Presidential Palace Archives - Jean-Jacques Cornish

Al Shabaab claims responsibility for deadly attack on Mogadishu hotel

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 22:00:00 +0000

Terror group Al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for yesterday’s attack on an upmarket Mogadishu hotel.

Five people were killed in the attack and Somali security forces say they killed five militants.

This is the third time in recent years that the hotel near the presidential palace in Mogadishu has been attacked.

Security forces rescued 85 people from the building that was besieged for seven hours.

The terrorists’ victims included a former judge and two security personnel.

Former army special forces commander Abdirahman Omaar Jeeni Qaar was in the hotel when it was attacked. He says he saw some of the terrorists dressed in Somali army uniform throwing grenades and firing as the security forces.

He was saved by his bodyguards

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Pair of car bombs kills 11 in Mogadishu

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 22:00:00 +0000

A deadly pair of car bombs has has killed 11 people in Mogadishu.

The attacks in Somalia, that left 25 people wounded, is being blamed on the Al Shabaab terror group.

The first of the bombs exploded at military checkpoint near the Presidential Palac which a frequent target of jihadis.

Nine people were killed in that blast.

A second explosion appears to have killed the suicide bomber and his accomplice near the airport which houses the offices of a number of diplomatic missions.

Al Shabaab is responsible for the truck bomb in October 2017 that killed more than 500 people.

It was the deadliest extremist operation since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001.

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Celebrations in Khartoum after Omar Al Bashir’s resignation

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 22:00:00 +0000

Thousands of people are celebrating in the streets of Khartoum following unconfirmed reports of the resignation of President Omar Al Bashir.

They’re still awaiting an announcement from the military about exactly which part of the army is now in charge.

Military vehicles have taken positions at the Presidential Palace and on bridges and arterial road in the Sudanese capital.

Khartoum International Airport has been closed.

Sudanese television continues playing martial music, advising the public to wait for what it calls an important military announcement.

Soldiers have raided the headquarters of the ruling party and arrested its leader and other top officials.

At this point, it is not clear if the action has been taken by the military command trying to preserve the status quo or disaffected junior officers who have lately shown support for the demonstrators calling for President Omar Al Bashir’s departure.

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Carbomb and gun attacks on Somali hotel leave 10 dead

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 22:00:00 +0000

Islamist terror group Al Shabaab’s claimed responsibility for the attack on a Somali hotel that left at least ten people dead and more than 50 wounded.

The attack involved to car bombs and gunmen who fired on the hotel guests.

The terrorists targeted the Dayah hotel which accommodates a number of Somali members of parliament.

Security forces killed four the attackers who used an explosive-laden vehicle to blast their way into the hotel and then start shooting once they were inside.

A second car bomb was positioned nearby. It was detonated when people gathered in the area.

Security forces have secured the hotel down the road from the presidential palace.

Somalia’s taken up with indirect elections for MPs who will choose a president.

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Beat the world to Sudan

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 22:00:00 +0000

It is one of the great sights on a great continent. In fact, you have not seen Africa until you have seen the confluence of of the White and Blue Nile.
Laying eyes on the meeting of the churning White and the smooth Blue gives meaning to the word arteriaL
A lone angler sits on the aquatically busy corner gently dipping his line into the water where the rivers converge, probably grateful that the Sudanese authorities have not done must to embellish this attraction.
An eight arch bridge nearby joins the capital with Omdurman across the White Nile. The troika of these two cities plus Bahri resemble a giant elephant with the river forming the trunk.
That is what Khartoum means in Arabic: elephant.
The island of Tuti fits in here somewhere – although residents of what amounts to the capital’s vegetable garden are legendary misfits.
Their antiquated water pumps thump noisily. They have refused government offers to replace them with new devices because they are suspicious that there might be strings attached.
They did not like the building of a bridge with the mainland – a gift from Turkey – which brought the first cars onto the island. So they fiercely oppose building hotels and villas.
They say: bLet the residents of the capital have their giant orange-squeezer shaped, Libyan-built Burj, the Hall of Friendship, which is one many Chinese expressions of gratitude for accessing virtually every drop of oil this country can pump, and other impressive pieces of cutting edge architecture. They will keep growing greens.
Sudan is still on Washington’s list of terrorist-sponsoring countries and subject to some US sanctions.
But like Cuba and Iran it is coming in from the cold.
The conventional wisdom is one should get into Cuba and Iran now, before the world does.
The same applies to Sudan.
My advice is take this Madhi-Kalmis-Ter-I tour before the marketing buffs get in.
Arabic is essential for business but English more than gets one buy in this country with a strong British colonial background .
Before you say: ah cricket! remember that the Brits were not here long enough to instill an appreciation of willow on leather.
The Mahdi rather spoiled things by sending his troops from Omdurman just across the river to fetch Gordon who was under siege in Khartoum trying to evacuate British troops and citizens.
The Mahdi’s men went totally off message and removed the British administrator’s head.
There is a brass plaque on the steps of the Presidential Palace indicating the site of this slaying.
I was not able to see it this time because chez Gordon has become the old palace – replaced by an impressive Chinese-built replica. Both old and new are now under security lockdown.
My rambling, slightly-foxed hotel on the banks of the Blue Nile was the first five-star establishment in Khartoum.
It has the same architect as Singapore’s famous Raffles. Don’t try walking into the bar and ordering a Sudanese Sling though. There is no bar is this very dry country.
And don’t trying walking into the fancy hotel next door because that is the headquarters in Sudan of the China National Petroleum Company.
My hotel has housed Queen Elizabeth II and Winston Churchill.
It has also accommodated Thomas Cook which is ironic because foreign credit cards are not accepted in sanctions-hit Sudan.
My source on the famous guests is the editor of Sudan Vision. It is one of three English-language newspapers in this country.
Navigating the convoluted contents confirms the harsh reality that because the King’s tongue is indeed the second most spoken language on the globe does not mean it is always delivered as she should be.
This piece first appeared on jjcornish.com

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