West-Africa

By  ADAM SCHRECK and AUDREY McAVOYFriday May 8, 2026 This locator map shows Iran and its capital, Tehran. (AP Photo) The Iran war’s fragile ceasefire came under fresh pressure Friday after the United Arab Emirates said it had responded to a missile and drone attack, just hours after the U.S. announced it had stopped attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and carried out retaliatory strikes on Iranian military sites. As Iranian and U.S. negotiators continue searching for a way to end the fighting, both sides have…

Sarah Johnson and Mohamed BulbulFriday May 8, 2026 From behind prison walls in Somalia, a 27-year-old rickshaw driver says her only crime was speaking out. Sadia Moalim Ali has accused her guards of stripping her naked, beating her and locking her in a cell without food after her arrest over anti-government protests. Sadia Moalim Ali, who says she was arrested, beaten and left for two days without food. Photograph: Handout A woman detained in Somalia for joining peaceful demonstrations has described what she says was a…

Friday May 8, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Wednesday said Somalia’s federal government is ready to hear opposition concerns, but drew a firm line against any rhetoric or actions he said could threaten the country’s security and hard-won stability. At a press briefing in Mogadishu, Hamza took aim at recent comments by some former national leaders who have aligned themselves with the opposition, cautioning that political language should not be allowed to deepen national tensions. “I hope those…

Friday May 8, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a swift response to mounting anger over demolitions and evictions in the capital, the Banadir Regional Administration has ordered a temporary halt to land reform activities in Mogadishu. Banadir administration spokesperson Salah Dheere announced the decision on Thursday during a press briefing, citing directives issued by Mogadishu Mayor and Banadir Governor Hassan Mohamed Hussein “Muungaab.” According to the administration, the move follows instructions from President Hassan Sheikh…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Hormuud Telecom, Somalia’s largest telecommunications company, on Tuesday unveiled a partnership with Get-Phone to introduce the country’s first structured smartphone financing plan. The program is designed to help millions of low-income Somalis obtain internet-enabled phones for the first time, targeting what officials described as the affordability gap that continues to keep many people out of the digital economy, even as 4G service now reaches more than 70% of the population. Under…

Thursday May 7, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia authorities on Thursday appealed for calm in the Carmale area of Erigavo district in Sanaag, where fierce inter-clan fighting has left dozens dead, according to local reports. Interior Minister Abdalle Mohamed Arab “Sandheere” said the clashes have inflicted heavy losses and pushed the government to hold an emergency meeting focused on stopping the violence. He said security forces and local administrations in the area had been instructed to take part in…

In a bold move, Burkina Faso's media authority has put a halt to operations of the French news outlet TV5Monde, levying accusations of "disinformation" and "apology for terrorism" against the network. This suspension stems from the broadcaster's coverage of the ongoing insurgencies affecting Burkina Faso and its neighbor, Mali, which highlighted rising insecurity and purported human rights abuses by the security forces. Human Rights Watch has characterized this action as a component of a wider initiative aimed at stifling…

A High Court in Abuja has found former Minister of Power Saleh Mamman guilty on 12 counts related to fraud and money laundering. This ruling emerges from a thorough investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which uncovered unauthorized misappropriation of public funds during Mamman's term in office under former President Muhammadu Buhari. In a pointed critique within the ruling, the presiding judge remarked, "... instead of establishing a legacy aimed at resolving the nation's chronic power…

Thursday May 7, 2026 Somali pirates have left a hijacked Emirati dhow loaded with lemons adrift after failing in an effort to use it as a floating launch pad for attacks on other ships, security sources in Somalia’s Puntland State state told AFP. The fate of the crew of Fahad-4 remains unclear. No information was immediately available on what happened to the vessel’s sailors after the ship was seized in late April by an 11-man pirate gang as it left Mogadishu with its citrus cargo. Amid a recent surge in similar seizures,…

Thursday May 7, 2026 Missouri (AX) — A Somali national has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after being convicted in the kidnapping of a woman whose body was later found in a roadside ditch in Missouri, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. Mahamud Tooxoow Mahamed, 44, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Megan B. Benton in a case that ended with the death of a woman identified in court records as J.M. According to prosecutors, J.M.’s body was discovered on July 29, 2019, near Missouri Highway 59 after a…