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Djibouti’s “Unstoppable” President and the Price of Perpetual Stability In a move that many observers call inevitable and others call alarming, Djibouti’s parliament unanimously approved the removal of a presidential age cap this week, clearing the way for President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, 77, to stand for a sixth term in elections slated for April 2026. The change — ratified after an initial vote a week earlier and formally signed by Guelleh before being returned to lawmakers for a final stamp — was presented by authorities…

Somalia says 23 al-Shabaab fighters killed in Middle Shabelle raid What happened Somalia’s intelligence service says it has killed 23 al-Shabaab militants in a joint operation on Sunday in the country’s volatile Middle Shabelle region, the latest in a series of strikes aimed at degrading the Islamist insurgent group’s capacity to stage attacks. The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said the operation unfolded around the village of El-Weyne, under the El-Baraf area of Mahaday district, north of Mogadishu.…

Somalia’s swift embrace of a contested Tanzanian result: pragmatic diplomacy or a sign of shifting regional norms? When Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was among the first African leaders to congratulate Samia Suluhu Hassan on her emphatic re‑election in Tanzania, the message was concise and familiar in tone: “I extend warm congratulations to H.E. Samia Suluhu on her re‑election as President of the United Republic of Tanzania,” his office said. “Her victory reflects the trust and confidence of the Tanzanian…

Puntland State surges 300 newly trained police into Garowe to stem rise in crime Garowe, Somalia — Puntland State authorities deployed 300 freshly trained police officers across the regional capital on Sunday, an aggressive push to curb a recent uptick in crime and reassert control over weapons on the streets. The rollout, announced by security officials and reinforced by a no-leave policy for the recruits in the coming days, marks one of the strongest policing drives in Garowe in recent years. Officials said the officers…

Egypt’s move toward Somalia signals a new chapter in Horn of Africa security CAIRO — On the sunlit occasion of the Grand Egyptian Museum’s inauguration, a quieter but consequential conversation was taking place behind the velvet ropes: Egypt’s foreign minister and the head of the African Union quietly mapped out the contours of a possible Egyptian troop contribution to the AU’s mission in Somalia. The meeting between Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, held on the sidelines…

Puntland State surges 300 newly trained police into Garowe to stem rise in crime Garowe, Somalia — Puntland State authorities deployed 300 freshly trained police officers across the regional capital on Sunday, an aggressive push to curb a recent uptick in crime and reassert control over weapons on the streets. The rollout, announced by security officials and reinforced by a no-leave policy for the recruits in the coming days, marks one of the strongest policing drives in Garowe in recent years. Officials said the officers…

Why Somalia’s quiet €35 million loan should worry citizens and partners When a government decides to borrow in the open, there is at least a ritual: debate in parliament, a publicised agenda, a paper trail that future historians and auditors can follow. What happened in Mogadishu this autumn looks nothing like that ritual. According to reporting by Axadle, the European Investment Bank — nearly absent from Somalia’s financing landscape since 1980 — has agreed a first tranche of €35 million to the Somalia Reconstruction and…

Kenya’s western highlands reel after deadly landslides; at least 21 killed, dozens missing Rescue crews in western Kenya battled mud, broken roads and fading light on Saturday after overnight landslides tore through villages in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, killing at least 21 people and destroying more than 1,000 homes. Officials said at least 25 survivors with serious injuries were airlifted to the regional hub of Eldoret, while the search continued for at least 30 people still unaccounted for. “Preparation to supply more food…

Why Somalia’s quiet €35 million loan should worry citizens and partners When a government decides to borrow in the open, there is at least a ritual: debate in parliament, a publicised agenda, a paper trail that future historians and auditors can follow. What happened in Mogadishu this autumn looks nothing like that ritual. According to reporting by Axadle, the European Investment Bank — nearly absent from Somalia’s financing landscape since 1980 — has agreed a first tranche of €35 million to the Somalia Reconstruction and…

A Refugee-Turned-Filmmaker Takes a $200 Shot at Leading a Minnesota Suburb HOPKINS, Minn. — On a recent weeknight in this compact Minneapolis suburb, a small group moved down a quiet block, knocking on doors and introducing a new name to voters. No yard signs, no slick mailers, no consultants. Just a filmmaker in a windbreaker, clutching a stack of home-printed flyers and a promise to listen. “Winning is not guaranteed,” said Abderazak Ali, a 40-year-old Somali-born filmmaker and first-time candidate running for mayor of…