The terrorist network has lost eight of its top leaders in recent years. But it has more total fighters than it did on Sept. 11, 2001.
Tag Archives: Somalia
Hunger in Somalia
The drought in the country has a lesson: We know how to ease human suffering. We need to do it.
‘We Buried Him and Kept Walking’: Children Die as Somalis Flee Hunger
The worst drought in four decades, and a sharp rise in food prices caused by the war in Ukraine, have left almost half of Somalia’s people facing acute food shortages.
Free Ambulances in Mogadishu, Thanks to Aamin Ambulance
Dismayed that victims of the incessant violence in Somalia’s capital were being rolled to hospitals on wooden carts and in wheelbarrows, a dentist decided to do something about it.
Biden Approves Plan to Redeploy Several Hundred Ground Forces Into Somalia
The president also signed off on targeting about a dozen Shabab leaders in the war-torn country, from which Donald J. Trump largely withdrew in his final weeks in office.
Somalia Elects Next President, but Terrorists Hold True Power
The militants of Al Shabab collect taxes, decide court cases and control the streets. Somalis ask, will a new government even matter?
War in Ukraine Compounds Hunger in East Africa
The conflict has driven up the cost of food in a region that depends heavily on crops from Russia and Ukraine and is facing what could be its worst drought in four decades.
US Carries Out First Airstrike in Somalia Since August
The strike targeted Al Shabab militants who had attacked allied Somali security forces.
Car Bomb in Mogadishu, Somalia’s Capital, Kills 8
The explosion, one of a string of recent attacks, comes as the country grapples with a political standoff and a growing humanitarian crisis.
Somalia’s President Suspends Prime Minister Over Corruption Allegations
The premier, Mohamed Hussein Roble, defied the order to step down as tensions continue over long-delayed elections.
Explosion Outside School Kills 8 in Somalia’s Capital
The latest in a series of deadly attacks comes as the country is gripped by election instability and by a drought that threatens 2.6 million people.
Threats of Violence in Today’s Political Discourse
Readers discuss the rise in death threats and calls for bloodshed. Also: Senator Sinema; gerrymandered districts; immigration; Somalia.
A C.I.A. Fighter, a Somali Bomb Maker, and a Faltering Shadow War
The hunt for an elusive Somali militant illustrates why Al Shabab, despite a decade of American covert action, are at their strongest in years.
Writing About a Past Injustice Helped Her See What Has and Hasn’t Changed
Nadifa Mohamed is a Booker Prize finalist for her novel “The Fortune Men,” a story about a false accusation and the tragedy that resulted.
Pentagon Weighs Proposal to Send Dozens of Troops Back to Somalia
The plan for a “train and assist” mission would partly reverse President Donald J. Trump’s withdrawal of nearly all American ground forces from the country.
Suicide Blast at Military Training Camp in Somalia Targets New Recruits
At least 10 people were killed in the latest attack on a training site that is jointly run by Turkish forces.
U.N. Suspends Iran’s Voting Rights for Delinquent Dues. Iran is Furious.
Iran and four other countries were disqualified from voting in the General Assembly because they haven’t paid dues for two years. Iran blamed sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.
The Bureaucrat From Buffalo Who Pushed Somalia to the Brink
His bid to stay in office an extra two years, without elections, has led to gunfights in the capital and fears that Somalia is backsliding into a disastrous conflict.
Gunfire Erupts in Mogadishu as Somalia’s Political Feud Turns Violent
Tensions had been rising since the president, a former American citizen, failed to hold scheduled elections, then extended his term in office by two years.
Somalia’s President Extends Term by Two Years, Drawing Condemnation
His four-year term expired, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed signed a contentious law that critics fear could plunge the fragile country into renewed, possibly violent, turmoil.
As Locusts Swarmed East Africa, This Tech Helped Squash Them
A hastily formed crowdsourcing operation to contain the insects in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia could help manage climate-related disasters everywhere.
Biden Secretly Limits Counterterrorism Drone Strikes Away From War Zones
Requiring higher-level approval is a stopgap measure as officials review whether to tighten Trump-era targeting rules and civilian safeguards.
Gunfire at Mogadishu Protest Intensifies Somali Election Impasse
Opposition political leaders said they were attacked by government forces on Friday, and two former presidents said they were targeted hours earlier.
Militants Storm Hotel in Somali Capital and Blasts Rock Area
The authorities said an evacuation operation was still underway at the Afrik Hotel, with reports of at least two dead and 11 injured. A militant group, the Shabab, was believed to be behind the attack.
The ‘Muslim Ban’ Is Over. The Harm Lives On.
Biden has rescinded Trump’s travel restrictions, but it will take years to undo the damage.
As Virus Resurges in Africa, Doctors Fear the Worst Is Yet to Come
The coronavirus killed far fewer people in Africa than in Europe and the Americas, leading to a widespread perception that it was a disease of the West. Now, a tide of new cases on the continent is raising alarms.
Suicide Bomber in Somalia Hits Prime Minister’s Rally
The attack, claimed by Al Shabab, killed at least 10, including three Somali military commanders. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble was on his way at the time.
Kenyan Planned 9/11-Style Attack After Training as Pilot, U.S. Says
An operative for the Qaeda branch in East Africa, known as Shabab, is accused of training as a pilot in the Philippines and researching how to hijack planes.
Somalia Severs Diplomatic Ties With Kenya
Somalia accused its East African neighbor of meddling in its internal affairs, weeks before a crucial general election.
In Somalia, U.S. Troop Withdrawal Is Seen as Badly Timed
Somali presidential elections are scheduled in just a few months, war is erupting in neighboring Ethiopia, and Shebab militants are still strong. The timing, Somalis say, could not be worse.
Trump Orders All American Troops Out of Somalia
While the number of troops — about 700 — is small, it is a continuation of President Trump’s efforts to withdraw the United States from what he has described as endless wars.
Pentagon Chief Visits Somalia Ahead of Expected Troop Cuts
Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller met with troops and commanders in the region as turmoil bedevils the nation with approaching elections and an enduring threat from the Shabab.
C.I.A. Officer Is Killed in Somalia
The officer’s combat death came as President Trump considers pulling back on American operations in the region.
Somalia Worries That a U.S. Withdrawal Will Be Disastrous
An elite commando unit supported by U.S. forces could fall apart, officials say, leaving the country more vulnerable to the Shabab and other terrorist groups.
Trump Is Said to Be Preparing to Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia
Facing the end of his time in power, the president is pushing to accelerate withdrawals from counterterrorism conflicts. He campaigned on ending the longstanding wars.
He Sidestepped Pompeo and Got Slapped Down. Now He’s the New Pentagon Chief.
President Trump’s new acting secretary of defense began a since-aborted diplomatic gambit last month to negotiate with a Somali terrorist group — drawing the ire of the secretary of state.
Al Qaeda Feels Losses in Syria and Afghanistan but Stays Resilient
American drones and U.S. allies killed several Qaeda leaders and operatives in the past week. But the organization has “ingrained itself in local communities and conflicts,” according to the U.N.
Trump’s Tweets on Troop Withdrawals Unnerve Pentagon
The president’s demands to draw down forces in Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria seek to fulfill a campaign promise. But officials warn rapid troop reductions could bolster adversaries.
U.S. Military Seeks Authority to Expand Counterterrorism Drone War to Kenya
Draft rules for potential airstrikes, drawn up after a Shabab attack at a base in January, are said to be limited and would require Kenyan assent.
At Least 37 Million People Have Been Displaced by America’s War on Terror
A new report calculates the number of people who fled because of wars fought by the United States since Sept. 11, 2001.
Truck Bomb in Somalia Kills 3 and Wounds 3, Including a U.S. Soldier
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Shabab have carried out similar attacks across the Horn of Africa nation.
Attack on Beachside Somalia Hotel Kills at Least 16
The extremist group Al Shabab has escalated assaults in recent months, even as the country confronts a host of other challenges, including containing the coronavirus.
Hawa Abdi, Doctor Who Aided Thousands in Somalia, Dies at 73
Dr. Abdi turned her family’s land into a hospital and camp that treated and supported legions of people displaced during a civil war.
Pentagon Admits to Civilian Casualties in Somalia for a Third Time
Africa Command’s admission of the death comes in the wake of its slow move toward better accountability after years of criticism from human rights groups and lawmakers.
Explosions in Somalia Leave at Least 5 Dead
Devastating attacks, occurring almost daily and often in the capital, Mogadishu, have put a strain on the country’s fragile government.
Suicide Bombing Targets Major Turkish Military Base in Somalia
Officials said two people were killed in the bombing at the facility in Mogadishu, Turkey’s largest overseas military base.
In Minneapolis, Somali-Americans Find Unwelcome Echoes of Strife at Home
Thousands left political chaos, violence and danger in Somalia. Now, many are surprised and alarmed at the dangers and distress they’re seeing in their new home.
There’s No Home Remedy for Coronavirus Lies
My fellow Somali-Americans are being taken in by anti-vaccine disinformation.
Covid-19 Outbreak in Nigeria Is Just One of Africa’s Alarming Hot Spots
Dozens of doctors are infected and gravediggers are overwhelmed in Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city, where inaction led to an unchecked outbreak. Across Africa, other hot spots are emerging.
Coronanvirus Aid Plane That Crashed in Somalia May Have Been Shot Down, Report Says
The Kenyan-registered aircraft was delivering much-needed humanitarian supplies for the fight against the coronavirus when it crashed.