Somalia

U.S. LAUNCHES AIRSTRIKES ON SOMALI AL-SHABAAB TERRORISTS, DRAWING CRITICISMS FROM SOME IN CONGRESS

“I have concerns about the legal justification of the recent strikes, particularly as they seem to have been conducted without White House approval.” – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs

By Miriam Raftery

July 24, 2021 (San Diego) – The Pentagon has launched two airstrikes this week targeting combatants with al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliated terror group in Somalia. The air strikes come after a six-month pause in airstrikes that were halted after Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump as U.S. President.

San Diego has the second largest Somali population in the U.S., with approximately 10,000 Somali immigrants, KPBS reported last year.


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TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS EXTENDED FOR SOMALIANS

 

Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

January 17, 2017 (Washington, D.C.) - Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of Somalia (and eligible individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in Somalia) for an additional 18 months, effective March 18, 2017, through Sept. 17, 2018.


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AL SHABAAB TERRORIST LEADER KILLED IN U.S. AIRSTRIKE; LOCAL SOMALIS VOICE RELIEF

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Pentagon News Service

September 9, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) - The Pentagon confirms that a U.S. air strike has killed the co-founder of al-Shabaab, an Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist group based in Somalia.


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SOMALI-AMERICAN CULTURAL FEST JUNE 29 IN CITY HEIGHTS

 

June 26, 2013 (San Diego) – Commemorating the 53rd anniversary of Somali independence, the 9th annual Somali American Cultural Fest will be held on Saturday, June 29 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Market Creek Plaza at Jacob Center in City Heights, 3- 8 p.m. 

Thousands of Somali refugees and immigrants now call San Diego home.  The event will feature music, dance, poetry, a fashion show, children’s activities, food and vendor booths as well as free health screenings. The event is organized by Somali Youth United.


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ARE YOU A REFUGEE FROM EAST AFRICA LIVING IN SAN DIEGO?

(Ethiopia, Somalia, Burundi, Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Rwanda, Eritrea, Uganda, Kenya, Liberia)

October 31, 2012 (Sa Diego) -- Life in a conflict zone can be traumatizing, and moving to the U.S. doesn’t make it go away. In order to develop better services for the local East African community, we need your help.

If you are 18 years or older, please come at one of the times listed below and complete a questionnaire about trauma.  Each participant will be given $15.00.


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BENEFIT TONIGHT IN SAN DIEGO TO HELP STARVING PEOPLE IN SOMALIA

 

August 12, 2011 (San Diego) -- Somali Youth League of San Diego in collaboration with the American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa (ARAHA), will be hosting a benefit dinner tonight to help address the urgent humanitarian needs in Southern Somalia, where millions of people are in need of immediate help due to severe drought.

 


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ALONE IN A STRANGE LAND: AFRICAN ASYLEES TELL THEIR STORIES


An East County Magazine Special Report

 

ECM conducted exclusive interviews with people who fled war-torn Somalia and were granted asylum in the U.S. Fearing retribution against family members still in Somalia, the asylees agreed to speak out under condition that their identities be protected. The stories below are real, though the names are pseudonyms. Their tales describe dramatic round-the-world journeys to reach America, hardships endured on the road and inside U.S. detention facilities, as well as hopes for the future as they start new lives through Project Refuge in San Diego.  

By Miriam Raftery

February 17, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Aisha comes from a rural area near Mogadishu in Somalia. “I couldn’t take it anymore,” she said of the fighting and war-torn conditions that led her to flee her homeland.


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PROJECT REFUGE: ROTARY CLUBS TEAM UP WITH SOMALI FAMILY SERVICES TO SPONSOR SAFE HAVEN FOR ASYLEES

By Miriam Raftery

“We want you to have a good start in America, and for the rest of your lives.” – Dory Beatrice, president of La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club, speaking to Somali women at Project Refuge
 

February 17, 2011 (San Diego) – Dory Beatrice felt shocked to learn that people who fled persecution and have been granted asylum in America are being released on the streets of San Diego with no funds, no information on resources, and no place to go.

 

So she worked with local Rotary chapters to raise funds and open Project Refuge, a transitional housing program in partnership with Somali Family Services that now assists asylees who have no family or friends here to help them.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.