In the post several young men are seen dancing to a remix of a campaign song originally used during the president’s election bid in 2022, but with the lyrics altered to include derogatory language.

In a statement, the police said the suspects were in custody and would be formally charged. They have not commented since their arrest.

Several social media influencers have been arrested and jailed in the past for spreading clan-based insults, incitement or “immoral” content on platforms like TikTok – but this is the first case involving a top politician.

In August last year, seven TikTokers were sentenced to six months in prison by a court in the capital, Mogadishu, for provoking civil unrest and spreading immorality.

The authorities said the behaviour in the recent video – the original of which has been deleted but it still being widely shared on TikTok and other social media platforms – constituted a criminal offence under Somali law.

Police spokesman Gen Abdifatah Aden warned the public that anyone engaging in similar acts that disrespected national institutions or leaders would “face the full force of the law”.

The arrests have reignited public debate over the role of social media in Somalia, particularly TikTok, which has been at the centre of controversy in the past.

Some have expressed their support for the young men while others have defended the arrests, saying freedom of expression should not extend to such levels – particularly in a country still grappling with fragile governance.

TikTok is a popular platform in Somalia and within the large diaspora – especially among the youth, who use it for political commentary and satire.

Many people also use it for business as well as a source of entertainment.

In 2023, the government considered banning the platform altogether, citing concerns over national security, the spread of misinformation and the erosion of social and moral values.

The ban was not implemented at the time because of strong public opposition, but officials warned that the platform was increasingly being used to spread harmful content including extremist propaganda and defamatory material.

Source: BBC

Political instability has restricted the development of sport in the country and the men’s national football team, nicknamed the Ocean Stars, have not played competitively on home soil since 1986.

The game has historically united a population of around 17 million troubled by clan divisions, and Mogadishu could soon be granted permission to stage international matches at its 65,000-capacity National Stadium.

Three legends of African football – Emmanuel Adebayor, Samuel Eto’o and Jay Jay Okocha – travelled to the Somali capital this week to take part in an exhibition match which players and officials hope will help pave the way for the continent’s top stars to return on a regular basis.

“This football showcase is truly a historic moment. It marks the day Somalia earned a golden place on the world stage,” local youth coach and player Cabdulaahi Geesey told BBC Somali.

“Sharing the pitch with Okocha, Eto’o and Adebayor, wearing the same kit and even scoring a goal is a dream come true.

“The image these guests will carry back with them is of a peaceful Somalia, a united people and a football culture that is rising once again.

“Somalia deserves the trust to start hosting matches on home soil again.”

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Eto’o won the Uefa Champions League with Barcelona and Inter Milan, and is now the president of Cameroon’s football federation

Former Arsenal and Real Madrid striker Adebayor hailed the match, part of a ‘peace tour’ backed by world governing body Fifa, as a “wonderful” occasion.

The thousands in attendance created an electric atmosphere in a stadium that has endured a chequered past.

“I know a little bit about Somalia,” the 41-year-old former Togo captain said.

“We just pray for God to give you peace so that you can build your country.”

Yet the security situation in Somalia remains challenging, and the mood was tense outside the stadium, with a heavy police contingent guarding the venue.

Al-Qaeda-aligned Al-Shabab militants launched a major offensive earlier this year and have made territorial gains since February.

Attacks in April killed senior Somali military officials in a village 30km from Mogadishu, while several people died this month when a suicide bomber targeted an army recruitment centre in the capital.

Somalia’s security minister Mohamed Ali Haga described the match as a chance to “change the perception of the world towards Somalia and show the world that Mogadishu is peaceful”.

‘First step’ to international return

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: The match drew thousands of supporters to the Mogadishu National Stadium

Somalia’s footballers have always struggled to make an impact on the continental stage, and its men are currently ranked 201st out of 210 national teams in the world – with only Seychelles and unranked Eritrea beneath them in Africa.

They have never made it past the preliminary round in qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations and have only ever registered one win in qualifying for the Fifa World Cup.

Djibouti has become Somalia’s most frequent venue for ‘home’ games during almost four decades in exile, during which time their stadium in Mogadishu was repeatedly requisitioned for military use.

Djibouti Football Association president Souleiman Waberi, who also holds high office at the Confederation of African Football (Caf) and Fifa, says the legends game is the first step to the return of the Ocean Stars.

“Maybe the next step will be a friendly match with another country,” Waberi added.

“Then the Somalia FA can send a letter to Caf to request them to come to check the stadium.

“If it meets all criteria, Somalia can host international games here in Mogadishu.”

Recent home qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup have been staged as far afield as Morocco and Mozambique, but supporters are eager for their side to return to home soil.

Nasteexa Maxamuud was among the thousands in attendance on Tuesday to see Adebayor, Eto’o and Okocha in action.

“I’m genuinely very happy having three world-renowned footballers visit us, be warmly welcomed, and return safely,” she told the BBC.

“To Somalia, I say may this peace last.

“Just as these players came and left in peace and good health, I hope the same will happen for others.”

A new dawn for stadium

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: The African Union’s peacekeeping force took over Mogadishu’s National Stadium in 2011 after it was used by Al-Shabab militants

Built in 1977 with Chinese assistance, Mogadishu’s main ground was closed in 1991 when the country descended into anarchy after the overthrow of President Siad Barre’s military regime.

Peacekeepers from the United States and Pakistan used it as a base for two years until 1995, when it reopened for a nine-year spell.

Ethiopian troops were then stationed there before Al-Shabab made it their main Mogadishu stronghold between 2009 and 2011.

A new internationally-backed government was installed in 2012, leading to a new peacekeeping force using the stadium as an operational headquarters.

Infrastructure suffered heavily during the years of military use, but artificial turf was laid and facilities restored during a renovation in 2020.

The official reopening for a game between Horseed SC and Mogadishu City Club in July 2021 drew a capacity crowd.

It is now hoped the legends match will help demonstrate that sport can reclaim a space once dominated by violence.

“I know Somalia,” Waberi said.

“It’s a people of sport. There’s football every day.

“We have a legends game, you see the stadium is full. I am sure this stadium will host international games.”

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Adebayor, Eto’o and Okocha helped the legends team to an 8-4 win in Mogadishu

Nasra Abubakar Ali took almost twice as long as the winner to finish the 100m at the World University Games in China.

An investigation by the Somali Ministry of Youth and Sport revealed she is “not a sports person, nor a runner”.

The chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation has been accused of abusing her power and defaming Somalia.

Khadijo Aden Dahir was stood down following a meeting between the country’s sports ministry and its National Olympic Committee.

Their preliminary investigation also found that a sports body known as the Somali University Sports Association does not exist.

The ministry said it will pursue legal action against both the chairman of the Athletics Federation of Somalia and others responsible for the “falsification” of the sports group.

It did not elaborate on what the connection between Ms Dahir and Ms Ali is.

In a video of the event, the athlete is soon left out of shot and eventually completes the race with a jovial skip.

The novice athlete completed the race in 21.81 seconds – more than 10 seconds behind the eventual winner.

Sports Minister Mohamed Barre Mohamud described the incident as an embarrassment.

“What happened today was not a representation of the Somali people… we apologise to the Somali people,” he said.

The fact that she reportedly had no previous experience of competing has prompted some Somalis to wonder why she was ever selected.

“It’s disheartening to witness such an incompetent government. How could they select an untrained girl to represent Somalia in running?” wrote one social media user, Elham Garaad. “It’s truly shocking and reflects poorly on our country internationally.”

In a press release posted to its Facebook page, the Association of Somali Universities said it had not appointed any athlete to compete in the event.

The Somali Athletics Federation has reportedly agreed to launch an investigation into how Ms Abubakar Ali was selected.

The incident is not the first time Somalia has sparked controversy with its choice of athletes at international athletics events.

In 2016, Maryan Nuh Muse ran a sluggish time of 1.10.14 in the 400m at the Rio Olympics. The average time for the event is about 48 seconds.

However, many praised the runner for seeking to take part in the race and for defying the tough conditions faced by Somali women seeking to take part in high-level sport.

At the 2012 Olympics in London, Zamzam Mohamed Farah clocked a time of 1:20:48 – some 30 seconds behind the winner.

The athlete was reportedly subjected to death threats throughout the games from some in Somalia who believed women should not participate in sport.

Images from the scene showed towers of black smoke billowing from the aircraft and into the sky as firefighters battled the blaze. Pieces of the plane, a Fokker-50 operated by Somalia’s domestic carrier, Jubba Airways, could also be seen strewn across the runway.

All 36 passengers and crew survived the crash, Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement, adding that an investigation into the incident was underway.

The plane was arriving in Mogadishu, which is located on the Indian Ocean, from the inland city of Baidoa and crashed around 11:30 a.m., according to a brief statement from Jubba Airways.

“We applaud the quick action of the Somalia fire brigade at the Adan Adde International Airport for their quick action in rescuing and saving lives,” a spokesman for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, an eight-country trade bloc that includes Somalia, told local media.

The airport is located inside a fortified enclave known as the “Green Zone,” which also houses some Western embassies, including the U.S. mission, and U.S.-trained Somali commando units. The last plane crash there was in 2020when another Fokker-50 aircraft veered off the runway and collided with a perimeter wall. The plane’s four occupants survived.

The Dutch aerospace firm, Fokker, originally manufactured the Fokker-50 aircraft but halted production in 1996. The firm’s successor company, Fokker Services, continues to service and repair those Fokker-50 planes that are still in use. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The World Food Programme says up to 20 million people in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia are at risk of starvation by the end of the year.

Somalia is bearing the brunt with half of the population now hungry.

Hundreds of thousands of people are abandoning their homes in rural Somalia and heading to camps for the internally displaced.

Their fields are bare, crops have failed, and dead livestock are strewn along the roads. This is the worst drought in the last decade according to experts, and famine is looming.

There are thousands of children who are unaccompanied in the camps. Older siblings have taken the role of care givers, as their fathers have gone to towns to look for food, and the mothers are stuck in hospitals where the rate of severe malnutrition is at an all-time high.

Deaths are now being reported. In one centre in Baidoa, at least 26 children died between May and June, according to records.

All 30 passengers and crew on board have been rescued, the authorities say.

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The airport staff are currently working to clear the runway.

Dramatic images of fire and smoke from the incident have been shared online, including these ones from Somalia state TV.

#BREAKING: A plane has crashed at #Mogadishu’s Adan Abdulle International Airport shortly after it took off, on Monday. All 30 people on board including crews have been rescued, Airport Authorities confirmed to State Media.#Somalia pic.twitter.com/gM7ppnPn8W

— SNTV News (@sntvnews1) July 18, 2022

Currently, close to half of the population is facing crisis-level food insecurity.

The UN’s humanitarian co-ordinator for the country, Adam Abdelmoula, has said the international community must act now or more people will die.

He said the country was on the brink of devastating and widespread hunger and mass starvation that could claim hundreds of thousands of lives.

Four consecutive rainy seasons have failed and the UN estimates the ensuing severe drought has affected seven million people and displaced more than 800,000.

At the same time, food prices are soaring in part because of the war in Ukraine – and humanitarian assistance is out of reach for many because of insecurity and conflict.

Three million heads of livestock, a major source of livelihood, have died as a result of the drought.

Mr Abdelmoula said the response from the international community so far had not been sufficient. The UN’s humanitarian response plan is just 18% funded.

In 2011, severe drought resulted in a famine that killed a quarter of a million people.

He defeated the current president, Mohamed Abudallahi Farmajo, who has been in office since 2017.

The ballot was limited to Somalia’s 328 MPs due to security concerns over holding a wider election, and one of them did not cast a vote.

Mr Mohamud received 214 votes, defeating Mr Farmajo who won 110 votes.

Three MPs are reported to have spoiled their ballots.

The unusual circumstances highlight Somalia’s security issues as well as the lack of democratic accountability.

The result marks a comeback for Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who served as Somalia’s president between 2012 and 2017 before he was defeated by Mr Farmajo.

The elections – which were hotly contested and went to a third-round – were delayed for almost 15 months due to infighting and security issues.

Mr Mohamud was sworn in shortly after the final results were announced, prompting supporters in the capital to cheer and fire guns into the air. He will serve for the next four years.

In the vote on Sunday, hundreds of parliamentarians cast their ballots at a fortified aircraft hangar in the capital Mogadishu.

Explosions could be heard nearby as voting was taking place, but police said no casualties were reported.

As the incoming president, Mr Mohamud will have to deal with the impact of an ongoing drought in which the UN says 3.5 million Somalis are at risk of severe famine.

But the big task he faces is to wrest control of much of Somalia from al-Shabab. The al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militant group continues to dominate large parts of the country and carries out frequent attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere.

The country is also being affected by food and fuel inflation sparked by the war in Ukraine.

The government is backed in its fight against al-Shabab by the African Union, in the shape of some 18,000 troops and the United Nations.

The instability is one of the reasons why Somalia has been unable to hold direct elections. Somalia has not had a one-person-one-vote democratic election since 1969.

That vote was followed by a coup, dictatorship and conflict involving clan militias and Islamist extremists.

This is only the third time that the indirect election for president has been able to take place in Somalia itself. Previous ones were held in neighbouring Kenya and Djibouti.

How did the voting work?

This vote was supposed to have happened last year when Mr Farmajo’s four-year term ended. But political differences and instability delayed the poll and the president remained in power.

The MPs who chose the new president were themselves elected by delegates nominated by the country’s powerful clans.

They gathered in a large airport hangar in the well-guarded Halane Camp. This is the main military base of the AU’s mission in Somalia (Atmis), as well as the home of

diplomatic missions and aid agencies.

The voting, done by secret ballot, was delayed for hours due to lengthy security checks.

Past elections were marred by allegations of vote-buying with candidates reportedly offering money in exchange for support.

The only female candidate, former Foreign Minister Fawzia Yusuf Adam, was eliminated in the first round of voting.

What has al-Shabab said?

In previous elections, al-Shabab threatened and even kidnapped clan elders after condemning them for participating in what it saw as an un-Islamic poll.

This time around, its response to the elections has been more muted, with fears that its members or sympathisers may have secretly sought parliamentary seats in a bid to undermine the system from within

The fear was publicly expressed by neighbouring Djibouti’s President Omar Guelleh in 2020, when he was quoted as saying: “I fear we will end up with a parliament indirectly controlled by al-Shabab because they’ll have bought the support of some of the MPs.”

Some analysts felt Mr Guelleh was exaggerating the possibility of al-Shabab gaining a foothold in parliament, but there is no doubt that it is a major political force in Somalia.

“So far we have carried six dead civilians and seven others injured,” Abdikadir Abdirahman, director of Aamin Ambulance Service said.

Somalia’s Islamist group al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the blast, with their military operations spokesperson Abdiasis Abu Musab telling Reuters they were targeting “security officers and politicians of the apostate government.”

Al Shabaab frequently carries out bombings in Mogadishu and elsewhere as part of its war against the Horn of Africa country’s central government.

The group has been fighting for years to topple the central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islam’s sharia law.

The Pescatore Seafood Restaurant, which opened recently in Lido Beach in Mogadishu’s south, was frequented by security and government officials.

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It was unclear if there any high ranking officials or security personnel were among the dead or injured.

Last week hundreds of Somali lawmakers were finally sworn into office, paving the way for them to pick the country’s new leader, a process that has been delayed for months amid a power struggle between the current president and the prime minister.

Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has termed the killing of Amina Mohamed Abdi “an assassination”.

Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has tweeted a message of condolence:

Other victims included former MP Hassan Dhuhul and Somali soldiers.

Local media reports suggest the death toll could be higher.

The Somali National TV has tweeted pictures of the victims killed in the attack.

The suicide bombings in Beledweyne occurred hours after al-Qaeda allied militants killed at least eight people, including five foreign nationals, in an assault on the Halane Camp, a fortified airport complex that houses UN offices and foreign missions.

Al-Shabab has said it was behind the attacks in Mogadishu and central Beledweyne.

The militants intensified attacks across Somalia as the Horn of Africa nation conducts much-delayed elections.

Hamdi Mohamed Farah was lured to meet a male friend on Friday last week, September 11, but was attacked by a group of men in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Some 11 arrests have been made so far and police say they are still trying to identify other suspects.

Student Hamdi had been set to enrol in college and her death has sparked huge protests around the country.

In a statement, police said: “We have arrested 11 people over the recent rape case in Wabari neighbourhood in Mogadishu and efforts to track and identify other suspects are ongoing.”

According to local media, Hamdi left her home at midday after arranging to meet a friend.

Her family later received a heartbreaking phone call informing them that her body was in a morgue.

Member of Parliament (MP), Mustaf Sheikh Ali Duhulow, told reporters: “The rape and killing of Hamdi sent shockwaves across Somalia, and no stone will be left unturned to ensure justice is served.”

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Fellow MP Hassan Moalim added: “I want to tell the Somali people and my constituents that I will not rest until the late Hamdi gets the justice she deserves.”

Demonstrators say not enough is being done to tackle violence against women in Somalia.

Abdirahman Abdisahur, leader of the Wadajir Party, tweeted: “We have to collectively confront this kind of crime and reject it with one voice.”

Bilan Bile of the Somali National Women’s Organisation told the Nation that a new campaign will be launched in the aftermath of the killing.

She said: “Our campaign will be designed like the universal “Me Too movement.

“We will encourage Somali women to shed the negative attitude of seeing rape as an unmentionable occurrence.”

Speaking on Thursday at a Somalia conference held in London and attended by world leaders, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmajo, said government forces would defeat the al-Qaeda-linked group in “a few years” – but troops had to be better equipped.

“For far too long, our security forces and terrorist groups have been fighting using the same type of light weapons – mostly AK-47s. The long-standing arms embargo on Somalia severely restricts our ability to procure heavy weapons,” Farmajo said.

“Time has come for Somalia to be able to get access to qualitatively better equipment and weapons than the terrorists,” he added.

Farmajo co-chaired the conference on Somalia in UK’s capital, London [Jack Hill/Reuters]

The UN Security Council placed the country under an arms embargo in 1992, months after the outbreak of civil which led to the toppling of long-time President Siad Barre.

The embargo, the longest imposed in the world, was eased in 2013 – allowing Mogadishu to buy light arms – but was not lifted.

Amnesty and Human rights groups have previously called on the United Nations to not lift the embargo, warning that it could “expose Somali civilians to even greater risk and worsen the humanitarian situation”.

Farmajo, who took office in February, declared war on al-Shabab last month following a string of deadly attacks carried out by the group in the Somali capital.

Somali troops backed by more than 20,000 African Union soldiers have captured most major towns and cities in the country from the group.

But al-Shabab, which wants to overthrow the country’s internationally back government, still carries out targeted assassinations and frequent suicide attacks in southern Somalia and Mogadishu.

The one-day conference – co-chaired by Farmajo, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres – also addressed the humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa country, which has been exacerbated by a prolonged drought.

In late February, Farmajo declared a national disaster for the drought that has forced 6.2 million Somalis – about half of the country’s population – to seek urgent food assistance and triggered fears of a potential famine, according to the UN.

Speaking at the conference, Guterres renewed calls for extra funds to help tackle the drought’s effects on Somalia’s population.

“This morning we presented the revised humanitarian plan seeking an additional $900m to the end of the year,” the UN chief said.

Somalia is also seeking relief of its $5.3bn long-standing debts.

Two other US servicemen were injured in Thursday’s incident, about 40 miles (64km) west of the capital Mogadishu, near the town of Barii.

American forces were on an “advise and assist” mission with the Somali National Army, the US military said.

President Donald Trump has expanded military action against the al-Qaeda affiliate in the Horn of Africa nation.

“On 4 May, one US service member was killed during an operation against al-Shabab near Barii,” US Africa Command said in a statement on Friday.

“US forces were conducting an advise and assist mission alongside members of the Somali National Army,” it added.

US Africa Command spokeswoman Robyn Mack said that the American soldier was struck by small arms fire.

She added that another two soldiers were wounded in the same incident and “they are both receiving proper medical attention”.

In Thursday’s mission, US troops were hunting an al-Shabab commander near the Shabelle river, Reuters news agency reports.

American presidents have been wary of intervention in Somalia since 18 special forces died fighting militias in Mogadishu in 1993, a battle dramatised in the film Black Hawk Down.

But in March, Mr Trump approved a Pentagon plan to escalate operations against al-Shabab, including additional air strikes.

Last month, dozens of American soldiers were deployed to Mogadishu to train and equip Somali and African Union troops.

It was the first time regular US troops had been sent to Somalia since 1994, though some counter-terrorism advisers were already there.

BBC Africa Security correspondent Tomi Oladipo says the soldier killed on Thursday would not be one of the soldiers recently sent to Somalia.

He was killed in his vehicle near the presidential palace in the capital, Mogadishu, the officials added.

The president has cut short his visit to Ethiopia following Abdullahi Sheikh Abas’ killing, state radio reports.

He grew up in a refugee camp, and became Somalia’s youngest MP in November and a minister in February.

Somalia has been wracked by conflict since the long-serving ruler Siad Barre was outed in 1991.

It is currently battling militant Islamists from the al-Shabab group, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda.

Nervous troops

Security forces on patrol came across a vehicle blocking the road and, thinking it was being driven by militants, opened fire, police Major Nur Hussein told Reuters news agency.

Mr Abas was killed “by mistake – they opened fire on his car accidentally. May God rest his soul”, Mogadishu mayoral spokesman Abdifatah Omar Halane was quoted as saying.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo said he had ordered security chiefs to “immediately get to the bottom of this unfortunate tragedy” and make sure the perpetrators were “brought to book”.

Information Minister Abdirahman Osman said several people had been arrested, but did not give details, state-owned Radio Mogadishu reported.

Troops are sometimes nervous, and have previously shot officials – and each other – by mistake, says BBC Somalia analyst Abdullahi Abdi.

But Mr Abas, the public works minister, is probably the most high-ranking official killed by “friendly fire”, he adds.

The president appointed Mr Abas to the cabinet following his surprise election victory in February.

President Farmajo promised to improve security and establish an effective government in Somalia.

Much of the country is still under the control of al-Shabab.

Mr Abas grew up in Dadaab camp in Kenya, home to hundreds of thousands of Somalis who fled drought and conflict.

He announced an amnesty of 60 days for militants to surrender, in exchange for training, employment and education.

It comes a day after a suicide attack near a government building in the capital Mogadishu that killed seven people and a spate of kidnappings of aid workers by armed militants in the drought-hit country.

“Terror attacks have become frequent and all Somali forces were on the state of alertness to combat insecurity and terror” he said.

He also said that he had replaced senior security officers in the intelligence service and police force to prepare for the escalating war against the militants.

He wore full military fatigues during the press briefing:

Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre also said that the new measures would be implemented in Mogadishu and other main regions.

Analysts think the new security measure is about reinforcing gains made by UN mission in Somalia Amison and Somalia forces.

Last week the New York Times reported that US President Donald Trump had relaxed some of the rules for preventing civilian casualties in Somalia when counter-terrorism air strikes are carried out, laying the ground for an intensification of the campaign against the group.

source: New York Times

Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed told the UN Security Council by video link from Mogadishu that Somalis are proud and resilient and would be the last to ask for help, but drought has spawned a humanitarian crisis.

“We cannot forget that the last time Somalia was blighted by starvation, in 2011, no fewer than 260,000 people died,” Mohamed said. “The crisis also risks undermining the hard-won political and security progress that has been made.”

The United Nations said on Wednesday the $864m UN humanitarian appeal for Somalia is only 31 percent funded.

The country is facing its third famine in 25 years and more than six million people – half the population – need help.

Mohamed’s inauguration as president in February was a key step towards establishing Somalia’s first fully functioning central government in a quarter-century. Somalia began to fall apart in 1991 when warlords ousted dictator Siad Barre, and then turned on each other.

Years of conflict and attacks by the al-Shabab group, along with famine, shattered the Horn of Africa country of some 12 million people.

Michael Keating, the UN envoy for Somalia, told the council the country “is experiencing a moment of both tragedy and hope” – tragedy because of the threat of famine and hope because the recent electoral process “has created momentum for fresh political engagement among Somalis”.

This week’s announcement of a cabinet with six women was the latest step forward, he said.

Keating said nearly three million Somalis, mainly women and children, “require immediate life-saving support,” but compared to 2011, “the scope for responding to the crisis is greater”.

President Mohamed, who recently declared the drought a national disaster, said he was “truly saddened” that some people were walking for kilometres in search of food and water, and many have fled to urban centres in search of support, “which our government is desperately trying to provide with assistance of the international community”.

“Many people’s livelihood, especially livestock, have perished,” he said.

Mohamed said the humanitarian response is “challenging” in some places because of insecurity caused by al-Shabab.

But he said the group “has been weakened substantially” by military action undertaken by Somali and African Union forces, and “we are determined to defeat al-Shabab”.

The president asked the UN Security Council to help rebuild the national army so it can take over security, and he called on members to work on a plan to lift the arms embargo against the country.

SOURCE: aljazeera.com

It quoted regional interior minister and drought committee chairman Abdirahman Mohamed Hussein as saying the deaths were in the past 36 hours.

He appealed for emergency aid to curb hunger, Radio Mogadishu reported.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who was in Somalia this month, said nearly six million needed aid there.

The country has been gripped by a devastating drought that has killed livestock and caused rivers and wells to dry up and crops to fail.

Hundreds of families have now left Jubaland and sought refuge in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

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Ibrahim Abdow, 62, told Reuters news agency he had travelled by donkey and bus out of Jubaland.

“Our cows and farms have perished. The rivers have dried and there are no wells there,” he told the news agency, while camping in the outskirts of Mogadishu.

Some of the new arrivals have been given food by residents, who have said larger and more organised food supplies by aid agencies are needed.

In addition to the international humanitarian agencies, Hollywood actor Ben Stiller has been among those trying to raise funds to help those starving in Somalia.

He has teamed up with social media stars to raise almost $2m (£1.6m) in less than a week.

The Love Army for Somalia campaign, which initially asked for $1m to fly supplies to Somalia, includes prominent social media figures Jerome Jarre, Casey Neistat and Chakabars, as well as American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

After their first goal was reached within 24 hours, they decided to raise their target through an ice bucket challenge-style campaign.

Ben Stiller has nominated Cara Delevingne, Emma Watson, Lewis Hamilton and American actress Alyssa Milano to donate to the cause.

An initial flight is due to take off next Monday with 60 tonnes of food, which will be distributed by the American Refugee Committee. The donations will also fund water supplies to drought-hit areas.

The group, which is raising money online, said Turkish Airlines had agreed to offer a full cargo plane as well as further deliveries to Somalia.

“This is the story of what can happen when the power of social media is leveraged for something good,” Mr Neistat said in a YouTube video.

source: bbc