For his part, Coveney said that his country stands by the Somali people, and will take the crisis in the European Union to get full support, mainly humanitarian assistance to millions hit by the drought.

Speaking to the reporters in Mogadishu, the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense Gen. Abullahi Ali Anod said that the army conducted a mine search operation inside and outside the city last night.

Political newcomer Cicely Davis, 47, didn't present a significant challenge to the 40-year-old Omar who served one term in the state House of Representatives before going to Washington.

Since finishing the training, the soldiers were held in the camps against their will as Eritrea’s dictator Isaias Afwerki reportedly demanded $50M from the Somali government.

The visit by Barre came following an invitation from Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed. It’s unclear if the agenda of the invitation comes at a time Somalia is at war with the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab.

But Mr. Abdishakur, the envoy, defended the government’s military operation, saying Al Shabab was contributing to the suffering by blowing up wells and extorting and taxing civilians.

The Prime Minister thanked the government of Finland for its support in the fields of social development, especially education and health which largely contributes to Somalia's recovery journey.

The security agencies are accused of failing to secure the city and avert the attacks from Al-Shabaab as the new president Hassan Sheikh vowed to liberate the country within one year.

Until now, there are no details about the casualties, although Al-Shabaab claimed to have taken the control of the area. The defense ministry has said that the attack was repulsed by the army.

The statement comes as the Somali army backed by pro-government militia continues to make territorial gains in central regions, where Al-Shabaab faced a big blow after losing ground and militants.

Al-Shabab has benefited from several sources of income over the years with special attention to Mogadishu, where it collects more than $15 million per month from businesses, large and small.

The Somali National Army forces cleared Al-Shabaab from important areas in the Hiran region where the militants were strategically located and used to plot bombings and attacks targeting the army bases and government-controlled towns.