East Africa

Congolese and Ugandan presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Yoweri Museveni met at the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda on Wednesday, June 16. A meeting with a strong financial interest, but also a security meeting. The two heads of state begin renovation work on the roads that connect the two countries.…

Eritrean troops fighting Ethiopian forces in a war against the Tigray region's volatile leaders "will definitely leave soon," Ethiopia's UN ambassador said Tuesday in a move that would be welcomed by many including the UN, whose humanitarian chief accused the Eritreans of using hunger . as "a weapon of war." The war in Tigray was the subject of an informal closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council in which Chief of Staff Mark Lowcock warned that more than 350,000 people were starving, with deaths…

Somali troops in the Tigray conflict: the deafening silence of Prime Minister Roble MOGADISHU, Somalia - In one of the most empathetic interviews, a tearful mother tells reporters in Mogadishu that "I don't know anyone in the opposition or in the government, I'm just a vegetable vendor" in reference to a missing son, who is said to be training in Eritrea, yet nothing to come seems to emanate…

Al-Shabaab base captured in Northeastern State, Somalia BOSSASO, Northeastern State - A base used by Somalia-based al-Shabaab militants has been captured in Somalia's Northeastern State state, state media say, as part of the ongoing crackdown on extremists, who are fighting to overthrow the fragile Somali administration backed by the UN. Northeastern State security forces reportedly raided the…

After a six-month shortage between Kenya and Somalia, diplomatic relations resumed following a silent exchange of letters between the two foreign ministries. On Saturday, June 12, Mogadishu had signaled that they wanted to open their respective embassies again. An invitation accepted on Monday, June 14 by Nairobi, which even speaks of a recovery "as soon as possible".…

The head of a human trafficking ring, Tewelde Goitom, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Monday by a court in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This Eritrean nickname "Walid" had been at the head of a gang of smugglers and a detention center in Libya between 2014 and 2018, where crimes were committed daily against African migrants.…

Lights in a tunnel: Syrian refugees find solace in Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia - When war broke out in and around Damascus, many people might have expected Syrians to take refuge in Europe, America, or neighboring countries like Jordan, but this may not be not quite true. Although a number of them were able to travel to the aforementioned areas, a number chose Somalia, another country plagued by…

Famine in the warring region of Tigray is spreading to other Ethiopian provinces, the UN Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs warned on Tuesday at a closed door in the Security Council. Famine is now threatening nearly 2.5 million Ethiopians, according to Mark Lowcock. Warnings rejected and condemned by the Ethiopian ambassador to the UN.…

President Tshisekedi continues his visit to the east. After Goma, he arrived in Beni on Tuesday. He is coming to assess the measures related to the besieged state that has been decided since May 6 in two provinces in the eastern part of the country, Ituri and northern Kivu, of which Beni is the capital, plagued by gang violence. Despite the establishment of the siege, the situation on the ground does…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - When General Yusuf Rageh Odowaa announced major crackdowns against Al-Shabaab in central and southern Somalia, he insisted that "we will crush them, reclaim our territories" and true to his words, the activists have continued to suffer defeats in recent weeks. But even more fascinating, unlike many configurations of the military, General Odowaa Yusuf Rageh has taken it upon himself to lead a crackdown on the militants, which has apparently paid off in recent weeks. Since last week, more than 200…