English By Mohamed Olad Hassan Share on Facebook
WASHINGTON / GALKAYO, SOMALIA - At least 10 people were killed Friday and more than 10 others were wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a stadium in Galkayo town in the Mudug region of central Somalia, ahead of a planned address by Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Roble, authorities and witnesses said.
The bomber targeted government officials and members of the prime minister’s security team heading to the stadium for a rally of government supporters, according to witnesses, who told VOA Somali the explosion was loud and shook the entire area.
The al-Shabab militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.
defenceWeb
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Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.
Somalia cut diplomatic relations with neighbouring Kenya on Tuesday, accusing it of meddling in politics as protests and gunfire erupted in Mogadishu over delayed elections.
The dispute could undermine co-operation in the fight against the Islamist group al Shabaab in Somalia, where Kenya provides 3 600 troops to an African Union peacekeeping force.
“Somalia calls back all its diplomats from Kenya and orders Kenyan diplomats to leave Somalia within seven days,” Somali Information Minister Osman Dube told the state news agency.
Dube added in a statement on Radio Mogadishu Nairobi was interfering, but did not give more details.
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Somali police.
Somalia’s opposition has written to Turkey urging it not to send a planned shipment of weapons to a special police unit they fear incumbent President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed could use to “hijack” forthcoming elections.
Political tensions are high in the Horn of Africa country, stoked by opposition anger over a delay in holding elections for both chambers of parliament.
The polls were initially planned for this month but that was scrapped following disagreements over the composition of the electoral board.
On Tuesday opposition supporters marched in Mogadishu denouncing the president for the delay.
Daily Monitor
Thursday December 17 2020
Kenyan soldiers at their base in Tabda, inside Somalia, near the border with Kenya. As part of the African Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia, Kenya has more than 3,600 troops stationed in the country. PHOTO/AFP
Summary
Meanwhile, residents of Kenya’s Mandera County on Tuesday reported an escalated deployment of Somali National Army troops at the border point even as Opposition supporters in Mogadishu protested President Farmaajo’s refusal to hold dialogue on controversial electoral teams.
Kenya became the second country in a year after Guinea, with which Somalia has cut ties over the Somaliland issue.
Regional conflicts add to Somalia’s security concerns
Format
Diplomatic and security challenges in the Horn of Africa threaten AMISOM’s capability in Somalia.
Kenya and Ethiopia have been key allies in Somalia’s peace and security matters for over a decade, especially in the fight against terror groups such as al-Shabaab. Besides their bilateral engagements, both countries are major troop-contributors to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
However their alliance has weakened recently due to their differences in political views, diplomatic relations and security problems. Kenya’s diplomatic ties with Somalia are challenging Nairobi’s role in the country, while Ethiopia’s focus on Somalia seems to be shifting to the war in Tigray.