Somalia

The head of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning World Food Program says support from donors like the United States and Germany have allowed it to postpone — though not entirely avert — famine in Somalia but stressed that “we’re not out of this yet.”

The Somali government says it has shut down the financial infrastructure that supports Islamist militant group al-Shabab.

The U.S. announced Sunday that it’s giving $9 million in new military aid to help Somalia's ongoing campaign against al-Shabab militants. It's the first such direct military support since U.S. forces returned to Somalia and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced an "all-out war" against the militants.

[…] Two cars packed with explosives were simultaneously detonated in Mahas – a town in Hiran where a major offensive was launched last year against the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group.

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in his New Year's Day speech Sunday, declared the country will eliminate al-Shabab Islamist militants this year.

The Council today prolonged the mandates of its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and operation in the Horn of Africa and Somalia. The mandate of EUCAP Somalia, the EU's civilian capacity-building mission, EUTM Somalia, the EU's military training mission, and EU Naval Force Operation ATALANTA, one of the EU’s executive military maritime operations, will now run until 31 December 2024.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Somali army troops and a local militia dubbed the Community Defense Forces took the town of Adan Yabal from al-Shabab without a fight. The town, in the Middle Shabelle region, had been a base for the Islamist group since 2016.

Despite relentless al-Shabab attacks, Somali defense officials say the country is making progress in building a viable security force capable of not only protecting state institutions but also expanding governmental authority.

The African Union says it will delay withdrawal of its sanctioned military forces in Somalia, citing resurgence of Al-Shabaab attacks. The decision was reached on Wednesday by the African Union Peace and Security Council, the 15-member body that decides policy and programmes on security across the continent, following a request from Somalia.

[…] Al-Shabaab remains a strong regional actor and has proved itself to be a resilient force. It has so far defeated all attempts (both internal and external) at eradicating it on the battlefield. This includes the deployment of Somali, western and African Union troops.