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Eid Feast Turns to Tragedy: 21 Family Members Poisoned After Eating Sick Camel in Somaliland

Somaliland health officials blame traditional slaughter and improper drug use after camel meat poisons entire family in Saaxil region
A sick camel slaughtered for Eid in Somaliland left 21 family members poisoned. Health officials warn against consuming medicated animals without proper veterinary clearance.
A Tradition Gone Toxic: How an Eid Camel Slaughter Poisoned a Whole Family in Somaliland
21 members of a single family found themselves battling for their lives after consuming meat from a sick camel—a haunting reminder of how ancient customs and modern medicines can collide with deadly consequences.
The incident unfolded in Himin village, where a family slaughtered a camel that had recently fallen ill. The animal had been treated with medication, but when no improvement was seen, it was killed for the Eid feast—a common pastoral tradition in Somali communities where wasting meat is taboo.
But this time, that tradition proved toxic.
Dr. Ismail Hussein Abdullahi, Director of the Ministry of Health in Sheikh District, confirmed that the illness stemmed from improper administration of veterinary drugs. “The medication may have been injected into the wrong vein, causing toxic accumulation, particularly in the liver—often the first part of the animal consumed during such celebrations,” he told the BBC.
The liver, considered a delicacy, turned out to be the most lethal part. Those who consumed it fell critically ill. Vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration set in rapidly, with eight people still hospitalized in Burco, including the parents and sister of Nur Farah Bulaale, one of the victims.
While most of the family is recovering, the case has sparked fresh concern in a region where such incidents have occurred before. In 2008, more than 60 people were poisoned in a similar episode—proof that these aren’t isolated accidents but a systemic health oversight.
The Ministry of Health has now urged the public to stop slaughtering sick animals and avoid consuming any meat from livestock recently treated with medication without proper veterinary clearance. But changing rural customs takes time—and a deeper push for awareness.
This tragedy is a stark warning for communities across the Horn of Africa: in an era of evolving medicines, relying on tradition without science can have devastating consequences. What should have been a day of unity and celebration nearly turned fatal for an entire family. The lesson? Life-saving caution must now take precedence over long-held custom.
Espionage
British Spies Exposed: Catastrophic Afghan Data Leak Shakes MoD and Raises National Security Alarm

SAS operators, MI6 agents, MPs, and thousands of Afghan allies compromised in what insiders call the worst Ministry of Defence breach in decades.
In one of the gravest national security failures since the Cold War, British intelligence agents, special forces operatives, and senior officials have been compromised in a catastrophic data breach linked to the UK’s Afghan evacuation efforts.
The blunder, committed by a Ministry of Defence official in February 2022, leaked the personal details of more than 16,000 Afghans, alongside over 100 names of British personnel, including MI6 spies, SAS commandos, senior military brass, and government ministers.
The fallout has been so severe that it triggered an extraordinary two-year super injunction, effectively muzzling the media while the government scrambled to contain the consequences. That gag order—partially lifted this week—has left the public reeling at what is now being described as a monumental intelligence failure.
Some Afghans affected by the breach—many of whom worked closely with British forces—were already being hunted by the Taliban. They had trusted the UK with their identities in hopes of asylum; instead, their data was exposed to unknown entities, potentially putting lives directly in harm’s way.
But the real shock came when it emerged that British personnel themselves were exposed—from active-duty MI6 agents to current Members of Parliament. According to Defence Secretary John Healey, even support letters from MPs and ministers were visible in leaked files, drawing gasps from legal observers and MPs alike.
Former Armed Forces Minister James Heappey—who had long defended the Ministry’s vetting process—admitted the truth was “gut-wrenching”. He acknowledged the system for granting sanctuary to former Afghan commandos (known as “The Triples”) was deeply flawed, and confessed that senior officials had misled both ministers and Parliament.
Behind closed doors, the Intelligence and Security Committee is now demanding immediate access to the classified intelligence behind the gag order, while legal teams debate whether the government is still suppressing critical facts.
What’s perhaps most disturbing is the scale of misjudgment: The same Afghan commandos who were paid directly by British forces, trained under UK command, and fought shoulder-to-shoulder with British troops were denied protection, often on the basis of contradictory or discredited information.
For a government already haunted by its chaotic withdrawal from Kabul, this breach is a fresh and damning indictment. It represents not just a failure of policy, but a moral betrayal—one that could leave allies to die and compromise the safety of Britain’s own clandestine warriors.
And as the truth unravels in court and Parliament, one question hangs over Whitehall like a shadow: Who exactly is protecting whom?
Top stories
Welcome to Grand Haadi Gym: Where Health Meets Hospitality in the Heart of Hargeisa

In a nation quietly battling obesity and health decline, Grand Haadi Gym emerges as Somaliland’s revolutionary answer to fitness, nutrition, and family wellness.
Obesity is on the rise in Somaliland, but Grand Haadi Gym in Hargeisa offers a life-changing solution: state-of-the-art fitness, healthy dining, expert coaching, and full hotel hospitality—all under one roof.
Somaliland’s Health Crisis Has a New Challenger: Grand Haadi Gym
Something dangerous is happening in the streets of Hargeisa—something silent, something invisible: Somaliland is becoming a nation of obesity.
Fast food, sugary drinks, and sedentary lifestyles have quietly taken hold in major cities like Hargeisa. With no national fitness strategy and rising cases of heart disease, diabetes, and chronic pain, Somalilanders are unknowingly marching into a public health emergency. A BMI of 30 or higher—the benchmark for obesity—is becoming shockingly common.
But there is hope. Grand Haadi Gym is not just a fitness center. It is a transformative health destination designed to fight back against this crisis. Located at Burta Kala Jeexan, Ibrahim Kodbur District, Wajaale Rd. in Hargeisa, this innovative facility offers more than just treadmills and dumbbells—it offers a health revolution.
Why Grand Haadi Is Unlike Anything in Somaliland:
💪 1KM Walking Track – Safely walk, jog, or run in a peaceful private space.
🍽 Healthy Restaurant – Say goodbye to greasy fast food. Our chefs serve balanced, nutrient-rich meals to refuel your body the right way.
🏨 Hotel Comfort – Diaspora visitors can stay in luxury, enjoy fitness, and eat well—all in one location.
👨⚕️ Professional Health Advisors – From personal trainers to nutritionists and mental health coaches, your health plan is tailored to you.
👨👩👧👦 Family Friendly – Bring your loved ones. Get fit together. Eat healthy together. Build a future together.
Whether you’re struggling with obesity, high blood pressure, poor stamina, or just want to feel good again—Grand Haadi Gym is your answer.
For the Somaliland diaspora returning home, this is the only place that feels like the West, while reconnecting you to your roots. A modern gym, a serene walking track, a clean hotel room, and a healthy breakfast—all in the same compound.
This is more than a gym. It’s a movement.
It’s time to take back our health, redefine our lifestyle, and reshape our future. Welcome to Grand Haadi Gym—where wellness begins.
📍 Location: Burta Kala Jeexan, Ibrahim Kodbur District, Wajaale Rd., Hargeisa, Somaliland
Editor's Pick
Germany Kicks Out Somali Convicts as Europe Swings Hard-Right

Berlin deports Somali criminals amid rising far-right pressure, triggering fear and fury in Europe’s largest Somali diaspora.
Germany has deported eight Somali nationals convicted of violent crimes as Berlin toughens migration policy post-election. Is this justice—or the start of a racist purge?
Eight Somali men landed in Mogadishu last week, not by choice—but by force. Deported from Germany under a hardline crackdown, they are the first wave of what could become a sweeping purge of Somali migrants across Europe’s new far-right frontier.
Their crimes were serious—attempted murder, rape, manslaughter—but the political message behind the deportations is even more brutal: Germany is shifting, and fast. With the far-right AfD surging to second place in the 2025 elections and the Christian Democrats reclaiming power under Friedrich Merz, the age of tolerance is officially over.
Bavarian officials say this is about law and order. But Somali families in Frankfurt, Berlin, and Munich are terrified. The deportation agreement signed last year between Chancellor Scholz and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was supposed to be narrow—just 20 convicts, not a signal to demonize 65,000 Somali migrants.
But Germany’s political tide doesn’t wait. The February elections shattered the liberal consensus. Border controls are back. Deportation flights are rising. And Somalia is caught in the middle—diplomatically accepting criminals back while watching its working diaspora get scapegoated.
The real heartbreak? Many Somalis in Germany are model residents: students, engineers, nurses. But one man’s crime has now become the community’s stain. As one migrant, Baaba Jeey, put it: “We came for safety. Now we live in fear.”
And don’t expect this to stop at Germany. Across Europe, far-right parties are demanding copycat deportations. France’s National Rally is already calling for Somali repatriations. Sweden is debating migrant DNA checks. Italy wants to reroute asylum seekers to warzones.
Germany’s move may be legal. But is it just? The world will be watching the next flight to Mogadishu—and wondering who’s really on trial.
Top stories
Buhari’s Final Exit: From Military Strongman to Democratic Disappointment

Nigeria’s ex-president dies in exile, leaving behind a broken legacy of repression, corruption, and shattered unity.
Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s twice-serving president, is dead at 82. But what he leaves behind is a legacy of failure—on security, economy, unity, and democracy. Here’s a brutal autopsy of his reign.
Muhammadu Buhari is gone—but Nigeria’s wounds remain wide open. Dying in London, the city he often fled to for “rest” while millions languished in broken hospitals at home, the former general’s final act mirrors the very essence of his rule: absence, privilege, and detachment from reality.
Once heralded as a corruption-busting reformer and security hawk, Buhari’s presidency sank into chaos. His iron-fisted war on Boko Haram turned into a media charade; while he declared the terrorists “defeated,” suicide bombings and mass kidnappings intensified under his watch. Nigeria’s northeast collapsed into a humanitarian hellscape, with aid workers murdered and civilians forgotten.
His economic “vision” was equally grim. By clinging to obsolete monetary policies and defending a dying naira, Buhari drove Nigeria into recession—twice. Inflation soared, foreign reserves dried up, and foreign investors fled. All the while, the man himself remained in London, racking up secretive medical bills at taxpayer expense.
But what truly undid him was his inability—or unwillingness—to unite Nigeria’s fractured soul. From the 2020 #EndSARS bloodbath to his silence on northern banditry and ethnic massacres, Buhari appeared not as a statesman but as a sectarian relic. His authoritarian instincts returned in full force: jailing dissidents, censoring social media, and militarizing civilian protest zones.
Even his brief triumph—negotiating the return of some Chibok girls—fizzled out as hundreds more citizens vanished into jihadist captivity. The military he once commanded became a symbol of failure, not strength.
In the end, Buhari’s life is a cautionary tale: that nostalgia for military “discipline” often breeds democratic decay. He ruled Nigeria twice—once with fear, once with hope. He left both times with disappointment.
For a man who promised to fight corruption, insecurity, and disunity—his legacy is defined by all three.
Somalia
AU Doubles Peace Funding for Somalia Amid Rising Uncertainty

The African Union (AU) has approved an additional $10 million in Peace Fund support for Somalia, doubling its 2025 allocation to $20 million as it prepares to hand over responsibilities from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to the newly formed African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
The decision was announced during the 47th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council held this week in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The funds, drawn from the AU’s Crisis Reserve Facility, are intended to close critical financial gaps and ensure continuity in operations during the sensitive mission transition period at the end of 2024.
AUSSOM, which officially launched in January 2025, is a non-combat stabilization mission designed to support Somali-led security efforts and capacity building as ATMIS draws down. AU officials say the additional funding will help prevent operational disruptions and support the new joint command structure agreed upon with the Somali government in June.
Despite the AU’s increased commitment, uncertainty clouds the financial sustainability of AUSSOM. The mission’s annual cost is projected at $166.5 million. While the United Nations has pledged to cover up to 75% of this amount, the United States—once a key donor—has declined to contribute directly, citing concerns over transparency, long-term viability, and donor burden-sharing.
This shift marks a significant departure from the U.S.’s earlier support, which included more than €2 billion in funding to AU missions in Somalia from 2007 to 2020.
The AU and Somalia have consistently warned of the risks posed by erratic funding. Past delays in ATMIS troop payments—particularly affecting Ugandan forces—highlighted the fragility of relying heavily on external donors. In response, the AU restructured its Peace Fund in 2016 to increase self-reliance, with a target of $400 million in member contributions. Progress, however, remains slow.
As the end of ATMIS approaches, pressure is mounting on the AU and its partners to secure predictable and diversified funding streams. For Somalia, AUSSOM’s success is not just a matter of security—it is a test of the region’s ability to support African-led peacekeeping beyond donor dependence.
Top stories
Obama Steps Into the Ring to Deliver a Knockout Blow to Trump

Former President Barack Obama’s return to frontline political fundraising in New Jersey represents a pivotal moment for the Democratic Party, currently reeling from significant setbacks and internal divisions after the bruising 2024 election cycle.
Obama’s participation in the Red Bank event, hosted by outgoing Governor Phil Murphy and featuring Rep. Mikie Sherrill, underscores a strategic recalibration as Democrats eye crucial upcoming elections.
Obama’s reemergence signals a deliberate effort by party leadership to leverage his enduring popularity and influence among voters. As Democrats seek to rebuild momentum and morale ahead of the pivotal 2026 midterm elections, Obama’s presence is intended not only to energize the party’s base but also to attract critical independent and swing voters disillusioned by recent GOP policies, notably Trump’s controversial “Big, Beautiful” spending bill.
The timing is crucial, as the New Jersey gubernatorial race between Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli is widely regarded as an early referendum on voter sentiment towards both parties post-2024. Democratic strategists likely view a victory here as a vital step towards reversing the narrative of decline and setting a strong precedent for national recovery efforts.
Additionally, Obama’s active involvement highlights a broader struggle within the Democratic Party regarding generational leadership shifts. With recent high-profile deaths among aging Democratic lawmakers underscoring the party’s vulnerability, Obama’s support may implicitly advocate for renewal and transition toward younger, dynamic candidates capable of invigorating the party’s platform.
Critically, the former president’s engagement is not merely symbolic; it is an acknowledgment of Democrats’ urgent need to counteract Trump’s dominance of the political landscape. Obama’s vocal opposition to Trump’s legislative agenda, particularly the contentious spending bill potentially impacting millions of Americans’ healthcare coverage, provides Democrats with a potent narrative to mobilize opposition and regain lost ground.
In summary, Obama’s fundraising return is a calculated maneuver aiming to galvanize Democratic unity, challenge Republican momentum, and underscore the stakes in upcoming elections. His intervention could prove instrumental in reshaping Democratic fortunes, setting the stage for a robust challenge to Trump’s agenda in the crucial 2026 midterms.
Commentary
Kenya Opposition Demands President’s Resignation Over Protest Shoot-to-Kill Remarks

Tensions in Kenya escalated on Friday as opposition leaders demanded President William Ruto’s resignation following his controversial remarks authorizing police to shoot protesters involved in looting or property destruction.
Speaking at the funeral of Boniface Kariuki—an unarmed civilian shot dead by police during a June 17 protest—opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka called Ruto’s statement “unconstitutional” and urged for his resignation or impeachment.
President Ruto, addressing the nation earlier in the week, warned against what he called “anarchy disguised as peaceful protests” and ordered police to “shoot and break the legs” of offenders during demonstrations. Human rights groups and civil society organizations have condemned the remarks as incitement to extrajudicial killings.
The protests were sparked by the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody last month and intensified following Kariuki’s killing. Footage showed Kariuki being shot in the head at close range as he walked away from police during a demonstration.
Thousands marched on June 25 to mark the anniversary of last year’s anti-tax protests, with demonstrators demanding justice and an end to police brutality. According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, over 50 people have died in recent protest crackdowns, with more than 100 deaths linked to demonstrations since 2023.
At Kariuki’s burial in Murang’a County, mourners carried Kenyan flags and photos of his final moments. The absence of uniformed police at the venue was notable, though anti-riot units remained on standby nearby.
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata declared that “the government must take responsibility” for the killings and pledged justice for the victims.
So far, four police officers face murder charges over recent deaths, including those of Kariuki and blogger Ojwang. A fifth officer, Klinzy Barasa, has been charged with murder and is set to enter a plea on July 28.
As political pressure mounts, Kenya finds itself at a crossroads—between public outrage over state violence and a government under fire for its harsh response to dissent.
Top stories
Trump’s War Warning to Putin: “I’ll Bomb the S— Out of Moscow”

Donald Trump’s shocking revelation: He warned Putin and Xi he’d bomb Moscow and Beijing if they dared invade. The bombshell quote exposes how Trump flexed “crazy” deterrence to keep global powers in check.
Donald Trump isn’t mincing words in his post-victory glow. A new book reveals the former—and now re-elected—President told Vladimir Putin outright: invade Ukraine, and Moscow gets bombed to rubble. “I told him, ‘Vladimir, if you do it, we’re going to bomb the s— out of Moscow,’” Trump reportedly said during a 2024 donor dinner, according to leaked audio.
Trump didn’t stop there. He said he gave China’s Xi Jinping the same ultimatum over Taiwan—total annihilation. “He thought I was crazy,” Trump said. “But 10 percent belief is all you need.” It’s classic Trump: deterrence through fear, chaos as leverage.
The Biden White House was quick to distance the timeline, noting Putin only invaded Ukraine after Trump left office. But Trump’s team flipped the script, claiming his strongman rhetoric kept global tyrants in check—until Biden showed weakness. Now, with war still raging and Trump back in command, he’s doubling down on sanctions and saber-rattling.
This isn’t diplomacy. It’s shock-and-awe politics, and Trump wants the world to know that under him, American threats are not metaphors—they’re missile codes. Whether bluff or doctrine, one thing is clear: Trump’s foreign policy is back, and it’s locked and loaded.
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