West Africa

Somalia hunger crisis deepens as 6.5 million face severe food insecurity, UN and government warn Nearly 6.5 million people in Somalia are facing severe hunger as intensifying drought, conflict and global aid cuts accelerate a mounting humanitarian crisis, the federal government and U.N. agencies said Tuesday, citing new food security data. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis projects that 6.5 million people will face crisis or worse levels of food insecurity by the end of March.…

Analysis: Somalia’s 2026/2027 elections put eight political traditions to the test Somalia is approaching a defining electoral cycle in 2026/2027, when votes for several federal member states and the federal government will converge to shape the country’s political trajectory. Beyond the usual personalities and shifting alliances, the contests will surface a deeper struggle among eight identifiable political traditions. Understanding those traditions—and how they align or collide across two core axes of Somali politics—is…

Attack on Peter Obi's Motorcade Raises Security Concerns in Edo State The motorcade of former presidential candidate Peter Obi was attacked by unknown gunmen in Edo State, escalating concerns regarding political violence as the country approaches crucial elections. According to a statement released by his media team, the incident occurred while Obi was en route to a meeting with the former chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). "We unequivocally confirm the attack and assure all supporters worldwide that…

MOGADISHU — Hunger is surging across Somalia as four consecutive failed rainy seasons collide with steep reductions in humanitarian funding, pushing millions toward acute food insecurity, according to a new analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The report estimates 4.8 million people faced Crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity in January, with that figure projected to jump to 6.5 million between February and March — nearly double the number recorded a year ago. Aid groups say the trend…

Somalia’s NISA says weeklong raids kill more than 23 Al‑Shabaab militants in Hiiraan, Middle Shabelle MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Tuesday it killed more than 23 Al‑Shabaab militants during a weeklong series of operations across the Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle regions, saying the raids targeted cells preparing attacks in several districts of Hirshabelle State. NISA said the strikes, conducted in coordination with international partners, followed actionable intelligence…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — On a warm afternoon in the capital, 23-year-old Abdirahim Ali Mohamud Shuriye refreshed a website that did not exist a year earlier: the Somali National Job Portal. The page was stark—search bar, vacancy list, live counters of job seekers and employers—but to a recent SIMAD University graduate who had spent months chasing scattered job posts on Telegram, Facebook and WhatsApp, its simplicity felt like a breakthrough. For years, Somalis applied for work through a maze of ministry notices, radio…

Nigeria Denies Ransom Payments to Boko Haram for School Abductions The Nigerian government has categorically rejected claims that it paid a significant ransom to the Islamist group Boko Haram in connection to the abduction of more than 200 pupils and staff from St. Mary's School in Papiri in November 2024. Information Minister Mohammed Idris described the allegations, which emerged from a report by AFP citing unnamed intelligence sources, as "false and baseless reporting," asserting that such claims undermine the…

Mogadishu — Somalia’s federal government accused opposition figures on Tuesday of derailing high-stakes political talks in the capital by abandoning an agreed agenda, intensifying a standoff over elections and constitutional reforms as the United Nations urged both sides back to the table. In a statement, the government said the consultation process—launched in March 2025 to collect views from former leaders, politicians, academics and civil society—remains the vehicle to resolve what it called the country’s “fateful…

North Western State of Somalia says it dismantled foreign-funded network aimed at undermining Israel recognition Tuesday, February 24, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia authorities said Tuesday they have dismantled a network allegedly financed by the Somali federal government and unnamed foreign actors to weaken public support for Israel’s recognition of the self-declared republic. At a news conference in Hargeisa, Minister of Interior and Security Abdalle Mohamed Arab Sandheere accused domestic operatives…

Political Tensions Rise Over Proposed Criminal Procedure Law in Liberia The political landscape in Liberia is experiencing turbulent shifts as the Secretary General of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Jefferson Koijee, has publicly denounced the proposed amendment to the country's criminal procedure law. Koijee asserts that the changes are a strategic maneuver aimed at targeting former President George Weah. Koijee's concerns revolve around the perceived increase in discretionary powers granted to prosecutors,…