SUICIDE BOMBINGS TARGET NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SOMALIA:

Sarah,

Last month I gave you an overview of why Somalia is struggling so much.  Read it if you haven’t.

Recent news exemplifies Somalia’s continuing strife:

Two days ago Somalia elected Hassan Sheik Mohamud to be their new President.  However, the government that elected him only controls part of the country and relies heavily on foreign aid.  Much of the country is still under the control of the Shabab, an Islamist Militia.  Right now, the African Union (a collection of African countries) has peacekeeping troops positioned in the south of the country to protect the Somali capital against attacks from the Islamists.

Yesterday, the Shabab unleashed suicide bombers on the hotel where Mohamud was staying.  He survived, but the attack provided a clear reminder that the Somali government does not control all of Somalia and the Shabab can orchestrate attacks anywhere in the country.

The Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter.  Currently, they have 15,500 followers.

 

Bottom line: I'm really curious about the Twitter situation in Somalia because I'm assuming computers are rare.  Do people just go to internet cafes to check on the status of the extremist Islamist militia that controls half the country?