Al-Shabab militants swear allegiance to ISIS

    MOGADISHU: A senior Al-Shabab commander and about 20 of his followers have pledged allegiance to ISIS, the first move of its kind to emerge in the Somali militant group. There was no immediate reaction from Al-Shabab’s overall leadership, which aligned itself in 2012 to Al-Qaeda, a group that has declared ISIS leader illegitimate. Experts have…

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      Djibouti president lauds Turkish peace efforts

      Turkey is an “important partner” for peace and development in Africa, Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh said Saturday. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh calls Turkey ‘important partner’ for African peace, development In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Guelleh condemned last week’s terrorist attack on a peace rally in Turkish capital…

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        Somali pilgrims refuse to leave

        JEDDAH: About 2,292 or 31.48 percent of this year’s Somali Hajis have reportedly refused to return home, citing the poor security and economic situation in their country. This is according to the Tawafa Establishment for Pilgrims from Arab States, which stated that this was out of 7,280 pilgrims from Somalia, a local daily reported on…

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          Exclusive: UK under pressure over Kenya kidnapping

          A secret MI6 document obtained by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit raises serious questions about the British government’s actions before and after the kidnapping of Judith Tebbutt and the killing of her husband, David. The couple was seized on September 11, 2011, during a brazen assault on a Kenyan luxury resort in Lamu, near the Somali…

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            Somali child-care providers get help to boost learning

            A major push is underway to improve quality at Somali-American day cares and child-care centers, which have mu Farhia Egal ventured into the business of child care tentatively. In the basement of her Richfield home, she cycled through a meager arsenal of toys with her two children and another Somali-American family’s kids. The prospect of…

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              Peter Dutton addresses Somali refugee abortion case

              Immigration minister Peter Dutton has hinted the government may help a Somali refugee and alleged Nauru rape victim receive medical treatment in Australia. The refugee, ‘Abyan’ is seeking an abortion after she was allegedly sexually assaulted on Nauru where terminations are illegal. The 23-year-old is reportedly about 11 weeks pregnant and her case, which lawyers…

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                Somalia: Time to Review the AMISOM Mandate

                The international and geopolitical dimensions of the ongoing Somali crisis are all too often given short shrift by policymakers and outside observers alike. In the global public consciousness, the various internal factors that contribute to instability in the Republic of Somalia — be they the baleful legacy of colonialism, the ravages of internecine conflict, regional…

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                  Maine Town Becomes Unlikely Refuge For Somalis Seeking Asylum

                  LEWISTON, Maine (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — Many asylum-seekers fleeing desperate circumstances in the Mideast and Africa are ending up in, of all places, Lewiston, Maine. “Since mostly of the Somalis have a large families, so they were looking [for] a safe place,” Somali immigrant Said Mohamud told Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Sharyl Attkisson, host of the…

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                    Chinese brands taking over Mogadishu market

                    MOGADISHU, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) — The ancient Arab market in Mogadishu, Hamarweyne, is bustling with activities as city residents flock there on Saturday afternoon for all manner of goods. Made-in-China brands, which stand out in this market are dotting every corner of the market, signaling changing times in Somalia as the country looks to the…

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                      More than 700 killed in Saudi Hajj stampede

                      At least 717 people have been killed in a stampede at the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia’s civil defence directorate said, as the death toll continued to rise. The directorate said at least 863 other pilgrims were injured in Thursday’s stampede, which took place in Mina, on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca….

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