African Union forces abandon Halgan town in the Hiran region, allowing al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters to enter soon after. Fighters from al-Shabab have seized control of yet another town in central Somalia after it was abandoned by African Union peacekeepers, according to a spokesman for the group and a local official. It was the third time this month that the al-Qaeda-affiliated group moved into a town in the region after the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces. Propped up by the African Union-mandated force known as AMISOM, Somalia's military and central government have strengthened their grip on the country but a relentless campaign of violence by al-Shabab persists. Al-Shabab aims to drive out the peacekeepers, topple Somalia's Western-backed government and impose a strict version of Islam.

Source: Ethiopian News October 23, 2016 15:08 UTC