The East African
Thursday February 11 2021
Coast guards patrol the Gulf of Aden. Somalia has about 58 oil blocks along its coastline. PHOTO | FILE | NMG
Summary
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Somalia’s sale of offshore oil blocks has hit a rock following the dismissal of the chief executive of the petroleum authority amid claims of political interference only six months into his tenure.
Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed, announced on January 21 that the Cabinet had dismissed Ibrahim Ali Hussein as chairman and chief executive of the Somalia Petroleum Authority (SPA) and replaced him with Asha Osman.
The move to dismiss Mr Hussein, a former advisor on petroleum, was not made public.
Published January 28, 2021 11:55am US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reaffirmed the Biden administration s commitment to defend the Philippines against any armed attack in the South China Sea amid Beijing s new law authorizing its coast guard to shoot foreign vessels in the disputed waters it claims nearly in its entirety. Blinken made this pledge in a call to Philippine counterpart Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin on Thursday, a day after he was sworn in as America s top diplomat. Secretary Blinken and Secretary Locsin reaffirmed that a strong US-Philippine Alliance is vital to a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Secretary Blinken stressed the importance of the Mutual Defense Treaty for the security of both nations, and its clear application to armed attacks against the Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific, which includes the South China Sea, according to a statement released by the US State Department.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reaffirmed the Biden administration's commitment to defend the Philippines against any armed attack in the South China Sea amid Beijing's new law authorizing its coast guard to shoot foreign vessels in the disputed waters it claims nearly in its entirety.