Sunday 29,June 2025 {HMC} Somali National Army (SNA) elite Danab Commandos, in coordination with international partners, killed more than 37 al-Shabab militants during a planned military operation in the Lower Jubba region, the Ministry of Defense announced Saturday.

The operation targeted Maqoogaha village, located approximately 13 kilometers west of Buulo Xaaji, an area known to harbor militant activity.

A statement from the SNA said the casualties included several key al-Shabab leaders, whose identities will be released after formal verification.
“This operation is part of a broader offensive aimed at dismantling al-Shabab’s network and eliminating its capacity to threaten national security,” the statement said. “The Somali National Army, particularly the Danab Commandos, remains fully committed to protecting civilians and securing the country’s future.”

The Ministry of Defense praised the the Danab forces and acknowledged the critical support provided by international partners in executing the operation.

Officials added that efforts to eradicate al-Shabab continue across multiple fronts, with additional offensives planned in the coming weeks.

Sunday 29,June 2025 {HMC} A truck has collided with a minibus carrying workers on a road in Egypt, killing 19 people, most of them teenage girls, according to local officials.

The collision occurred as the workers were heading to work in the early hours of Friday morning on a regional road in the city of Ashmoun in the Nile Delta province of Menoufia, north of the capital Cairo.

The truck collided with the minibus as it carried the labourers to their workplace from their home village of Kafr al-Sanabsa, according to the state-owned newspaper, Akhbar al-Youm.

Most of the workers were teenagers – two of them just 14 – according to a list of the names and ages published by the state-owned daily, Al-Ahram. Egyptian media has dubbed the crash victims “martyrs for their daily bread”.

Some 1.3 million minors are engaged in some form of child labour in Egypt, according to government figures, and accidents often involve underage labourers travelling to work in overcrowded minibuses in rural areas.

Only three people survived the crash on Friday, according to a statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Labour, and they were transferred to the General Ashmoun Hospital.

Egypt’s Labour Minister Mohamed Gebran has ordered authorities to compensate the families of the deceased with up to 200,000 Egyptian pounds (about $4,000) each. Each injured person will also receive 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($400).

Menoufia provincial governor, Ibrahim Abu Leimon, said the cause of the crash would be investigated. Preliminary reports suggest excessive speeding may have been a key factor.

Abu Leimon also called on the country’s Ministry of Transportation to reassess safety measures on the regional road. In April, five members of a single family died in a two-car collision on the same road.

Deadly traffic accidents claim thousands of lives every year across Egypt.

In October 2023, 35 people were killed, at least 18 of whom burned to death, in a “horrific collision” involving a bus and several cars on the Cairo-Alexandria desert road, according to Al-Ahram.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

Sunday 29,June 2025 {HMC} A new initiative seeking to deliver maternal and child health services in drought-hit parts of Kenya and Somalia has been launched as rising malnutrition threatens thousands of children.

According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, 18 per cent of children under five in Kenya are stunted, 5 per cent are wasted, and 10 per cent are underweight, reflecting chronic and acute malnutrition across the country.

The partnership between Dahabshiil Group and Save the Children aims to use private remittance networks to support health services for families facing hunger and limited access to care.

Prolonged drought continues to affect Kenya and Somalia, with 4.2 million people impacted in Kenya and 7.8 million in Somalia, according to the United Nations.

In Kenya, around 1.1 million women and children face acute malnutrition as water scarcity and displacement worsen food insecurity.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who attended the launch in Nairobi, said the collaboration would support Kenya’s universal health coverage goals.

“This partnership aligns with our commitment to extend health services to communities affected by drought and food insecurity,” said Duale.

Dahabshiil Chief Executive Abdirashid Duale said the company would use its financial infrastructure to facilitate mobile cash transfers for maternal and child healthcare in areas with limited services.

“This partnership allows us to reach more mothers and children who walk long distances to seek treatment,” noted Abdirashid.

Save the Children UK Chief Executive Moazzam Malik said collaboration between humanitarian and private actors was needed as drought and displacement continue across the region.

“Bringing together humanitarian and private actors is critical if we are to meet the needs of children in crisis,” explained Malik.

Save the Children Somalia Country Director Mohamud Hassan said the initiative would enable faster delivery of health services in hard-to-reach areas.

Source

Sunday 29,June 2025 {HMC} Retired Chief Justice David Maraga claims his security has been withdrawn after he joined protests in Nairobi on Wednesday, June 25, demanding the immediate return of his police guards.

Maraga said police officers who have protected him since his retirement on Tuesday, January 12, 2021, were recalled without notice a day after he marched with youth and families of victims who died or went missing during last year’s demonstrations.

Maraga was teargassed along Kimathi Street while taking part in the protests. Earlier, he addressed supporters outside Nation Centre, urging peaceful and orderly demonstrations.

“We need to reset this country because the work of the police is to protect the people, not disrupt peaceful protesters,” said Maraga.

He insisted the crowd remained peaceful and denied claims of property destruction.

“I can testify that no one attempted to destroy property. We were peaceful,” said Maraga.

On his X page, Maraga wrote, “We strongly condemn the use of state violence against grieving families and peaceful protestors. The flagrant violation of the Constitution and human rights must stop.”

Maraga explained that one officer was told on Wednesday, June 25, to make a routine firearm register entry, only to be informed of training on the same day.

“The following day, I was informed that the rest of the officers had been asked to report to their stations without any further information,” said Maraga.

Maraga noted that retired chief justices are entitled to police security and drivers under Section 5A of the Retirement Benefits (Deputy President and Designated State Officers) Act, Cap. 197B (Revised 2022).

“I have enjoyed the services of the officers for almost five years now uninterrupted,” said Maraga.

Maraga linked the withdrawal to his public criticism of police leadership and his calls for the arrest of senior officers linked to the death of Albert Owang in custody.

“I wish to remind the leadership of the police and the Ministry of Interior and National Administration that the security arrangements and other facilitations are benefits guaranteed under the Constitution and the law,” said Maraga.

He demanded the immediate restoration of his security.

In Parliament on Thursday, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei launched a scathing attack on Maraga, accusing him of fuelling unrest while benefiting from taxpayer-funded retirement perks.

“Shame on you, Chief Justice Maraga. You’re currently on a pension paid by the government. They pay for your cars, they pay for your gardener, they pay for your cook, and then you go to the streets to demonstrate and mislead our children to destroy people’s properties,” said Shollei.

Shollei criticised Maraga’s participation in the protests, saying they turned chaotic and were not peaceful but acts of violence that destroyed lives and livelihoods.

Source