Ethiopia's Somali Regional State Denies Torture Claims

Ethiopia's Somali regional government has forcefully denied allegations of systemic torture at Jijiga Central Prison, setting the stage for a potential showdown with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

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The UN keeps a spotlight on Eritrea's abysmal human rights record

Geneva-Kampala, 6 July 2018 —The UN Human Rights Council ("the Council") showed its resolve to address the crimes committed in Eritrea by extending the mandate of its top expert on the country today. A new Special Rapporteur on Eritrea will soon succeed Ms. Sheila Kee-tharuth, who has served…

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National Telecom Institute re-launched

(Mogadishu, July 05, 2018) The Ministry of Post, Telecom and Technology (MPTT) has re-launched the National Telecom Training Institute (NTTI), taking a new approach to the delivery of ICT training to promote technical capacity building in Somalia.

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Message of Congratulations to the U.S President Donald Trump on July 4th, Independence Day

Dear Mr. President,On behalf of the Government and the people of Somalia, I extend my cordial congratulations to the nation and the great people of America on this special day of independence.

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Ethiopia: Ex-political prisoners revel in new-found freedom

But on this bright Wednesday morning he is walking down Africa Avenue in downtown Addis Ababa taking in all the sights with a smile while watching people go about their business. The opposition politician, 47, was recently released from prison after serving more than six years of a 25-year jail term.…

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Exclusive: China presses Europe for anti-U.S. alliance on trade

BRUSSELS/BERLIN (Reuters) - China is putting pressure on the European Union to issue a strong joint statement against President Donald Trump's trade policies at a summit later this month but is facing resistance, European officials said. In meetings in Brussels, Berlin and Beijing, senior Chinese…

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Somali Identification Team Meets with World Bank Officials to Boost ID Efforts in Somalia

r. Nur Dirie Hersi Fursade, Chief Strategist in the Office of the President of Somalia and Head the Digital ID Program, met with senior World Bank officials and development partners to brief them on a new government-led program, which aims to provide identification for all Somalis.

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Nearly 40,000 gather to celebrate Somali Independence Day in Minneapolis

Minneapolis (HOL) - Close to 40,000 Somalis celebrated Somali Independence day on a sticky Saturday afternoon at the heart of the Somali-American community with a street festival in South Minneapolis.

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UN Human Rights Council – 38th regular session Item 4:Interactive dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi

27 July 2018 Oral statement delivered by Mr. Nicolas Agostini Version française Mr. President, members of the Commission of Inquiry, We thank you for your update. Since the beginning of the crisis, civil liberties have been seve­rely restricted in Burundi. A large number of human rights defenders…

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NUSOJ AND VIKES LAUNCH FIRST LABOUR RIGHTS TRAINING FOR SOMALI JOURNALISTS IN MOGADISHU

MOGADISHU, 27 June 2018 - The National Union of Somalia Journalists (NUSOJ) and the Finnish Foundation for Media and Development (VIKES) today launched a three-day labour rights training for 30 Somali journalists in Mogadishu, the first in the country, funded by the European Union.{Press Release.}

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Spreading Fear, Asserting Control: Tanzania's assault on civic space

In a new report launched at the 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council, DefendDefenders (the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project) highlights the troubling and underreported downward trends affecting civic space in Tanzania. "Spreading Fear, Asserting Control: Tanzania's…

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UN Human Rights Council – 38th regular session Item 4: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on thesituation of human rights in Eritrea

26 June 2018 Oral statement delivered by Mr. Nicolas Agostini Mr. President, Madam Special Rapporteur, We thank you for your final report to the Human Rights Coun­cil, which outlines that the situ­ation in Eritrea remains grim, with no meaningful progress to report. We salute you for the tremendous…

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Migrants who 'invade' US have no right to due process— Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said migrants who "invade" the US should be deprived of legal due process, reinforcing his hardline stand despite an about-face on family separations that has seen more than 500 children reunited with relatives. Trying to stanch the flow of tens of thousands…

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New Somali exhibit shows 4,000 years of history and daily life — in Somalia and Minnesota

Luqman Mohamed grew up hearing his grandfather's stories of the nomadic life in Somalia, of family members loading their possessions onto the backs of camels and moving frequently in search of water. "The camel is an important symbol in my family," said Mohamed, a student at Metropolitan…

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Ethiopia:Nine arrested in attack on Abiy rally; 165 injured

"Building an independent nation is not the same as building a free society. What good is a free country, if we don't enjoy freedom? If we are not free from fear?"Abiy asked, just moments before the blast. Authorities in Ethiopia say they are treating the incident as an assassination attempt,…

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HRC38: Clustered interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity and the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association

UN Human Rights Council: 38th regular session Item 3: Clustered interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity and the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association Mr. Vice-President, On behalf of DefendDefenders (the…

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DFL endorses State Rep. Ilhan Omar for U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison's congressional seat

Omar, a first-term state lawmaker from Minneapolis who has quickly gained national media attention as the first Somali-American to serve in a state legislature, won the three-way endorsement contest after two rounds of voting. She told a cheering crowd of supporters that she is excited to build on the…

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Legitimacy of @ NUSOJ_Somalia is recognised by Twitter and fabricated claims from the fraudulent pretender are rejected.

Press Release. Mogadishu: Monday 18/06/2018 The official Twitter account of National Union of Somali Journalists (@NUSOJ_Somalia) has been restored after being briefly suspended. The suspension followed a submission to Twitter by lawyers in Europe who were misled into filing a case against NUSOJ. We…

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Turkey to convert former Ottoman barrack into library Share Tweet Email Share

"The plan is to construct Turkey's biggest library and book valley. Once [the project is] complete, it will also be a candidate for the biggest library in the world," Coskun Yilmaz, provincial director of culture and tourism, said. When the restoration process completes at the historic building,…

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Is another Boko Haram or al-Shabaab erupting in Mozambique?

A sudden upsurge in brutal violence in northern Mozambique, including the beheadings of women and children, has sounded alarms that a violent jihadist movement like Boko Haram or al-Shabaab could be evolving. Since October last year, over 50 people have been killed in about 20 attacks in Cabo Delgado…

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