Sunday 16, Feb 2025 {HMC} The 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of the Heads of State and Government on Saturday elected Selma Haddadi as the new AU Commission deputy chairperson.

Haddadi, Algerian ambassador to Ethiopia, was elected for the 2025-2028 term and will succeed Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the outgoing deputy chair and Rwanda’s former Minister of Trade and Industry, who was elected to the role in March 2021.

The Algerian diplomat secured victory over five other candidates from the Northern Africa region, as confirmed by Nsanzabaganwa.

In her vision statement ahead of the election, Haddadi pledged to bring new energy and improved management to the AU Commission, aiming to unleash Africa’s full potential.

She emphasized the importance of “fresh and innovative energy in unlocking Africa’s vast potential through the best use of its human capital resources, as part of providing African solutions to African problems.”

The AU assembly also elected Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf as the new AU Commission chairperson.

Sunday 16, Feb 2025 {HMC} At least two young men were killed and another injured in an attack by armed militias on herders in the Galo area, located 40 kilometers north of Dhusamareb, the capital of Galmudug, on Saturday night.

Eyewitnesses reported that one of the deceased was identified as Mohamed Shakir. The assailants, allegedly linked to ongoing clan disputes and previous killings in the Galgaduud region, fled the scene after the attack.
Residents expressed concerns that the incident could escalate tensions and lead to further violence.

Local authorities have yet to comment on the attack, but reports indicate that security forces have arrived at the scene and launched an operation to track down the perpetrators.

Sunday 16, Feb 2025 {HMC} Puntland has dispatched military experts to the front lines in the Al-Miskaat mountains in the Bari region as it prepares for the final phase of operations against ISIS militants.

General Mohamed Hirsi Morgan, a former high-ranking Somali National Army officer, and General Bashir America, the former commander of the Somali National Police, along with other security specialists, are the military experts who reached the mountains.

Their mission is to strategize and minimize further losses for Puntland’s forces, which have already suffered over 100 casualties, including several officers, in the prolonged battle against ISIS.

Videos circulating on social media show the military officials engaging in operational planning, signaling intensified efforts to conclude the offensive.

Puntland has lost numerous officers in the ongoing conflict, including General Mukhtaar Gaagale and Colonel Farhan Hareed, both of whom were killed on the front lines. Others, such as Gen. Fu’aad Xahano and Brigadier General Abdirahman Mohamed Jama, the deputy commander of the Puntland Dervish army, sustained injuries in the ongoing fighting.

The Puntland State government continues to reinforce its military campaign, claiming that hundreds of ISIS militants have been eliminated in combat operations since December. Authorities remain focused on eliminating the remaining insurgents as they advance into the final phase of the military offensive.

Sunday 16, Feb 2025 {HMC} Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday congratulated Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on his election as Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

In a statement, President Mohamud emphasized Somalia’s readiness to work closely with Youssouf to advance peace, security, and development across Africa. He also appreciated outgoing Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat’s leadership and dedication to the African Union (AU) during his tenure.

“Congratulations to H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on his election as Chairperson of the AU Commission and thanks H.E. Moussa Faki for his exemplary leadership. We recognize H.E. Raila Odinga for his dedication to regional cooperation. Somalia stands with the AU for a united and prosperous Africa,” President Mohamud said.

The election took place during the AU’s annual summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where Youssouf emerged victorious in a highly contested secret ballot. He secured the position after defeating Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and Madagascar’s former Foreign Minister Richard Randriamandrato, in multiple rounds of voting.

Youssouf was a close second in the first and second rounds behind Raila. In the following four rounds, Youssouf took the lead until he became the sole candidate in the seventh round, with an unassailable 33 votes needed for victory in the final.