Sunday 4, August 2025 {HMC} The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) strongly refutes media reports alleging heavy casualties among its soldiers in Bariire town, located southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.

In response to claims made by Al Shabaab regarding the destruction of AU-owned armoured personnel carriers and the retreat of AUSSOM troops following intense fighting, AUSSOM wishes to clarify that its forces, in coordination with the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF), initiated a major offensive to recapture Bariire town on 1st August.

The joint military operation has resulted in substantial losses for the terrorist group, with over 50 Al Shabaab militants killed and many others sustaining serious injuries.

“AUSSOM and SNAF troops are determined to recapture Bariire town and other territories still under Al Shabaab control to ensure lasting peace and security for the people of Somalia,’’ said Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, the Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson (SRCC) for Somalia.

Sunday August 3, 2025 {HMC}  The interim leader of the newly declared Northeastern Somali Regional State, Abdiqadir Aw Ali Firdhiye, has called on Somaliland to embrace peace, stating that conflict cannot yield meaningful outcomes.

He emphasized that Somaliland’s push for independence poses a challenge to Somali unity and urged against efforts to divide the country.

“It is a responsibility that God has placed on us. We are being watched from all corners because our administration is located in a very important area. If separation is not desired by the people, no one can divide the nation,” Firdhiye said.
He noted that the formation of the Northeastern administration resulted from the will of the people and stands for peace, development, and Somali unity.

“To our brothers who are rising in opposition, I say this: peace is a universal desire. We have experienced war and conflict before. What you seek through confrontation is not sustainable,” Firdhiye said in response to the Somaliland Council of Ministers’ rejection of the new administration.

Somaliland’s self-declared government has strongly opposed the formation of the Northeastern Somali Regional State administration in Las Anod, labeling the move illegal and asserting that the regions involved are an integral part of Somaliland’s territory.

In an extraordinary meeting held Saturday, the Somaliland Cabinet issued a firm statement rejecting the newly formed administration, reaffirming that the regions of Sool, Sanaag, and Togdheer belong to Somaliland, referencing the borders established at its 1960 independence from the British Empire.

Meanwhile, Puntland has also denounced the creation of the Northeastern Somali Regional State, which was officially declared last week in Las Anod and claims authority over the Sool, Sanaag, and Buuhoodle regions.

Sunday August 3, 2025 {HMC} Hamas has denied claims made by a U.S. official that the group is willing to disarm, insisting it will not relinquish its weapons until a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is established, as Gaza’s starvation crisis continues to intensify.

The group’s statement on Saturday came after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly told families of Israeli captives that Hamas was “prepared to be demilitarised.” Hamas rejected the claim as false and politically motivated.

“The resistance and its weapons are a national and legal right as long as the [Israeli] occupation persists,” the group said. “That right cannot be relinquished until our full national rights are restored, foremost among them the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

Witkoff met with Israeli families in Tel Aviv on Saturday, a day after visiting an aid distribution site in Gaza run by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a group whose operations have come under sharp international criticism.

According to the UN, more than 1,300 Palestinians have died attempting to access food from GHF-run distribution points since the group began operating in May. Human rights organizations accuse Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war.

GHF, operating with little coordination from the U.N., placed its sites in high-risk areas. Legal expert Neve Gordon compared the scenes to a “Hunger Games” scenario, accusing the group of famine profiteering and giving Israel cover for continued military operations.

Despite the criticism, the U.S. has stood by GHF. In June, Washington pledged $30 million in support for the organization.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 175 Palestinians, including 93 children, have died from starvation-related causes. Aid agencies say that only a fraction of the necessary aid is entering the enclave.

Hospitals have reported children dying from hunger, and civilians being shot near food distribution points. Human rights organizations have accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war, while the U.N. and aid groups say airdrops and limited truck convoys are grossly inadequate.

The crisis has drawn global condemnation. The United Nations said that one million women and girls in Gaza are starving. France, Germany, and the European Union have all urged Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian access.

Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel for a 60-day ceasefire and hostage exchange broke down last week. Hamas insists any agreement must include international recognition of Palestinian statehood and an end to the blockade on Gaza, in place since 2007.

In a separate development, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, drawing condemnation from Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas. The site, Islam’s third holiest, is administered by Jordan and governed by a longstanding arrangement that limits non-Muslim prayer.

Ben-Gvir’s visit was seen as a provocation that could further inflame tensions in the region. Hamas labelled it “an escalation of aggression,” while Jordan’s foreign ministry said the action violated international law and “fueled the conflict.”

The visit coincided with statements from Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who said Israel would “strengthen sovereignty” over Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa compound, which Jews refer to as the Temple Mount.

Israeli officials have continued to push for renewed sovereignty claims over Gaza, while Hamas has reiterated its refusal to disarm or yield authority without international recognition of Palestinian statehood.

“Ending our armed resistance requires ending the occupation, not false promises or humanitarian theatre,” Hamas said, referring to Witkoff’s visit.

Calls are mounting for international accountability over Israel’s conduct in Gaza. A report by Action on Armed Violence found that 88 percent of Israeli military probes into alleged war crimes have stalled without findings.

Several countries have hinted at recognizing a Palestinian state if Israel fails to meet humanitarian obligations. The United Kingdom and Canada announced that they may follow France in extending formal recognition by September.

As aid trucks continue to be blocked or attacked, Palestinians in Gaza have turned to bartering to survive, trading bread for haircuts and sugar for medicine. “It’s not just about what you can buy,” one resident said, “it’s about what you can live without.”

Sunday August 3, 2025 {HMC}  A Somali military court has sentenced a former officer from the Haram’ad special police unit to death by firing squad after finding him guilty of murdering an unarmed day labourer in a brazen, unprovoked shooting that has reignited public debate over accountability within the country’s security forces.

The court on Saturday convicted Bakar Abdiaziz Mohamed of fatally shooting 36-year-old Ali Iskow Daud on June 28 near Ali Boolaay Mosque in Mogadishu’s Waberi district. Prosecutors said Mohamed, without provocation, asked the victim, “Why are you looking at me?” before opening fire.

The suspect fled the scene on a motorized rickshaw but was arrested the same day by security forces in the capital’s Abdiaziz district. The Office of the Military Prosecutor launched a swift investigation and formally filed the case with the court on July 27.

Col. Hassan Ali Nur Shuute, chief judge of the First-Degree Court of the Armed Forces, confirmed that the ruling would be carried out under qisaas, the Islamic legal principle of retributive justice, which allows the victim’s family to seek capital punishment.

Ali Iskow Daud, described by relatives as a hardworking man who earned a living through physical labour, had no criminal record. His killing drew widespread outrage from the community and civil society groups, who applauded the court’s decision as a step toward justice.

“This verdict sends a message that no one is above the law,” one family member told local media. “We hope the government continues holding abusive officers accountable.”

Rights advocates say the ruling highlights the urgent need for stronger oversight and ethical training within Somalia’s security apparatus, especially units like Haramcad, which operate in urban environments.

The Somali government has not commented publicly on the ruling or announced any disciplinary action against Haramcad as a result of the case. However, the conviction has renewed calls for systemic reforms aimed at restoring public trust and protecting civilians from abuses by uniformed personnel.

Source Hiiraan onnline

Sunday 3 August  2025 {HMC} A UN official pushed back Friday on reports suggesting that the global organization has finalized plans to relocate key agency offices to Kenya by 2026.

“It’s not a sure thing,” deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters when asked if he confirms reports that UNICEF, UN Women, and UNFPA headquarters will be relocated from New York City to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi by 2026.

“There are certain options, as you know, that are being considered in terms of dealing with making the United Nations more cost-effective,” he said.

Certain proposals are being discussed at various levels, such as with the executive boards of the various agencies and the staff of the organizations, he said.

“So we’re at an early stage, but what the Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) told you is that one of the steps being considered is to put more of our operations into the field and into places where the costs are lower,” Haq said.

Sunday 3 August  2025 {HMC} Kenyan President William Ruto on Saturday promised the country’s soccer team Harambee Stars over 600 million shillings (4.6 million U.S. dollars) if they win the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).

“Guys, it cannot get better than this. We have tripled the rewards so that everyone does their best,” Ruto told the players during a breakfast meeting in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

“This is a very historic moment for Kenya. It is the first time in the history of football that Kenya is hosting CHAN,” he said.

Ruto also pledged 464,500 dollars for reaching the last eight, over 542,000 dollars for qualifying for the semifinals and over 697,000 for making it to the Aug. 30 tournament final in Nairobi.

He added each player will also receive over 7,741 dollars for every game they win and half of the amount for a draw.

The month-long tournament, which is co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, kicks off on Saturday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.