The U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf (ina waran), the head of the finance office of the Somalia-based affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Yusuf has been designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), which means that his assets in the United States are frozen and U.S. citizens and businesses are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him, read the statement.

According the OFAC, Yusuf has played a key role in the delivery of foreign fighters, supplies, and ammunition on behalf of ISIS-Somalia. He has also been responsible for managing the revenue generated by the group and has facilitated transfers for ISIS.

In a statement, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said that the sanctions demonstrate the U.S. commitment to leveraging our authorities in support to our partners, including the Federal Government of Somalia, in their efforts to counter terrorist financing and strengthen national and regional stability and security.

ISIS-Somalia is one of the most significant ISIS affiliates in Africa. The group generates revenue through a variety of means, including extortion, taxation, and smuggling.

Horseed Media

The post Somalia: U.S. Treasury Sanctions ISIS-Somalia Finance Chief appeared first on Horseed Media.

By Timur Fomenko | RT | July 27, 2023

Recently, CIA director William Burns said the US was working on rebuilding CIA networks in China. The comments came after the Chinese state had successfully purged the presence of the CIA from its upper echelons in previous years, making it difficult for the all-seeing eye to decipher the intentions of Chinas leadership.

Despite this, any talk of what the CIA does in China is never truly covered by the mainstream media, and those who report on it are often dismissed as fringe or conspiracy theorists. Similarly, Chinas warning of external forces manipulating its politics is also never taken seriously, and moreover any arrest by China on charges of espionage are also dismissed as illegitimate and politically motivated. So is the CIA there, or is it not?

In the realm of confirmed public knowledge, the CIA only truly exists in terms of history. That is, we learn about some of the things it has done from documents declassified years later, but we never get to know what it is doing now. We can read, for example, about how the CIA infiltrated countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan and bribed officials to defect in anticipation of coming invasions, or how it launched coups in countries throughout the world. But the key is, we dont hear about these events at the time they happen, that is relegated to secrecy, and hence all the things the CIA does at the time of happening are framed as efforts for freedom, democracy, etc.

It is no surprise that, despite offhand comments such as this by Burns, it is an unequivocal truth that the mainstream media simply pretends the CIA does not exist, and its actions in the present are never behind any kind of event or development. Those who seek to whistleblow and expose its activities, such as Julian Assange, are hunted down and subjected to brutal punishment. When a new leak revealed that the CIA under Mike Pompeo planned to go as far as even assassinating him, it was widely ignored by the media, excluding the BBC reporting on it in Somali language just for the purposes of plausible deniability.

Given this background, Chinas caution and vigilance towards the CIA is widely dismissed as paranoia and an unsubstantiated excuse for oppression. If China takes action against firms it deems linked to potential espionage, such US consultancies, the mainstream media responds by framing Beijing as unreasonable, closed, insecure...

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with the Deputy Secretary of the US Treasury Department for Terrorism and Terrorist Financing, Brian Nelson, on Tuesday to discuss cooperation between the two countries in counter-terrorism efforts.

During the meeting, President Mohamud presented the measures taken by the Somali government to weaken the income and finances of Al-Shabaab terrorists. He said that the rules and regulations for the financial sanctions of terrorists and the intelligence measures that destroyed the financial resources that the terrorists depended on hastened the successes achieved in the war and the liberation of the areas.

Mr. Nelson thanked the President for the reception and the meeting, and said that the peace and stability of Somalia is the foundation for the peace of the region and the world, therefore his country is committed to help the Somali government against money laundering and counter-terrorism.

The two sides also discussed the cooperation between Somalia and the United States in financial sanctions against terrorism, the role they are taking in the second phase of the war against the Al-Shabaab terrorist militias and progress made in Somalias debt relief program.

The talks also touched on the sensitive issue of food security, as Somalia continues to face dire hunger challenges. Nelson reiterated American concerns about Russias outreach to African nations on wheat and other agricultural exports following its withdrawal from a UN-brokered Ukraine grain deal. He stressed that the US remains Africas most reliable partner during the current global food crisis.

The peace and stability of Somalia is the foundation for the peace of the region and the world, said Mr. Nelson. We are committed to helping the Somali government against money laundering and counter-terrorism.

The Somali government is grateful for the support of the United States in our fight against terrorism, said President Mohamud. We will continue to work together to ensure the defeat of Al-Shabaab and the restoration of peace and stability to Somalia.

Horseed Media

The post...

Mogadishu, Somalia, July 27, 2023 The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the Ministry of Health of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) have partnered to rehabilitate six regional hospitals across the country.

The $12.5 million initiative, which is part of the World Banks Somalia COVID-19 Emergency Vaccination Project Additional Financing, will encompass major renovations, civil works, and the installation of essential medical equipment to enhance the hospitals emergency response capabilities. The project will also integrate climate resilience measures, such as flood prevention mechanisms, wind-resistant structures, and passive cooling systems, to ensure the hospitals are equipped to withstand climate-related challenges.

The hospitals to be rehabilitated are:

1. Bosaso General Hospital in Puntland State
2. Galmudug Regional Referral Hospital in Dhusamareb, Galmudug State
3. Beledweyne District Referral Hospital in Hirshabelle State
4. Bay Regional Hospital in Baidoa, Southwest State
5. Forlanini Hospital in Mogadishu, Banadir Regional Administration (BRA)
6. Garbaharey District Referral Hospital in Jubaland State

We are proud to partner with the Ministry of Health in this important endeavor to strengthen Somalias healthcare system, said Alaa Nemer, Country Director of UNOPS in Somalia. By embarking on this project to rehabilitate the hospitals, we are taking important strides towards building a more resilient and responsive healthcare infrastructure that will deliver much-needed essential healthcare services to communities that need them most, particularly the most vulnerable groups.

By rehabilitating these hospitals, we are not only improving the quality of healthcare services available to the Somali people, but we are also strengthening the countrys ability to respond to emergencies, said H.E Dr. Ali Haji Adan, Minister of Health, FGS. This is a critical investment in Somalias future.

The Ministry of Health will play a key role in overseeing the implementation of the project, working closely with UNOPS Somalia and the World Banks Somalia COVID-19 Emergency Vaccination project team.

The project is expected to be c...

The government of Somalia announced today that it has signed an agreement with Russia to forgive more than $684 million in debt owed by the Russian government to Somalia.

The agreement was signed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, by the Minister of Finance of Somalia, Biihi Iman Cige, and the Deputy Minister of Finance of Russia, Timur Igorevich Maksimov.

This is a historic day for Somalia, said Minister Cige. The debt forgiveness agreement will allow us to focus on the future and build a better future for our people.

The debt forgiveness agreement is also a sign of the growing cooperation between Russia and Somalia. The two countries have been working together to strengthen their economic ties in recent years.

We are committed to working with Somalia to build a brighter future for the Somali people, said Deputy Minister Maksimov. The debt forgiveness agreement is a symbol of our commitment to this partnership.

The debt forgiveness agreement is the latest step in Somalias efforts to achieve debt relief. In 2020, Somalia was declared eligible for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. The HIPC Initiative is a program that provides debt relief to countries that have met certain economic and social criteria.

Somalia is expected to receive official decision on debt relief from the Executive Committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at the end of this year. The debt relief will significantly reduce Somalias debt burden and free up resources for the government to invest in its people and economy.

Horseed Media

The post Somalia and Russia Sign Debt Relief Agreement appeared first on Horseed Media.

Somali authorities have arrested several military officers for allegedly helping a suicide bomber gain entry to a military academy in the capital Mogadishu this week and kill at least 30 soldiers, an officer said on Wednesday.

The Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group, which has been waging an insurgency against Somalias national government since 2006, claimed responsibility for the attack at the Jale Siyaad military academy.

The attack was one of the deadliest the group has carried out in years against a military target in Mogadishu.

Colonel Abdullahi Dabow, an infantry operations officer, has been arrested and accused of bringing the suicide bomber into the academy in his car, Captain Hussein Farah told Reuters.

He said other officers had also been arrested in connection with the attack, without naming them.

Reuters was not able to reach Dabow or a representative for comment.

Many Somalis have long suspected that al Shabaab operatives have infiltrated parts of the government and military, but arrests had been rare until recently.

In the past few months, the authorities have arrested dozens of police and military officers on suspicion of helping al Shabaab to carry out attacks against soldiers and civilians, local government officials have told Reuters.

The central authorities have not commented on these arrests, and government officials did not respond to requests for comment.

After Mondays attack, parliament speaker Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe called on the security services to investigate and arrest al Shabaab collaborators.

The idea that a suicide bomber just comes in a military queue in a military base is not something that can be accepted. This is killing the confidence of the people, he said in comments broadcast on local television.

A military campaign by government forces and allied militiamen against al Shabaab since last year has pushed the militants out of large swathes of territory, but the group continues to stage frequent attacks.

The post...

Mogadishu, Somalia (July 24, 2023) At least 20 soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing that took place early Monday at the army training school in the camp formerly known as Jale Siyad.

The explosion, which is believed to have been carried out by a person wearing explosives vest, targeted soldiers who were in line in the camp, as independent news sources have told the media.

An eyewitness said that he saw injured soldiers being taken out of the camp. Another official who refused to be named said that the death of around 20 soldiers was among those who were in the line when the explosion occurred.

It is not yet clear how the person who blew himself up managed to enter one of the most secure facilities in the capital. However, this attack has raised serious questions about the security of the base and the ability of the Somali government to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks.

This is a developing story. More information will be released as it becomes available.

Horseed Media

The post Somalia: At least 20 soldiers killed in suicide bombing at Somali army training school appeared first on Horseed Media.

The House of Representatives of Somaliland elected a new chairman on Sunday. Yasin Haji Mohamud, 76, from the Sool region was elected to the position.

The election was contested by Mohamud and Mohamed Khadar Dahir from the Awdal region. Mohamud received 46 votes, while Dahir received 35 votes.

Mohamud is a member of the Kulmiye party and has been in Somaliland politics for a number of years. He served as a minister and was also the first deputy chairman of the House of Representatives.

The election of Mohamud as chairman is seen as a victory for the Kulmiye party. The party is currently in power in Somaliland and the election of Mohamud is likely to strengthen its position.

The community of Sool and Ayn has stated that the election of Mohamud does not change their issues of unity and self-determination in their areas.

Horseed Media

The post Somaliland House of Representatives elects new chairman appeared first on Horseed Media.