East Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s parliament has approved constitutional changes that extend the terms of the president and lawmakers and push back planned elections, according to Reuters and statements by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and parliamentary Speaker Adan Mohamed Nur (Adan Madobe). Reuters reported that lawmakers voted to change the constitution and extend mandates to five years from four years, a move opponents said amounts to an unlawful term extension in a country where election timelines have repeatedly…

Somalia’s parliament has approved constitutional changes that leaders said will extend the terms of lawmakers and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and delay planned elections by a year, adding to political tensions as the country approaches the end of its current mandates. The vote on March 5 was confirmed publicly by the president and the parliament speaker, according to Reuters. Opposition figures have criticized the changes and warned against any move they say could undermine the constitutional order. Election…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s voting system has long relied on indirect, clan-based selection of lawmakers who then choose the country’s president, a model that leaders and international partners have repeatedly said they want to replace with “one person, one vote” elections. Somalia has not held a nationwide direct election for decades, with insecurity and political disputes cited by Somali officials, analysts and international partners as major obstacles to broader voting. How national leaders are chosen now Under…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s political leadership is split between the federal government in Mogadishu and a set of federal member states that run their own regional administrations under the country’s federal system. The internationally recognized federal leadership is headed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre. Somalia also faces a long-running territorial and political dispute with Somaliland, a region in the north that declared independence in 1991 and operates separate…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s planned 2026 national elections have become the focus of a widening political dispute after parliament approved constitutional changes that leaders and opponents say would reshape how the country chooses its leaders and when the next vote is held. On March 5, 2026, Somalia’s parliament voted to amend the constitution and extend the terms of lawmakers and the president to five years from four, according to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the parliamentary speaker in statements reported by…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s efforts to hold more direct elections, after decades of indirect, clan-based voting, matter beyond its borders because they are closely tied to the country’s fight against the al-Shabab insurgency, the security of busy shipping routes off the Horn of Africa and the stability of an aid-dependent state where international partners are trying to shift responsibility for security to Somali institutions. Somalia has long selected many officials through clan-based negotiations and indirect…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia is preparing for a planned shift to direct national elections in 2026, a major change in a country that has relied for decades on an indirect, clan-based system in which selected delegates choose members of parliament, who then elect the president. Somali authorities say the goal is a “one person, one vote” process, but opposition figures have questioned whether the transition is being handled by consensus and warn of renewed political crisis. The push toward universal suffrage has unfolded…

The Conversation Africa reached out to five academic experts from Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, Kenya, and Ethiopia to explore the pressing issue: Is the recent surge in oil prices negatively impacting your nation's economy? Across the board, their responses echoed a shared sentiment...

At least 132 people have died and dozens more were injured as heavy rains continue to batter large parts of Zimbabwe, the Department of Civil Protection said in its latest report.

Rwanda’s teenage pregnancy rate rose to 8% in 2025 from 5% in 2020, according to the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey, prompting warnings from health authorities about school dropouts, maternal health risks and reduced economic prospects for girls. Health authorities in Rwanda warned that the rising rate of teenage pregnancy is contributing to students leaving school, increased maternal health risks and limited economic opportunities for young women. The Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey reported that prevalence…