Saturday 16,August 2025 {HMC}  U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, has urged the Trump administration to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent state.

In a letter dated August 14, 2025, and sent to President Trump, Senator Cruz argued that Somaliland has become a critical security and diplomatic partner for the United States, advancing U.S. national security interests in the Horn of Africa and beyond.

“It is strategically located along the Gulf of Aden, putting it near one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors. It possesses capable armed forces and contributes to regional counterterrorism and piracy operations. It has enabled the opening of a Taiwanese Representative Office in the capital of Hargeisa, sought to strengthen ties with Israel, and voiced support for the Abraham Accords. It has proposed hosting a U.S. military presence near the Red Sea along the Gulf of Aden and is open to critical minerals agreements that would support our supply chain resilience. The U.S.- Somaliland partnership is robust, and it is deepening,” the letter stated.
Cruz also warned that Somaliland faces growing pressure from adversaries, largely due to its role as a U.S. ally. He accused China of using economic and diplomatic coercion to punish Somaliland for supporting Taiwan and working to undermine its sovereignty.

“The government of Somalia has unfortunately played a role in these efforts. In April 2025, the CCP arranged for Somalia to bar Taiwanese passport holders from transiting into Somaliland, while Chinese support to Somalia benefits anti-Somaliland groups seeking to erode its sovereignty,” the senator wrote.

“I urge you to grant Somaliland formal recognition,” Cruz concluded.

Somaliland’s Foreign Minister, Abdirahman Dahir Aden, welcomed the senator’s letter, expressing gratitude for his support.

“Speaking on behalf of the Republic of Somaliland, I sincerely thank Senator Ted Cruz for his unwavering support for Somaliland’s recognition. His deep understanding of our national identity and strategic importance in security and economics reflects the value we bring to the world,” the minister said.

The Somali government, however, strongly rejected Cruz’s call. In a statement, Somalia’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., reiterated its opposition to any move undermining the country’s territorial integrity.

“Terrorist groups gain opportunities when Somalia’s unity is weakened. The international community must support Somali nationalism rather than fueling political divisions. Anything legitimizing separation threatens the peace, security, and future of the Somali people. Somalia will not compromise on its territorial integrity and will resist any efforts to undermine it,” the embassy said.

The embassy also highlighted ongoing cooperation with Washington, noting that in 2025 alone, more than 20 successful joint operations had been conducted between Somalia and the United States.

Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, does not permit Somali or regional state flags to be displayed in its territory. However, no country has formally recognized its sovereignty.

Source Hiiraan online

Saturday 16,August 2025 {HMC} Italian authorities on Friday were trying to identify the bodies of 27 people who died when two crowded boats sank off the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa.

One wooden coffin, marked with an “X,” could be seen at the local cemetery, where the bodies of some of the victims were being held, an AFP journalist said.

Broadcaster Rai reported that some of the coffins would be transported to Sicily for burial in several cemeteries there.
Lampedusa, just 90 miles (145 kilometers) off the coast of Tunisia, is often the first point of arrival for people trying to reach Europe in fragile or overcrowded boats.
Its reception center is currently home to 317 people, including about 70 mostly unaccompanied minors, said Giovanna Stabile of the Italian Red Cross, which runs the facility.

Most of them come from Egypt, Somalia and Bangladesh, she added.

Of the 60 survivors of Wednesday’s capsizing disaster, 58 were at the center. The two others were airlifted by helicopter to Sicily for treatment, she said.

“Last night, the procedures for identifying the bodies began,” said Stabile.

“This was a delicate moment, which was supported by the psychologist, the linguistic-cultural mediator and the multidisciplinary team,” she said.

“People reacted to the identification in a very composed manner.”

For some, however, it was too much.

One Somali teenager, in tears, identified a girl, his cousin, among the dead. “It can’t be! It can’t be!” he kept repeating, ANSA news agency reported.

The 27 victims, including three minors, died when two crowded boats heading from Libya capsized about 20 kilometers off Lampedusa.

The UN refugee agency said the boats were carrying at least 95 people. Italian news agency ANSA said 100 to 110 people may have been on board, meaning up to 23 could still be unaccounted for.

On Thursday, the Italian coast guard published a video of the rescue operation, showing young men desperately trying to cling to a floating rescue cylinder in the water.

The somber scene at the reception center was in stark contrast to elsewhere on the island, as throngs of tourists enjoyed Friday’s Ferragosto public holiday.

At the port, where dozens of migrants were still arriving by boat at the port, pleasure craft were bringing back tourists from sea trips to the sound of festive music.

At the cemetery, women came to pray and leave flowers for those who lost their lives, while a vigil in memory of the dead was held at a local Catholic shrine.

“Migrants continue to arrive… our arms are always open but when these deaths occur, it hurts us deeply,” one local woman, who gave her name only as Angela, told AFP.

Source AFP

Saturday 16,August 2025 {HMC} Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Charles Kahariri has warned that the recent reduction of African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) troops could erode hard-won gains in the fight against Al-Shabaab.

Speaking during high-level bilateral talks with US Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander General Michael Langley at AFRICOM Headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, on August 14, Kahariri cautioned that the security gap left by the drawdown threatens to destabilise Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa.

“Some troop-contributing countries, including Kenya, have entered bilateral arrangements with Somalia to temporarily bridge the gap,” Kahariri said. “However, such measures are unsustainable without enhanced international backing.”

The Kenyan military chief urged the global community to renew and strengthen its commitment to the Somali peace process, warning that without sustained support, years of military progress and political stabilisation could be undone.

Launched in January 2025, AUSSOM is the latest iteration of international peace efforts that began nearly two decades ago with AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia), followed by ATMIS (African Union Transition Mission in Somalia) — all aimed at helping Somalia counter violent extremism.

The meeting reaffirmed the enduring strategic partnership between Kenya and the United States in advancing peace, stability, and security across the Horn of Africa and its maritime domains.

Pivotal contribution
Gen. Langley commended the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) for their sustained contributions to peace support operations in Somalia, describing them as pivotal to shaping regional security outcomes.

Both commanders also released the inaugural Joint Communiqué from the African Chiefs of Defence Conference (ACHOD), co-signed in Stuttgart on August 14.

The communiqué consolidates priorities agreed upon by 38 African delegations during ACHOD 2025 in Nairobi, outlining five key focus areas: expanding security partnerships, standardising doctrine and information sharing, countering emerging threats through innovation, strengthening defence institutions, and advancing African-led security initiatives.

“This is more than a record of what was discussed,” said Gen. Langley.

“It is a shared commitment to move forward together, build on progress, and deliver results that strengthen security across Africa.”

Gen. Kahariri added that the communiqué would serve as a roadmap for joint action, innovation, and institutional reforms ahead of ACHOD 2026, ensuring Africa’s defence leaders turn dialogue into measurable results.