East Africa

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will travel to Ankara on Tuesday to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a high-stakes visit that comes days after Israel said it would recognize North Western State of Somalia and as Turkey and Somalia weigh the next steps in offshore energy exploration. Two people familiar with the plans said Erdogan is expected to address Israel’s unilateral move during talks with Mohamud. The Somali leader also plans to brief Ankara on a seismic survey completed in October off Somalia’s…

Somalia’s president has condemned Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of North Western State of Somalia as a “naked invasion,” warning that Mogadishu will not allow its territory to be used as a base for Israel to pursue regional conflicts. Addressing an emergency joint session of parliament on Sunday, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of committing the “greatest abuse” of Somalia’s sovereignty in the nation’s history and referred to Israel as an “enemy.” Lawmakers…

Israel recognizes North Western State of Somalia, setting up diplomatic ties and testing Horn of Africa alignments Israel has become the first country to formally recognize North Western State of Somalia as an independent state, a diplomatic breakthrough that immediately raises questions about how the move will be implemented and how Somalia’s federal government will respond. The recognition was announced Friday after a videoconference between North Western State of Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi “Cirro” and Israeli…

U.N. experts warn that al-Shabab remains the most immediate threat to peace and stability in Somalia and the wider region, especially Kenya, even as the U.N. Security Council unanimously extended the African Union’s support-and-stabilization mission in the country through Dec. 31, 2026. Despite sustained operations by Somali and international forces, the al-Qaida-linked group’s capacity “to carry out complex, asymmetric attacks in Somalia remains undiminished,” according to the panel of experts report released Wednesday. The…

Tragic Helicopter Crash on Mount Kilimanjaro A helicopter crash on Mount Kilimanjaro claimed the lives of five individuals during a medical evacuation mission. The accident highlights the perils of aviation activities even on well-traveled routes in Tanzania's popular tourist destination. The crash occurred on Wednesday between Barafu Camp and Kibo Summit. Five people, including two foreigners and a local doctor, were killed. The Kilimanjaro Aviation company owned the helicopter involved. Details and…

Somalia’s khat bill: How a daily airlift of mira to Mogadishu drains a fragile economy Somalia’s dependence on khat—known locally as qaad and as mira in Kenya—has evolved from a social habit into a structural economic liability. Official statements tabled in Kenya’s National Assembly on December 3, 2025, show just how lopsided the trade has become: Somalia is Kenya’s largest export destination for mira, accounting for more than 95 percent of Kenya’s total mira export volume. The crop supports an estimated 110,000 Kenyan…

Somalia’s 2026/2027 elections: a state-saving blueprint, not a power struggle Somalia is approaching a constitutional cliff with the 2026/2027 electoral cycle. There is no agreed framework, no final roadmap and little time before current mandates reach their limits. The risk is not only delay, but paralysis: a vacuum that invites fragmentation, corrodes institutions and erodes public trust. The imperative now is to treat the coming vote as a state-saving exercise — designed to preserve legitimacy, not simply to deliver…

Garissa taxi driver’s death sparks dispute between leaders and police; IPOA, DCI probe as postmortem looms GARISSA, Kenya — A confrontation is brewing in Garissa after the death of 25-year-old taxi driver Sheikh Ahmed Omar, with local leaders and family members alleging he was shot at close range by officers at a Modika roadblock, while police say he died in a crash as he fled a stop along the Nunow–Modogashe road. Omar died early Wednesday, four days after the incident on Dec. 20, according to leaders who gathered at the…

Kenyan man gets life for al-Shabaab plot to crash hijacked airliner into Atlanta’s tallest building A federal judge on Monday sentenced Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 34, to two consecutive life terms plus a lifetime of supervised release for plotting a 9/11-style attack on Atlanta’s 55-story Bank of America Plaza on behalf of the Somalia-based terrorist group al-Shabaab. A Manhattan jury found Abdullah guilty in 2024 on six counts tied to the thwarted plot, which prosecutors said was designed to mirror the tactics of the Sept. 11,…

Rwanda Closes 10,000 Churches in Major Crackdown on Religious Organizations The Rwandan government has reportedly closed about 10,000 churches across the country for failing to comply with a 2018 law regulating faith-based organizations. This sweeping action underscores an increasingly stringent approach to religious oversight and governance within the nation. According to the 2018 legislation, places of worship are mandated to meet strict health and safety standards, submit annual activity and financial reports, and…