
On October 14 Mogadishu was rocked by the deadliest explosion in its history, killing more than 400 people and injuring hundreds of others. Reliable figures are hard to come by, but the blast, which flattened the buildings around the clogged Zoppe Junction in the Hodan district, has caused mayhem and material destruction estimated to be in the millions of dollars.
HIPS Director’s testimony at the US Senate
On 8 October, HIPS Director Abdi Aynte testified before the U.S. Senate Africa Subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee. The title of the hearing was “Security and Governance in Somalia: Consolidating Gains, Confronting Challenges and Charting the Path Forward”.