BERBERA (SOHA) – When the brand new school built in Magalo-ad village, six km from the Somaliland port of Berbera, finally opened its doors in September, there were just 36 children occupying the eight-classroom building. Built by the international charity SOS Children’s Villages and run by the Somaliland government, the school …

BOSSASO (SOHA) – Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region on Friday unveiled a $40 million project for a rickety port’s reconstruction plan aimed at benefiting communities in the country’s northeastern part amid a new battle for foreign investment projects in the region stirred by UAE’s port investment in the neighboring breakaway territory of …

NAIROBI (SOHA) – The divisive debate over a federal refugee program will likely resurface next year in St. Cloud as two new members elected Nov. 6 join the City Council. Paul Brandmire and Mike Conway will be sworn in Jan. 7 for four-year terms, and both say they will push …

NAIROBI (SOHA) – Kenya has repatriated 300,000 refugees to Somalia under the Safe Voluntary Return programme since December 2014, Deputy President William Ruto has said. The government is partnering with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the programme. The UNHCR, Kenya and Somalia signed a tripartite agreement on …

MOGADISHU (SOHA) – Somali youth are on the frontline of promoting recovery in the strife-torn Horn of African nation after pursuing higher education in foreign countries, including China. Hundreds of Somali youth have undergone university education in China either through scholarships or through self-sponsorship in recent years. These graduates are …

NAIROBI (SOHA) – IGAD member states have shelved their national interests by pledging to work on a framework to guide how trans-boundary water resources will be used. Trans-boundary water resources have been an issue between Kenya and some countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia and Egypt, a move that has threatened …

DADAAB (SOHA) – Thousands of Somali refugees in Dhagahley camp in Dadaab, northeastern Kenya, are bearing the brunt of weeks of a doctors’ pay strike. Health services have been paralysed in three health centres in the camp after 426 health practitioners including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, and interns went on …

SANAG (SOHA) –  An initiative by university graduates and students is enabling nomadic Somali children whose education was cut short by the punishing drought to catch up on their studies. The group of 150 youth have set up classes for children of destitute pastoralist families, displaced by drought and resettled …

BAKOOL (SOHA) – The move by local aid agencies in Bakool region to cease operations has adversely affected local residents as medical centres supported by the agencies have been forced to close in the midst of a malaria outbreak. Local NGOs based in Bakool region running the centres have stopped …

“Development agencies wish to see an increased flow of remittances; Financial agencies wish to see formalization of remittance flows through banks. Law enforcement agencies wish to reduce the scope for the remittance business to be used for money laundering and financing crime generally.” Introduction The non-bank financial entities in Somalia have …