West-Africa

In a concerning development, Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi addressed Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Health following the alarming confirmation of Hantavirus in a severely ill British national in South Africa. Additionally, the health minister reported on a woman who collapsed at OR Tambo International Airport and unfortunately succumbed to her condition in South Africa. Her husband, who also fell ill, later died in St Helena. Both individuals were among the passengers aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was…

Thursday May 7, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Office of the Attorney General said it has opened an inquiry into allegations surrounding Sadia Moallim Ali Hassan, a Bajaj driver in Mogadishu whose arrest has prompted backlash from opposition figures and international human rights groups. Sadia, who was taken into custody on April 12, is facing accusations of defamation and incitement to public disorder, according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office. The Attorney General’s Office said the probe falls within its…

Wednesday May 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Wednesday named Abdifitah Qasim Mohamud as the country’s new Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, replacing Daud Aweis Jama in a cabinet change announced in Mogadishu. According to a government press release, the appointment was made in line with constitutional provisions and came after consultations with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The statement did not disclose the reasons for the removal of the former minister. Prime…

Wednesday May 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali opposition leaders are preparing a mass rally in Mogadishu on May 10, calling on residents to take to the streets in protest against what they say is the forced displacement of people from the capital and to demand that families be allowed to return to their homes. Former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, speaking in Mogadishu on Wednesday, said the suffering of residents — especially those uprooted from their neighborhoods — must not be dismissed. “The people of Mogadishu…

Wednesday May 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — U.S. forces struck Islamic State militants in northern Somalia on May 4 in an operation carried out with the backing of the Somali government, U.S. Africa Command said. According to AFRICOM, the airstrike hit fighters in the Golis Mountains, roughly 75 kilometers (47 miles) southeast of the port city of Bosaso, and was directed at members of the Islamic State group’s Somalia affiliate, ISIS-Somalia. AFRICOM said the mission was conducted in coordination with the Federal Government of…

Wednesday May 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A three-day Somali Civil Society Conference on good governance and political stability wrapped up in Mogadishu on Wednesday, bringing together a wide spectrum of voices in a rare push for political calm and consensus. Held from May 3 to 5, the conference drew scholars, civil society umbrella organizations, women, youth, people with disabilities, media representatives, academics and traditional elders. Over the course of the sessions, participants examined Somalia’s political…

By Mahad CamalTuesday May 5, 2026 Jurist and DirectorBackground in Conflict Studies Somalia’s political reality can be read most clearly when one looks not at slogans, but at how power is actually exercised. That is the lens used here, drawing on remarks made by four Somali traditional leaders during their April 27 meeting with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at Villa Somalia. Rather than treating those comments as routine expressions of support or criticism, they offer a useful window into the country’s institutional…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a move that could reshape access to mobile technology in Somalia, Hormuud Telecom on Tuesday unveiled a new partnership with Get-Phone to introduce the country’s first structured smartphone financing plan. The program is designed to reach millions of low-income Somalis who have long been priced out of internet-enabled handsets, tackling what company officials described as the “affordability gap” that remains the biggest obstacle to digital inclusion. That challenge persists even…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aati spoke by phone with Somali Foreign Minister Abdelsalam Abdi Ali on Tuesday to assess developments in Somalia and discuss ways to deepen cooperation between the two countries. During the call, Abdel-Aati welcomed the steady progress in Egypt-Somalia ties and reiterated Cairo’s backing for Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also firmly rejected any unilateral actions that would encroach on Somali sovereignty, condemning Israel’s recognition…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s opposition-aligned Somali Future Council has said it is prepared to take part in President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s proposed national dialogue, but only if the government accepts a set of conditions centered on the country’s disputed electoral process. In a formal letter released Tuesday, the Council said any meaningful talks with the Federal Government would require what it described as “genuine political integrity,” and it set out two main demands. First, the group urged the…