Wednesday 27,Nov,2024 {HMC}. Pakistan’s security forces have driven supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from the capital, Islamabad, following a sweeping crackdown overnight.

Authorities reopened roads linking the city with the rest of the country, ending a four-day lockdown, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Wednesday, confirming that the capital had been cleared.

Security personnel arrested hundreds of protesters during the operation and cleared the centre of the city of thousands who had gathered to demand the release of the politician, who alleges the charges are politically motivated.

On Wednesday morning, city workers were cleaning up debris and clearing the shipping containers that had been used by authorities to block roads leading into the capital to halt the protesters’ march.

The march on the capital was called by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. It had planned to stage a sit-in to press for the release of Khan, who has been jailed since August 2023 in connection with more than 150 cases. The cricketer-turned-politician claims the cases were intended to prevent his comeback in contested elections this year.

Late on Tuesday, the army took control of D-Chowk, a large square in the Red Zone where protesters had gathered.

PTI announced a “temporary suspension” of the protests, broadcaster Geo News reported on Wednesday.

Mohammad Asim, PTI’s president for the city of Peshawar in the party’s northern stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told news agency Reuters that the party would “chalk out the new strategy later after proper consultation”.

He said Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, a key Khan ally, had returned “safely” to the province from Islamabad. Police are known to be seeking Bibi’s arrest.

Police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services in some parts of the country. However, services have now been restored.

Source Al-jaziira News

Wednesday 27,Nov,2024 {HMC}. Somalia’s Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to the European Union, Dr. Khadija Osoble Ali, formally presented her credentials to Charles Michel, President of the European Council, during a ceremony in Brussels.

Ambassador Khadija emphasized the significance of Somalia-EU collaboration in tackling regional challenges and fostering partnerships that promote mutual growth and stability.

She expressed her gratitude to Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for entrusting her with the role and acknowledged the support of her colleagues in advancing Somalia’s diplomatic objectives.

“I am committed to strengthening Somalia’s relationship with the European Union and addressing shared priorities through deeper engagement,” Ambassador Khadija stated.

Ambassador Khadija holds a Ph.D. in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding from George Mason University in the United States. She previously served as Minister of State from 2000 to 2002 in the government of Ali Khaliif Galeyr and was a member of Somalia’s Arta Parliament.

Wednesday 27,Nov,2024 {HMC}. Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants began a ceasefire Wednesday in a major step toward ending nearly 14 months of fighting as a region on edge wondered whether it will hold.

Some celebratory gunshots could be heard in parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs, battered over the past two months, but no immediate violations of the ceasefire were reported.

Israel has said it will attack if Hezbollah breaks the agreement, and an Israeli military spokesman, in an Arabic-language X post in the first half-hour of the ceasefire, warned evacuated residents of southern Lebanon to not head home yet, saying the military remained deployed there.

The ceasefire calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are to return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troopsand U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor compliance.

The ceasefire began at 4 a.m. Wednesday, a day after Israel carried out its most intense wave of airstrikes in Beirut since the start of the conflict that in recent weeks turned into all-out war. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities.

The ceasefire does not address the devastating war in Gaza, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable.

There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal but which Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected.

Israel’s security Cabinet approved the U.S.-France-brokered ceasefire agreement after Netanyahu presented it, his office said. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Biden administration spent much of this year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza but the talks repeatedly sputtered to a halt. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East without saying how, and his team linked the deal to Trump’s looming return to office.

Any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year.

Israel says it will ‘attack with might’ if Hezbollah breaks truce

Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed accomplishments against Israel’s enemies. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran.

“If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.”

Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal “was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.”

Netanyahu’s office said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.”

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire and described it as a crucial step toward stability and the return of displaced people.

Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday it had not seen the agreement in its final form.

“After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network.

“We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state,” he said, referring to Israel’s demand for freedom of action. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.”

Warplanes bombard Beirut and its southern suburbs

Even as ceasefire efforts gained momentum in recent days, Israel continued to strike what it called Hezbollah targets across Lebanon while the militants fired rockets, missiles and drones across the border.

An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in central Beirut — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

Israel also struck a building in Beirut’s bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties.

The Israeli military said it struck targets linked to Hezbollah’s financial arm.

The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously were not targeted. Residents fled. Traffic was gridlocked, with mattresses tied to some cars. Dozens of people, some wearing pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed overhead.

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered.

UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said peacekeepers will not evacuate.

Israeli forces reach Litani River in southern Lebanon

The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border.

Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah is required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border.

Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have exchanged barrages ever since.

Israel escalated its bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes.

More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members.

Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon.
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Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut and Federman from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed.

Wednesday 27,Nov,2024 {HMC} Over 80 soldiers from Jubbaland’s regional forces have joined the Somali federal government’s military operation against AS in Raskamboni, Lower Jubba, military officials confirmed Tuesday.

The federal government stated that the federal troops arriving in Raskamboni over the past two days will secure areas vacated by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) while continuing efforts to dismantle AS presence in the region.

Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Iraqi, commander of the Somali National Army’s (SNA) 18th Battalion of Special Forces, welcomed the integration of Jubbaland soldiers and urged them to commit fully to the mission.

“Their participation strengthens our efforts to ensure security and liberate the country from al-Shabab,” Iraqi said.

The deployment of nearly 1,000 federal troops to Raskamboni marks a significant escalation in Somalia’s ongoing military operations against the militant group. Federal government underscored that the move is part of broader preparations to transition security responsibilities from ATMIS to Somali forces, as the African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) is set to replace ATMIS on January 1, 2025.

Source Hiiraan online

Wednesday 27,Nov,2024 {HMC} The re-election of Ahmed Islam Mohammed alias “Madobe” as president of the Juba Region has reignited tensions with the federal government in Mogadishu, which has not recognized the legitimacy of the vote. The federal government has mobilized its troops to take control of the region, whose administration has organized its own presidential elections maintaining the indirect voting system, in open contrast with the constitutional reform promoted by the president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and already approved by the parliament in Mogadishu. According to the text voted last April, the reform promotes a centralization of powers and gives the federal president the authority to appoint and dismiss prime ministers, as well as greater control over appointments to the Electoral Commission, taking away autonomy from the regional states. In protest against this line, last March the authorities of the semi-autonomous state of Puntland severed their relations with Mogadishu, claiming to remain with an indirect system of elections. The same line was adopted by the Juba Province.

In reaction to Madobe’s electoral victory and the aggressive tone of his inaugural speech – “in the Juba region I am the only president” – the federal government today sent seven planes loaded with troops to the town of Ras Kamboni – known as Cape Chiambone since it passed from a British Kenyan colony to the Kingdom of Italy in 1924 – including special police and military units trained by Turkey known as Haram’ad and Gorgor. In statements collected by the local news site “Caasimada online”, the commander of the 18th division of the Somali army Hassan Iraqi said that the ongoing military maneuvers are focused on capturing operational bases intended to be abandoned by Kenyan troops by the end of the year, at the end of their mandate as part of the African Union Peacekeeping Mission (ATMIS). According to press sources, the federal government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is also preparing to deploy additional troops to the Gedo region tomorrow, November 27, particularly in Ras Kamboni and El Wak, on the border with Kenya.

According to other sources, in the meantime, Federal Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has started negotiations with the troops of the Juba in Afmadu, pushing the regional military to pass into the ranks of the federal army, as part of a strategic plan to bring the cities of the Juba under the control of Mogadishu. However, the capital Kismayo is an exception to this influence exercised by Mogadishu, the stronghold of the regional president Madobe, who in turn has sent his men to Ras Kamboni to counter the military maneuvers of the federal government. A situation that increases the risk of a military showdown between the parties and endangers not only the administration of Madobe but the entire regional state, large parts of which are now under the control of Al Shabaab.

Ahmed Islam Mohamed alias “Madobe” was re-elected to a second term as president with 55 votes out of the 75 total cast by the regional parliament. Two other candidates, Abubakar Abdi Hassan and Faisal Abdi Matan, received four and 16 votes respectively and acknowledged defeat. Madobe gave a harsh inauguration speech, stressing that since 2013 his administration has faced serious opposition that has included armed violence, and accusing Mogadishu of interference. In addition to the constitutional reform, Madobe is at loggerheads with the government of President Mohamud over tensions caused by the presence of Ethiopian troops in the region of Gedo (part of the territory of the Juba): on the one hand the federal government is calling for their withdrawal, given the dispute with Addis Ababa over the controversial memorandum of understanding signed with Somaliland, on the other Madobe is calling for their permanence as they are considered crucial in the fight against terrorism. “I do not recognize Ethiopia or Kenya, nor do I care about anyone else. There is no other president in Juba but me. There are no security forces here except Juba forces, and no one will dare to disturb the stability of Kismayo under my watch,” Madobe said in his speech.

The president-elect then accused the federal government of deploying its troops in Ras Kamboni in an attempt to destabilize the region and divert attention from the war against the jihadist group al Shabaab, as he claimed President Mohamud had done in 2013, then in his first term. “This will never happen again,” he vowed, warning that regional forces would crush any threat from the federal government. “Jubaland is Jubaland and there will never be any other administration in this state except mine,” Madobe added. Mogadishu’s moves have not been more accommodating. The federal government has not recognized the outcome of the Jubaland elections, declaring the vote illegal and in violation of the country’s constitution. In a harsh statement published after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, the government announced that it had instructed the Attorney General to file a lawsuit against Madobe at the Supreme Court. “Our commitment to the rule of law is unwavering. The actions taken today reflect our determination to uphold democratic principles and ensure that all electoral processes are conducted in accordance with the law,” Prime Minister Barre said at a press conference.

Source Hiiraan online