West Africa

Burkina Faso's Controversial Step Backward: The New Anti-Homosexuality Law In a rapid and unsettling turn of events, Burkina Faso's transitional parliament has unanimously passed a bill that criminalizes homosexual acts, placing the West African nation in a club of over 30 African countries where same-sex relations are outlawed. The new law imposes harsh penalties, including prison sentences ranging from two to five years, fines, and even the threat of deportation for foreign nationals caught violating its provisions. This…

Somalia and Serbia Reach for Old Ties to Shape New Deals In the polished halls of Belgrade’s presidential complex, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre stood beneath a bank of flags and spoke a sentence you now hear in capitals across the Global South: “Somalia offers vast opportunities for investment.” On Tuesday, Barre and Serbian Prime Minister Đuro Macut signed a health cooperation agreement and pledged to deepen ties in trade, investment, education and security—an agenda that reads less like a single visit than a…

Arab League cancels 75 percent of Somalia’s arrears, a boost for Mogadishu’s hard-won comeback The Arab League has agreed to cancel 75 percent of Somalia’s unpaid membership dues, a rare step that trims nearly four decades of arrears and signals renewed political backing for a country still rebuilding from conflict and climate shocks. The decision was taken in Cairo during the League’s 164th session of permanent representatives, Somali officials said Tuesday. Somalia’s Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to…

Ghana's Cost-Cutting Measures Ahead of the UN General Assembly As the world prepares to gather for the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, Ghana's government is taking a distinctly cautious approach, urging its officials to temper their travel plans. In a recent directive from Julius Debra, the Chief of Staff to President John Mahama, stringent guidelines have been put forth regarding attendance at the event, a move framed as part of the nation's broader cost-cutting strategy dubbed "Resetting…

The Fall of Chief Justice Torkonoo: A Watershed Moment for Ghana's Judiciary In a significant turn of events in Ghana's political landscape, President John Mahama has officially dismissed Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo following a thorough investigation into alleged misconduct. This dramatic decision, marked by controversy and debate, highlights the intricate interplay between politics and judicial integrity in the West African nation. A Historical Precedent Torkonoo’s removal is not just a procedural event; it signifies…

Prominent elder slain in Somalia’s Gedo region as tensions simmer along border Attack in Beled Hawo A prominent community elder and local council member was shot dead late Monday in Beled Hawo, a hard-to-govern border town in Somalia’s Gedo region where political strain and armed groups have frayed the edges of daily life. Residents identified the victim as Aden Mohamud Buurdhubo, a respected figure known for mediating disputes and pushing for calm in a place that often runs on uneasy truces. Gunmen opened fire under cover…

Somali police publicly burn 250 cartons of seized drugs in Mogadishu, widening a high-stakes crackdown Somali authorities burned 250 cartons of seized drugs in Mogadishu on Tuesday, a public destruction meant to send an unmistakable message: the country’s ports, airports and border crossings are being watched, and trafficking will be met with the full force of the law. The haul was confiscated at Mogadishu Port and Aden Adde International Airport after weeks of heightened surveillance, police said. The Banadir Regional…

Echoes from Biafra: A Finnish Court's Sentencing Highlights Ongoing Struggles In a courtroom in Lahti, Finland, a decision was handed down that resonates far beyond its walls, eliciting reflections on colonial legacies, regional identity, and the scars of a war long past. Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-born Finnish citizen and self-declared leader of a Biafra secessionist group, was sentenced to six years in prison for terrorism-related offenses. The ruling, delivered by the Päijät-Häme District Court, encapsulates a complex…

Analysis: A New Chapter in Las Anod Tests Somalia’s Fragile Federalism In the dust-brown city of Las Anod, the center of a long-contested patch of northern Somalia, a political ceremony is poised to send a message that carries well beyond the city’s edge. Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre are expected to attend the swearing-in of Abdikadir Ahmed Aw-Cali—widely known as Firdhiye—as president of the newly formed Northeastern Somali administration. The move signals not only the…

Analysis: Jubbaland’s Broadside Against Mogadishu Exposes Somalia’s Uneasy Balancing Act Somalia’s fragile political compact wobbled again this week as the Jubbaland regional administration publicly accused the federal government in Mogadishu of drifting from core national priorities, including the campaign against al-Shabaab and the country’s hard-won political unity. In a blunt statement issued Monday, Jubbaland warned that “short-term political interests” were eroding trust and urged a return to consensus politics. “The…