Monday 24,Febr-2025 {HMC} Puntland regional forces seized several strategic sites from the Islamic State group (ISIS) in the Al-Miskaat mountains of Puntland’s Bari region on Sunday.

The military operation captured key locations—including Dararmadobe, Uraar and the Four Corners of Mountains in Gaatir Oodan—that had served as command and defense bases for ISIS militants over many years.

Officials said vehicles and motorbikes rigged with explosives were found in the areas. These devices had been destroyed by recent airstrikes conducted by the federal government in collaboration with the United States.

Troops also uncovered mass graves containing bodies. Among those discovered were senior ISIS members killed in the airstrikes, according to Puntland authorities.

Security forces have been conducting operations against the terrorist group for more than a month, liberating large areas from its control.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from the terror groups al-Shabaab and ISIS.

Source Hiiraan online

Monday 24,Febr-2024 {HMC} After 35 years, the Federal Government of Somalia has successfully exited the list of countries in arrears to the United Nations Security Council. Countries that do not pay their dues are not allowed to vote in the General Assembly sessions of the United Nations, as indicated by the list that includes several nations.

This achievement came after the Somali government settled its outstanding dues, significantly enhancing Somalia’s standing on the international stage.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Government of Somalia, H.E Ahmed Moallim Fiqi told the Somali National News Agency (SONNA) that this success comes as Somalia heads to the world stage and is ready to take part in the General Assembly of the United Nations as one of the voters.

Source SONNA 

Monday 24,Febr-2024 {HMC} Former Somalia Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble had been reportedly denied a visa application for intending to travel to South Africa while in Nairobi.

The South African High Commission in Nairobi reportedly denied his visa application. Additionally, it was reported that the Somali government suspended Roble’s diplomatic passport, and his request to the Somali Embassy in Nairobi was also denied.

However, Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, dismissed these claims in an interview with VOA America, stating that the issue originated from the South African side, rather than the Somali government.

“We issued the letter that former Prime Minister Roble requested. It is not true that the Somali government refused to provide a recommendation letter for his visa application,” Fiqi said.

Somalia Government Denies Involvement in Former Somali PM Delegation Visa Denial in Nairobi
Earlier, the Somali government, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sent a letter to the South African High Commission in Nairobi, listing six officials who were part of Roble’s delegation to South Africa. This letter was dated February 1, 2025.

An official from the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that the visa applications were halted because South African authorities raised concerns about certain individuals on the list, citing alleged links to terrorist networks and drug smuggling in Somalia.

“The issue was that some of the names raised red flags, which is why South Africa did not accept the visa applications for the six individuals. Only the former prime minister was approved,” the official said.

The former Prime Minister did not respond to queries regarding the denial of his delegation’s visa application but according to his close aide and former minister, Abdullahi Arab, suggested that the visa denial for Roble’s delegation was a “targeted action orchestrated by Mogadishu.”

According to Arab, Roble resorted to using his Swedish passport.

About Mohamed Hussein Roble

Mohamed Hussein Roble is a Somali politician who served as the Prime Minister of Somalia from September 23, 2020, to June 25, 2022.

Born in Hobyo in February 1968, Roble earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Somali National University and a Master of Arts in environmental and sustainable engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.

Prior to his appointment as Prime Minister, Roble worked as an NGO worker and served as a technical advisor for engineering at the International Labour Organization.

Monday 24,Febr-2024 {HMC} Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud landed in Tripoli, Libya, on Sunday for an official visit to enhance bilateral ties.

Senior Libyan officials greeted the president and his delegation at the airport, praising both nations for their longstanding commitment to a strong relationship.

President Mohamud is set to meet with Libyan Presidential Council President Mohamed Yunus Al-Menfi to discuss regional developments and shared interests. Their talks will likely focus on security, political cooperation, efforts to combat trafficking, and the repatriation of Somali youth held under harsh conditions in Libyan prisons.

Somali government, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, recently rescued hundreds of Somali migrants from trafficking networks and repatriated them to Somalia.

Since 2014, Libya has become a major transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East who are trying to get to Europe to flee instability and violence.

Source Hiiraan online

Monday 24,Febr-2024 {HMC} Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and allies on Sunday signed a charter that paved the way for the establishment of a parallel government, as Sudan’s army made advances recently against the rival groups.

The signing ceremony was held behind closed doors in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, after a highly publicized meeting last week in a building owned by the Kenyan government was condemned by the Foreign Ministry in Khartoum.

The signatories said they would establish a government of “peace and unity” despite concerns from human rights groups and the international community, which have accused RSF of committing atrocities and genocide since it started battling Sudan’s army in April 2023.

The war in Sudan has killed more than 24,000 people and driven over 14 million people — about 30% of the population — from their homes, according to the United Nations. An estimated 3.2 million Sudanese have escaped to neighboring countries.

The U.N. last week said that throughout 2024, its human rights office documented more than 4,200 civilian killings, adding that the total number is likely much higher.

Sudan’s military has gained the upper hand in the conflict as the RSF suffered multiple blows, including losing control of the city of Wad Medani, the capital of Gezira province, and other areas in the province. The Sudanese military also regained control of the country’s largest oil refinery.

The RSF appears to have lost control of the Greater Khartoum area and the cities of Omdurman and Khartoum Bahri.

Source AP