Latest Somali people Stories

Somali gov't retracts license of local airlines MOGADISHU, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Somali transitional government have retracted licenses for local airlines to operate in the country following their "compliance" with insurgents' warning of not using the airport in the capital of Mogadishu, a civil aviation official said on Friday. The Al-Shabaab insurgent movement last week issued a warning for airlines not to use the Mogadishu airport which they said was used by "enemy forces". The...

Text of report by pro-Islamist Somali website Halgan.net on 21 September The [military] operations spokesman of Union of Islamic Courts [UIC], Shaykh Abdirahim Ise Adow, has reiterated that the UIC does not support the Al-Shabab Islamic Movement's move of closing Mogadishu airport. He said that the closure of the airport would adversely affect the Somalia population who used the airport. He urged Al-Shabab to withdraw their declaration of closing the airport. The UIC spokesman statement...

By The Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A Grand Island meatpacking plant fired at least 86 workers Friday after they walked off the job amid a dispute over prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, company officials said.But a Muslim leader and one of the fired workers said 150 Muslims lost their jobs.JBS Swift & Co. spokeswoman Tamara Smid confirmed 86 firings late Friday, saying the employees were terminated earlier that day for repeatedly leaving work without authorization. She...

By Jean Ortiz Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. -- A Grand Island meatpacking plant fired at least 86 workers Friday after they walked off the job amid a dispute over prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, company officials said. But a Muslim leader and one of the fired workers said 150 Muslims lost their jobs. JBS Swift & Co. spokeswoman Tamara Smid confirmed 86 firings late Friday, saying the employees were terminated earlier that day for repeatedly leaving work without...

Text of report by Somali website Somaaljecel on 18 September The Djibouti-based wing of the Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia [ARS] has condemned the action of the Al-Shabab group forcing the closure of Mogadishu Airport. The ARS wing headed by Shaykh Sharif Shaykh Ahmad issued a statement saying that the alliance was saddened by Al-Shabab's decision to close Mogadishu Airport, adding that it was against the airport closure. Meanwhile, Shaykh Abdirahman, a member of the Djibouti-based...

Excerpt from report by Somali Banaadir radio on 17 September The Somali national aviation body has threatened to revoke licenses of airlines that do not land at Mogadishu's Adan Adde International Airport from tomorrow [18 September] heeding to the Al- Shabab Islamist's warning. President Yusuf's spokesman has said that the government would revoke the licence of the airlines that fail to land at Mogadishu airport from 12:00 a.m. local time. [Rest of item about covered press conference of...

Text of report by Somali Union of Islamic Courts website Qaadisiya.com on 14 September, subheading as published This press release was issued after one of the mujahidin factions [Islamist group Mujahidin Youth Movement, MYM] issued a statement demanding the closure of Adan Adde Airport [Mogadishu Airport]. Council of Somali Islamic Courts Date: 14 September 2008 Press Release We all know that the country as a whole is under enemy [Ethiopian] occupation; he has set up [military] bases at...

Text of report by privately-owned Somali radio HornAfrik on 15 September [Presenter] The Transitional Federal Government of Somalia has today responded to the statement issued by Al-Shabab Islamic Movement, that the private airline companies and other flights should stop using Adan Adde International Airport as from 16 of September. Abdifatah Amin Muhammad sent this report from Baydhabo. [Reporter] The minister of transport and civil aviation, Muhammad Ibrahim Habsade, and the minister of...

(Correcting headline.)Text of report by privately-owned Somali radio HornAfrik on 14 September [Presenter] Union of Islamic Courts [UIC] said they are not for the closure of Mogadishu airport following a statement issued by Al- Shabab yesterday in which they said they will shut down the airport. Abdiqasin Ma'alin Ahmad [Ahmad] According to a press statement issued by the UIC today, the UIC has no role in Al-Shabab's call for the closure of the Mogadishu airport. Shaykh Abdirahin Ise Adow...

MSF ceases medical activities in Mogadishu clinic amid fighting NAIROBI, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- International medical humanitarian aid agency Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF) said on Wednesday it has been forced to cease medical activities in one of its clinics in central Mogadishu due to increased violence. The medical charity said in a statement issued in Nairobi that increased fighting has led to unacceptable security risks for its patients and staff working in the lawless nation. "The...