Displaying items by tag: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

On 18 March Somalia’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, narrowly survived a roadside bombing in Mogadishu. The massive explosion killed at least ten people, including several presidential bodyguards and one journalist. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility, highlighting security vulnerabilities as the militant group advances toward Mogadishu. The attack occurred while the president was traveling to oversee military operations against the terrorist group. Following the bombing, Somali police briefly shut down a local radio station and detained 22 journalists who reported the attack. Police allegedly deleted their footage before releasing them. The group, linked to al-Qaeda, has vowed to capture the capital before June, intensifying concerns over regional stability; they are advancing towards Balcad, only thirty kilometres away.

On 15 May Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somalia’s president from 2012 to 2017, won the election and has returned to the top job. He faces numerous tough challenges, from a devastating drought that risks pushing millions into famine to deep political divisions within the federal government and state authorities. Arguably his biggest task, however, will be to tackle al-Shabaab and a recent rise in attacks, including 48 deaths from suicide bombings in March.' The president’s new administration will need to contend with the Islamist militants’ use of children. They use boys as spies, logistics operatives, and combatants, and girls as cooks, cleaners, and ‘wives’ as well as to spy or move weaponry. The country has a bulging young population with limited or no opportunities. Trust in the government and its security institutions is low, which means that al-Shabaab can lure young recruits with promises of money, marriage, or power.