The Kenya Police has said that the al-Shabab extremists have once again threatened to carry out attacks on Kenyan government buildings, bus terminals and places of worship over the Easter weekend.

Somali government forces have retaken key vital bases in Muudaale area in the Gedo, region of the Southern part of Somalia after a massive offensive that saw the al-Shabab extremists flee the area.

Somalia President H.E Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has taken a tour on the bases of both the African Union troops on the ground and those of the Somali government troops as well as the new bases under the TFG control in the Hodan district of Mogadishu.

There is no democracy without proper representation. The main goal of any participatory democracy is not to enforce a rule of majority, nor allow for an excessive power of any minority but to establish and protect the rights of all citizens. That goal is also a key element in effective poverty fighting, achieving sustainable development and championing social justice. Proper channels for participating in governance must exist to reflect each public voice and allow for proper balancing of the democratic debate.

The Somalia Semi-autonomous state of Puntland has said yesterday that it will no longer recognize Mogadishu as the capital of Somalia. Puntland’s Minister for Justice Abdi Hassan Jimale, said that henceforth, Puntland as a state of Somalia does not pay allegiance to Mogadishu.
Mr. Abdi Hassan Jimale said that the relationship that exists between the TFG and the Puntland government does not favour the TFG accord that states Somalia constitution will be drafted in Puntland.

Piracy off the Somali coast has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century. Piracy has contributed to an increase in shipping costs and impeded the delivery of food aid shipments. Since 2005, many international organizations, including the International Maritime Organization and the World Food Programme (WFP), have expressed concern over the rise in acts of piracy.

With less than a year left in its mandate, Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed of Somalia named a new cabinet on Friday. However, some lawmakers said the new ministers might not be approved by parliament.
Somalia’s transitional federal government has been struggling to oust hardline Islamist al Shabaab and Hisbul Islam insurgents who control most of southern Somalia and much of the capital Mogadishu. Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed took charge as Prime Minister on November 1, 2010.
The newly named ministers are:
1. Deputy Prime Minister and minister …

With the help of our guests, we begin to examine a number of issues relating to Somalia, including a recent story in the UK’s Independent Newspaper: Insurance firms plan private navy to take on Somali pirates stating that insurance companies have drawn up plans for “the world’s first private navy to turn the tide against Somali pirates.”

While the segment examines the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Somalia, our guests appraised, in the context of US foreign Policy goals in Africa, the implications of President Obama’s recent speech at the UN General Assembly (2010) in which he referred to planned partnerships with Somalia’s break-away regions.

Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharma’arke on Tuesday announced that his resignation following months of rift with the Somali president. Sharma’arke told reporters he was resigning while standing alongside President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and the Somali lawmakers.

The Somali president accepted the decision and appreciated Sharma’arke for his supports to the nation.

The UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang delivered the following statement Wednesday at the end of a three-day visit to Kenya, Somaliland and Puntland.
We need to envision a peaceful and developing Somalia of the future – without any delusions about there being quick fixes in the areas where there is protracted conflict.