NAIROBI, December 22 -- An explosives-packed vehicle detonated at a military checkpoint near Somalia's presidential palace, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 20 others. The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab extremist group, which often targets Mogadishu, claimed responsibility for the attack. Those killed include three staffers from the London-based Universal TV station, including prominent journalist Awil Dahir Salad, said police Capt Mohamed Hussein, who gave the toll of dead and wounded. The bomber targeted the checkpoint near the rear entrance of the heavily fortified palace, Hussein said. A lawmaker and a deputy mayor of Mogadishu were among those wounded, he said. Soldiers also were among the dead, Col Ahmed Mohamud said. The blast and a second, smaller one nearby appeared to target those heading to work on what was a business day in the Horn of Africa nation. A plume of smoke rose over the capital as ambulances rushed to the scene. "At first I saw a vehicle driving to and fro, then we tried to stop people walking here and there, and then in the blink of an eye the vehicle exploded, causing havoc,'' traffic police officer Mohamed Harun told The Associated Press. Al-Shabab, the most active Islamic extremist group in sub-Saharan Africa, was pushed out of Mogadishu years ago but continues to control large parts of rural southern and central Somalia. The US military, which partners with Somali forces and a 20,000-strong African Union peacekeeping mission, has greatly increased airstrikes against al-Shabab under the Trump administration. At least 47 US strikes have been carried out this year.
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AMSTERDAM, November 13 -- Fleeing forced marriage and in pursuit of an education, Kafia Mahdi left Somalia.
After almost a year, she crossed from Serbia into Hungary where she has remained under protected status. It is in Hungary that the 19-year-old’s transformation from child refugee to fashion star has occurred. Growing up in the southern region of Somalia, Kafia Mahdi was almost forced into marriage at the age of 14 by her father. Instead of suffering this fate and in pursuit of an education, Mahdi left Somalia, her mother and her siblings to venture into the unknown. According to an article by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, telling the story of Mahdi’s journey, she just “wanted to be in a safe place”. At 15, she made a long and difficult journey spanning a year to the Hungarian border, where she was stopped along with other refugees as the authorities sorted them by age. Older refugees were sent to reception centres, under-aged ones into care and those of Mahdi’s age went to an orphanage near Budapest. “I didn’t even know where we were,” she says. “I had no idea what language they (the border guards) were speaking. But I didn’t care. I just wanted to be in a safe place.” Talking about the orphanage, she went on to say, “I felt pretty bad,” she says. “There was only one other girl, also from Somalia, and at first we had to share accommodation with the boys. But the social workers were kind and I decided to make an effort. I started to learn Hungarian. When you speak Hungarian, you understand the people. They are straightforward and nice.” From the orphanage Mahdi was moved to a shelter for troubled teenagers, a placement that seems based on the housing necessity. She persisted with her studies throughout. Due to her striking looks, she began to get modelling offers. Although she was sceptical at first, she accepted work from a recommended agency. Work offers started to come in. |
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