Wednesday 13, Nov, 2024 {HMC} Two Somali men who prosecutors called pirates were sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday in the 2012 kidnapping of an American journalist who was held hostage for over two years.

Abdi Yusuf Hassan and Mohamed Tahlil Mohamed — who had positions in Somalia’s government — were “key players” in the abduction of journalist Michael Scott Moore, said Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Moore was in Somalia investigating piracy when men with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades ambushed his vehicle and took him hostage on Jan. 21, 2012, officials said.

He was held hostage for 977 days as the pirates demanded a ransom, and at one point he was transferred to a boat that had been taken over by pirates and whose slain captain was kept in a freezer, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Hassan, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was Somalia’s interior minister but was also the head of the pirate group, prosecutors said.

Mohamed, a Somali army officer, was head of security and armorer for the pirates, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Moore was freed in September 2014. He has said his family raised $1.6 million for his release, The Associated Press reported when a federal jury convicted Hassan and Mohamed in February 2023.

“For nearly three years, Michael Scott Moore was held hostage in Somalia by pirates. He was beaten, chained to the floor, and threatened with assault rifles and machine guns,” Williams, the U.S. attorney, said in a statement. “Hassan and Mohamed were key players in that hostage taking.”

The mandatory minimum sentence is 30 years in prison.

Mohamed’s attorney, Susan G. Kellman, argued in a court filing that “Mohamed’s life reflects the chaos, violence, and turmoil of his homeland.” Moore said in court that Mohamed was “kind” to him and did not punch him the way his other captors did, she wrote, and Mohamed later provided Moore with photos and other information about his ordeal for a book.

Kellman said in an email Tuesday, “Sadly, this case is a prime example of just how Draconian mandatory minimum sentences are.” She said they plan to appeal.

Prosecutors sought 30 years for Mohamed and 35 years for Hassan.

While prosecutors conceded that trial testimony described Mohamed as “gentle,” they wrote, “The defendants’ conduct in this case is nothing less than abhorrent.”

An attorney listed as representing Hassan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Piracy remains a threat off Somalia, although the United Nations said in a 2021 report that progress has been made and that there has been a decline in hijackings and other forms of armed robbery since 2011.

Source Hiiraan Online

Wednesday 13, Nov, 2024 {HMC} Over one million voters in the self-declared Somaliland region headed to the polls early Wednesday for for presidential and parliamentary elections, drawing attention from local and international stakeholders.

Incumbent President Muse Bihi Abdi of the ruling Kulmiye party faces opposition from Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro of the Waddani party and Faisal Ali Warabe of UCID. Bihi, in power since 2017, recently attracted international attention after signing a controversial agreement with Ethiopia to establish a naval corridor in the Red Sea. Somalia condemned the move as an infringement on its sovereignty.

Irro, a former Speaker of the House, has campaigned on unity and security, vowing to reassess Somaliland’s relationship with Somalia if it aligns with Somaliland’s interests. Warabe, a longstanding figure in Somaliland politics, continues to champion international recognition for Somaliland’s independence, an aspiration central to his UCID party’s agenda.

Polling stations opened at 6:30 a.m. local time, with lines forming even before dawn. The Election Commission implemented biometric eye-scanning technology at select locations to enhance identity verification and curb fraud, marking a technological first in the region.

Source Hiiraan Online

Wednesday 13, Nov, 2024 {HMC} Kenya is confident the negotiations on the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) will continue to fruition despite change of leadership at the White House following the just concluded US elections.

The negotiations that entered the eighth round in September slowed down as the US went into last week’s elections, where former President Donald Trump won after beating US vice President Kamala Harris in the race.

Trump is now expected to take over from Joe Biden in January next year. Previous changes in office both in the US and Kenya have stalled the trade deal whose talks commenced in July 2020 during Trump and Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenures.

After the US elections in November 2020, President Biden’s administration took time to review part of the pact before initiating a fresh round of talks.

Kenya then went into an election in August 2022, which saw then Deputy President William Ruto ascend to power, with his administration taking over the negotiations.

Ruto and Biden’s administrations then settled to seek a deal under what is now known a Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP).

A return of Trump in the Oval could however lead to another review of the deal, trade experts have indicated. However, Trade PS Alfred K’Ombudo who has been leading the Kenyan team in the negotiations has however indicated that the change in office will not hurt the process.

According to the PS, Kenya and the United States of America have a long-standing trade, investment and development cooperation relationship that is based on common and enduring principles.

“Our conversations with the United States as AGOA senior officials and ministers and with Kenya, show broad based, bi—partisan and bicameral support for advancing trade and investment between the Africa, Kenya and the United States. This transcends administrations both in the U.S. and Kenya,” K’Ombudo noted.

US ambassador Meg Whitman had earlier indicated the two countries were keen to have a deal before a new administration, in what will be one of President Joe Biden’s achievements on strengthening bilateral ties with its key ally in East Africa.

“I really hope we can bring it to fruition by end of this year,” Whitman had said in Nairobi.

According to the ambassador, a deal can also be sealed during the ‘lame duck’ period. This is the period between after elections (November) and handing over of power to the elected President, which is normally January 20 of the year following the election.

With a bilateral deal, Kenya is keen to tap at least five per cent of the US market, which has the potential to earn the country more than Sh2 trillion in export revenues annually.

Last year, Kenya’s exports to the US were valued at Sh62.3 billion, down from Sh79.9 billion, the Economic Survey 2024 indicates.

More than half of Kenyan exports to the US are comprised of textile and apparel, macadamia, coffee, titanium ores and concentrates, and black tea.

Trade is however in favour of the US as Kenya spent Sh112.8 billion on imports from the US market, an increase from Sh93.4 billion in 2022.

Source Hiiraan Online

Wednesday 13, Nov, 2024 {HMC} Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Badr Abdel Aty, and his Somalian counterpart Ahmed Moalem Feki discussed Monday the progress rate of the implementation of the outcomes of the bilateral summit as well as the trilateral one with Eriteria, which were both held on October 10 in Asmara.

The two parties agreed on maintaining the pace of joint consultations on issues of joint concern. In a related context, the Egyptian minister reiterated support to Somalia’s sovereignty, safety, unity, territorial integrity, state institutions and counterterrorism efforts, and rejection to meddling with its internal affairs.

Minister Abdel Aty also stressed keenness on consolidating the peace and security structure in Africa, especially in the Horn of Africa, given its direct linkage with Egyptian national security. In that framework, he underscored Egypt’s eagerness for participating in AUSSOM (New AU Mission in Somalia), in addition to providing the necessary training to Somalian security and military personnel.

Source Hiiraan Online

Wednesday 13, Nov, 2024 {HMC} Senior commanders of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) have gathered at the International Peace Support Operations Training Centre (IPSO-TC) in Singo to discuss key insights and strategic improvements for the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

This four-day “Lessons Learned” workshop aims to build on UPDF’s successes in stabilizing Somalia while addressing ongoing challenges.

The Deputy Commander of Land Forces, Maj Gen Francis Takirwa, emphasized the importance of collective reflection on mission progress, highlighting the need to adapt strategies that will bolster regional stability.

“It is a privilege to examine what we’ve done, where we have succeeded, and where we can improve,” said Maj Gen Takirwa. He noted that assessing past operations is essential to sustaining UPDF’s role in ATMIS and contributing positively to peace efforts in East Africa.

Maj Gen Takirwa also pointed to a significant shift in UPDF’s training approach. Where external partners previously led training efforts, UPDF now oversees the process—a testament to the force’s growing autonomy and expertise in leadership training.

This transition, he explained, marks a milestone for Uganda’s military and reflects its commitment to building sustainable regional capacity.

The workshop is also a platform for IPSO-TC, a critical center for regional peace and security training, to reaffirm its mission.

Brig Gen John Patrick Otongo, the Commandant of IPSO-TC, noted the institution’s dedication to fostering peace across the region through robust training and capacity-building programs.

Notable attendees include Maj Gen David Isimbwa, Deputy Commander of the UPDF Air Force; Maj Gen Don Nabasa, Commander of the 3 Infantry Division; Brig Gen Felix Busizori, Commander of the 4 Infantry Division; Brig Gen Flavia Byekwaso, Chief of Staff of the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability (URDC); Brig Gen Joseph Semwanga, as well as other senior officers and training partners.

The workshop represents UPDF’s broader efforts to refine its operations and support ATMIS objectives, ensuring a more stable and peaceful Somalia.

SOURCE Nile Post
By Ramson Muhairwe