East Africa

Beledweyne (AX) - A troupe steered by Hawadle leader, Ugas Yusuf Ugas Hassan Ugas Khalif, landed in Mahas district of Hiiraan region on Friday to wrap up a big parley.Throngs of folks and tribal elders gave the group a rousing welcome.The chieftain's jaunt is tied to his quest for peace and unity among Hawadle sub-tribes, aiming to finish the consultation for the Ali Madaxweyne sub-clan, ongoing in Mahas for the past couple of days.Top brass from both the government and regional state are also in attendance, with a press…

However, a recent document from US Africa Command (AFRICOM) revealed that their review found no civilian casualties from the airstrike carried out on February 15, 2024. The Cuban government's official newspaper, Granma, reported on Thursday that AFRICOM's statement failed to specifically mention the Cuban doctors. Furthermore, on Wednesday via X, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez remarked that the US report "brings nothing new to the table," and noted that since April, Havana has been awaiting an investigation they…

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud alongside Kenyan President William Ruto at the State House, Nairobi, Kenya, April 11, 2024 (Photo courtesy of PCS).Years of turmoil have given Somalia a tarnished reputation globally. Sure, the issues that earned it the ‘failed state’ label persist here and there, but strides have been made towards rehabilitation. Today, although fragile, it has shrugged off that damning title.Riddled with upheaval, natural catastrophes, factionalism, and insurgency, Somalia's saga is shaped by…

Baidoa (AX) - On Thursday night, alleged al-Shabab fighters bombarded an Ethiopian military outpost in Hudur district, Bakool region, with a flurry of mortar shells. Residents reported that Ethiopian soldiers fired back with heavy artillery, but the toll remains uncertain. Neither the African Union peacekeeping mission (ATMIS), the Southwest regional state administration, nor the federal government has provided statements regarding the strike on the army base. The attack occurred shortly after the Southwest regional…

Over 1.5 million Muslim pilgrims have converged in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for Hajj, within the grim context of Israel's relentless assault on Gaza.The ritual commenced on Friday, with throngs of robed devotees making their loops around the Kaaba, the black cubic structure in Mecca’s Grand Mosque, deeply saddened by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.“Our kin are perishing, and we see it with our own eyes,” remarked 75-year-old Zahra Benizahra from Morocco.Due to the closure of the Rafah crossing in May, when Israel intensified its…

Gramps Discovers Tragic News of Grandson's Demise Ramadan Karani, the patriarch of Jamal Mohamed, recounted the horrific moment he learned about his grandson's death through a broadcast. "I saw the news about my grandson Jamal Mohamed on TV. It left me stunned, and I hurriedly reached out to my nephew to verify what had occurred," he relayed to the court. Karani detailed his gut-wrenching visit to the morgue, seeing Jamal's body riddled with bullet holes. During cross-interrogation, Karani was shown pictures of Jamal in a…

Mogadishu (AX) — The Somali authorities have mandated the evacuation of bodies from Bulusiya School cemetery to transform the plot into a naval training ground. This edict has compelled numerous families to disinter and re-bury their kin, igniting significant emotional turmoil and public dissent. One of the affected individuals, Sade Buulle, recently unearthed and reburied his grandmother, Warsan Haji Mohamed. Warsan, who passed away in late 2019, had explicitly expressed her aversion to being interred in Mogadishu. The…

PHOENIX, Arizona (AX) — A blistering exposé by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) accused the Phoenix Police Department of repeatedly breaching civil liberties through misconduct, including unwarranted deadly force.The feds pointed fingers at plenty of cases showing excessive force and bias against Black, Hispanic, and Native American folks. Cops also snagged, fined, and locked up homeless folks without cause, they claimed.One gut-wrenching case happened in September 2022, when 34-year-old Somali refugee Ali Osman was…

Seated stiffly in his presidential stronghold, Mr. Bihi articulates the case for North Western of Somalia’s independence. This territory, now claimed by North Western of Somalia, was once a British protectorate, whereas southern Somalia, with Mogadishu as its hub, fell under Italian stewardship. Although these two colonies fused in 1960, the union was fraught with discord. North Western of Somalia's rebels revolted against a tyrannical regime, leading to the massacre of thousands and Hargeisa being bombed to rubble—a…

Turkey and the U.S. Ink Deal for F-16 Jets ANKARA, Turkey (AX) — New Agreements Solidify Military Ties Between Turkey and U.S. In a pivotal move, Turkey has inked an agreement with the United States to buy F-16 fighter jets. This significant deal, made public on June 13, marks an important chapter in the alliance between the two NATO members. "Contracts are signed, and teams are ironing out the specifics," revealed a Turkish defense ministry insider during a briefing in Ankara. "Once finalized, details will be…