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Global terror warning as Somali militants flex muscles

An Al Qaeda-linked militant group waging war against Somalia’s fragile government is becoming an increasing threat to Western ally Kenya and could potentially destabilize the region with dire consequences for global security, officials and analysts warn. Al-Shabaab, one of the strongest Islamic militias battling for control of Mogadishu, has gained ground in recent weeks, according to officials, and has started to flex its muscles beyond Somalia’s border with terror strikes, kidnappings and recruitment drives.

Kenya rejects call for military help in Somalia

Somalia’s transitional government has the right to request military help from its neighbors against armed militants, the African Union said Monday, but Kenya was quick to reject the idea of sending troops and suggested the AU should spearhead such a move. Somali parliament speaker Sheikh Adan Madowe on Saturday called on Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen to send in their military forces to help government troops stop hardline Islamist militants from taking over. “Militants are wrestling the power from the government and so we call for military help from neighboring countries,” the speaker said at a news conference in Mogadishu.

More than $200M pledged to beat Somali pirates

Countries have pledged $213 million at an international conference to boost security in Somalia and halt the country’s growing piracy problem. “We have a unique opportunity to support leaders who have shown a commitment to building peace and rebuilding the Somali state,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. “By opening the space for security, we open the door to a better life for Somalia’s people.” “The risks of not supporting the new government are too high and the costs of failure too enormous,” Ban added

U.S. moves to suspend aid for Madagascar

The United States is moving to suspend all non-humanitarian aid to Madagascar because it considers this week’s forced departure of its president "tantamount to a coup d’etat," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said Friday. Earlier in the day, the African Union announced it had suspended Madagascar’s membership after its 15-member Peace and Security Council decided the transfer of government was unconstitutional, AU spokesman El Ghassim Wane told CNN. “We ask the de facto authorities to return the country to constitutional rule, and should they fail to do so, the Peace and Security Council may incur sanctions,” he said.

African group rejects Madagascar’s new leader

A regional body comprised of several southern African nations is refusing to recognize Madagascar opposition leader Andry Rajoelina as the island nation’s new president, an official said. The Southern African Development Community group, which met Thursday in Swaziland, has “completely rejected the legitimacy” of Rajoelina, the organization’s executive secretary, Tomaz Salomao, told CNN.

Peacekeeper dies in Darfur shootout

Gunmen killed a United Nations peacekeeper in the Darfur region of western Sudan on Tuesday. Eight gunmen opened fire on six peacekeepers in the city of Niyala, in the southern part of Darfur, said Josephine Guerrero, a spokeswoman for a joint peacekeeping operation of the United Nations and African Union in Darfur.