MOGADISHU: Somali forces have ended a siege at a hotel in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, police and the military said on Sunday, adding that they had rescued 106 hostages including women and children.
At least 12 people, mostly civilians, were killed as Somalia’s elite armed forces battled Al-Qaeda-linked militants for 30 hours after they blasted and shot their way into the Hayat Hotel on Friday evening.
Dozens of hostages were freed during the course of the siege, a senior police commander told Reuters, without providing more details.
Another official had earlier told Reuters that mop-up operations were still going on at the building, which suffered extensive damage.
“We are still investigating the explosions of many plastic bags that have been scattered around the hotel,” said Mohamed Ali, a military officer at the scene.
The French news agency Agence France-Presse earlier reported that all the gunmen had been killed, citing a security commander.
Friday’s attack was the first such major incident since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took office in May.
The Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Al Shabab has been fighting to topple the Somali government for more than a decade. It wants to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
The Hayat is a hotel popular with lawmakers and other government officials.
Somali forces end 30-hour hotel siege, 106 hostages freed
https://arab.news/2syc8
Somali forces end 30-hour hotel siege, 106 hostages freed
- At least 12 people, mostly civilians, were killed as Somalia’s elite armed forces battled Al-Qaeda-linked militants
- Dozens of hostages were freed during the course of the siege
Indonesia’s first woman president awarded honorary doctorate by Princess Nourah University
- Megawati was recognized for her leadership and contributions to social, legal affairs
- She has received 10 other honorary degrees from Indonesian and foreign institutions
JAKARTA: Megawati Sukarnoputri, who served as Indonesia’s fifth president and was the country’s only female head of state to date, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh, becoming the first foreign national to receive the title.
Megawati, the eldest daughter of Indonesia’s first President Sukarno and chairwoman of the country’s largest political party, the PDIP, served as president from 2001 to 2004.
The 79-year-old was awarded an honorary doctorate in organizational and legal affairs in Riyadh on Monday during a ceremony overseen by Princess Nourah University’s acting president, Dr. Fawzia bint Sulaiman Al-Amro.
“This recognition was given in appreciation of her efforts during her presidency, her significant contributions to social, organizational, and legal fields, and her role in strengthening institutional leadership in Indonesia,” the university said in a statement.
This is Megawati’s 11th honorary doctorate. She has received similar degrees from Indonesian and foreign universities, including the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 2003 and the Soka University of Japan in 2020.
She has also been awarded the title of honorary professor by several institutions, including by the Seoul Institute of the Arts in 2022.
“We gather at the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, a university that stands as a symbol of women’s progress in education, knowledge and public service … To see so many intelligent women, I feel very proud,” Megawati said in her acceptance speech.
“Women’s empowerment is not a threat to any values, culture or tradition. It is actually a condition for nations that believe in their future … A great nation is one that is able to harness all of its human potential. A strong nation is one that does not allow half of its social power to be left on the sidelines of history.”
Megawati is the longest-serving political leader in Indonesia. Indonesia’s first direct presidential elections took place during her presidency, consolidating the country’s transition to democracy after the downfall of its longtime dictator Suharto in 1998.
