnel permanently based in Kenya. Most of them currently are training more than 1,000 Kenyan soldiers a year before their deployment to neighboring Somalia to combat al-Qaida’s longtime East Africa affiliate, al-Shabab.

The British government invests more than 1.1 billion Kenyan shillings ($9.6 million) every year into the partnership. Kenyans have in the past raised concerns about the way British forces treat local residents and the environment in their training ground.

Tuesday 8,April 2025 {HMC}  Security stakeholders in Somalia have convened for a high-level briefing aimed at strengthening collaboration and enhancing safety measures in the mission area.

The meeting, held at the UN Headquarters in Mogadishu, was chaired by the United Nations Principal Security Adviser (PSA), Mr Joseph Katuramu.

It brought together key officials from the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS), including Deputy Security Adviser Mr. John Douglas, the Chief Security Officer for UNSOS, and the Commander of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) UN Guard Unit XI, Lt Col Peter Ruyogoza Barigye.

Mr Katuramu emphasized the need for unity and vigilance among security stakeholders, particularly peacekeepers and the UN security apparatus.

“As leaders, we must continually manage, supervise, and oversee our forces to ensure that the security of all posts is maintained. This is vital for ensuring the safety of those we support,” he said.

He underscored the importance of fostering a collaborative environment where information sharing and joint planning are central to effective mission security.

The Deputy Security Adviser Mr John Douglas praised the professionalism and alertness of the UPDF troops serving under the UN Guard Unit, noting their consistent readiness.

“Each time I pass by, I see the forces ready and on alert,” he remarked, encouraging the personnel to maintain their high standards.

He acknowledged the effective cooperation between different teams in safeguarding UN personnel, assets, and facilities.

Lt Col Barigye said the meeting is a critical initiative for enhancing mission security. He pledged continued cooperation with all stakeholders to ensure the protection of the UN compound and its operations.

The PSA’s induction meeting marks a renewed commitment to strengthening mission security in Somalia, reflecting a strategic shift toward joint action and proactive risk management.

Other senior UN security officials in attendance included Deputy PSA Mr Mark Gdela, Chief Operations/SOC Ms Magretha Strydom, Chief PREMSEC Mr Pathou Gangale, Deputy Chief PREMSEC Mr Levan Beselia, the Deputy UNGU Commander, Major Jacob Gowan Kaburika, various departmental heads, and officers responsible for security operations.

Tuesday 8,April 2025 {HMC}  A Somali government military officer, Sheegow Ahmed Ali, died Monday night at Digfeer Hospital in Mogadishu after suffering from liver failure and complications related to Hepatitis B, according to Somali health officials.

Sheegow had been in custody since late 2023 and was serving a ten-year sentence handed down by a military court after being convicted in connection with clashes between his forces and federal troops in Mogadishu last August.

Minister of Health Dr. Ali Haaji Aden confirmed that Sheegow had been hospitalized for treatment prior to his death. “He had a history of liver failure and tested positive for Hepatitis B,” the minister said. He also urged the public, particularly the deceased’s community, to remain calm and avoid misinterpreting the circumstances surrounding his death.

Members of Sheegow’s family and federal officials from the Jareerweyne clan have rejected unverified claims that he was poisoned while in custody, calling such reports “baseless and harmful.”

In a joint statement, the family urged restraint and respect for the deceased, adding, “We are satisfied with the medical report from Digfeer Hospital and ask others not to create unnecessary confusion.”

Minister Dahabo Suusow, a relative of Sheegow, emphasized the appeal for calm and acknowledged the hospital’s findings, urging the public to refrain from spreading misinformation.

In his military career, Sheegow previously served in the Bariirre area of Lower Shabelle. In a 2017 interview with the BBC, he reported that his unit had repelled an al-Shabaab attack that left 18 militants dead.