Somali News

Somalia regains control of airspace management after 27 years

Published

1 month ago

Dec 28, 2017

MOGADISHU, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) — The Somali government on Thursday announced that it has officially regained control and management of its airspace after 27 years being run by the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regional office in Nairobi.

Somali President Mohamed Abdulahi Farmajo officially inaugurated the offices and equipment installed at Mogadishu International Airport on Thursday and said that the move represents a significant step towards the development of the country.

“It is a great honor for us to witness this historic day that we retake control and management of our airspace. This did not come simply and luckily, but through hard work,” Farmajo said.

He thanked the officials of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation for their efforts as well as ICAO which has been running the airport.

He added that taking over the running of Somalia’s airspace is part of his government’s commitment to restore important public services.

Somali Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Abdulahi Salad, said that all equipment for the control of the airspace is ready and secure with its staff who are currently based in Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi.

Salad thanked all those who have played a role in the return of Somalia’s airspace control back to local oversight.

He added that the government has also reestablished direct flights between Mogadishu and Nairobi, which previously required a stopover in Wajir in North East Kenya for security reasons.

Somali News

German military to end role in EU training mission in Somalia

Published

2 days ago

Feb 02, 2018

Bartamaha Admin

BERLIN (Reuters) – The German military will stop participating in a European Union training mission in Somalia at the end of March, a Foreign Ministry official said on Thursday, expressing frustration at the pace of progress.

Germany has about five soldiers taking part in the training mission alongside 15 from other EU countries. The decision to end Germany’s participation in the program, which began in 2010, was first reported by Der Spiegel magazine.
“The development of a Somali national army is moving forward only very slowly, in part due to deficits in political and institutional structures, as well as equipment gaps among trained Somali soldiers,” the ministry official said.

Berlin is now looking at how to bolster its engagement in civilian security in Somalia and supports a shift recommended by an EU strategic assessment to focus more on providing advisory help, a concept currently being discussed in Brussels.

The United States last year decided to suspend food and fuel aid for most of Somalia’s armed forces over corruption concerns.

Somali News

Somali minister hails UAE developmental support

Published

2 days ago

Feb 02, 2018

Bartamaha Admin

Mohammed Ahmed Othman Al Hammadi, UAE Ambassador to Somalia, today met with Ahmed Isse Awad, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Somalia.

The UAE ambassador conveyed the regards of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and his best wishes of success to the Somali minister in his new duties.

The Somali minister, during the meeting which was held in the UAE embassy premises here, commended the deeply-rooted relations between the two countries and their peoples, hailing the developmental projects carried out by the UAE in different fields in Somalia, and the support lent in particular to the Somali Foreign Ministry.

Humanitarian Watch

Somalia: More than 1,500 children orphaned after twin blasts

Published

3 days ago

Feb 01, 2018

Bartamaha Admin

AL JAZEERA — Somalia has suffered countless bomb attacks over the years, but the twin explosions in Mogadishu three months ago were the largest ever, killing more than 500 people.

More than 1,500 children became orphans as a result of the attack in which many of the victims were parents.