West Africa

Somalia’s Federal Government Pays Troops in Puntland State, Deepening a High-Stakes Rift Mogadishu — Somalia’s federal government has moved to directly pay more than 2,500 soldiers stationed across Puntland State in a blunt show of authority that underlines a widening power struggle with the semi-autonomous region, officials and financial records indicate. Over the past 48 hours, soldiers in Garowe, Bosaso and Galkayo received $200 each via electronic transfers, according to local officials and transaction details reviewed…

Political Shifts in Liberia: A Changing Landscape Under President Boakai In a dramatic turn of events, President Joseph Boakai of Liberia has reshaped the government's landscape by dismissing senior officials, sparking a wave of uncertainty among cabinet members and agency heads. This unexpected upheaval has not only alarmed those directly affected but has also raised broader questions about the direction of Boakai’s presidency. As the dust settles, the political implications of these moves could resonate far beyond the…

Djibouti’s Guelleh Calls for Somali Unity — While Quietly Extending His Own Rule Analysis At a commemorative ceremony steeped in the memory of the 2000 Arta Conference — the meeting that helped coax Somalia from state collapse toward a fragile transitional government — Djibouti’s President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh delivered a familiar message with a fresh edge. “Somalis, only you can rebuild your country,” he said, encouraging neighbors to rely on themselves rather than on foreign patrons. It was the kind of exhortation that…

Political Shifts in Liberia: A Changing Landscape Under President Boakai In a dramatic turn of events, President Joseph Boakai of Liberia has reshaped the government's landscape by dismissing senior officials, sparking a wave of uncertainty among cabinet members and agency heads. This unexpected upheaval has not only alarmed those directly affected but has also raised broader questions about the direction of Boakai’s presidency. As the dust settles, the political implications of these moves could resonate far beyond the…

Somalia and Turkey Mark Republic Day — And a Partnership Forged in Crisis Mogadishu’s salute to a trusted ally Under the bright Mogadishu sun, a small crowd filtered into the Turkish Embassy’s courtyard on Wednesday, where Turkish and Somali flags hung side by side and a brass band played the familiar crescendos of national anthems. It was a moment at once ceremonial and deeply personal: Somalia joined Turkey in marking the 102nd anniversary of the Republic, with Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre calling the day “a shared…

Political Shifts in Liberia: A Changing Landscape Under President Boakai In a dramatic turn of events, President Joseph Boakai of Liberia has reshaped the government's landscape by dismissing senior officials, sparking a wave of uncertainty among cabinet members and agency heads. This unexpected upheaval has not only alarmed those directly affected but has also raised broader questions about the direction of Boakai’s presidency. As the dust settles, the political implications of these moves could resonate far beyond the…

Between a Scholarship and a Closed Door: A Somali Student’s Long Wait for a Yes The calls stopped first. Then the messages. For 12 days, a Somali student who had won a coveted Erasmus Mundus scholarship waited for a residence permit to study in Denmark—only to learn, as so many young people with dreams find out, that the hardest borders are often the invisible ones. Ali Musa, a scholar who had secured full funding to study at the University of Copenhagen, found his plans stalled when Danish authorities denied his residence…

Political Shifts in Liberia: A Changing Landscape Under President Boakai In a dramatic turn of events, President Joseph Boakai of Liberia has reshaped the government's landscape by dismissing senior officials, sparking a wave of uncertainty among cabinet members and agency heads. This unexpected upheaval has not only alarmed those directly affected but has also raised broader questions about the direction of Boakai’s presidency. As the dust settles, the political implications of these moves could resonate far beyond the…

South West Somalia Tries to Turn Down the Temperature — Online and Off Somalia’s South West State is drawing a line against those it says are fanning inter-clan tensions from afar, announcing this week it will pursue legal action against people accused of inciting violence and revenge killings. The warning comes as local elders and administrators push a fragile peace deal in Diinsoor, a town in Bay region where recent clashes between armed militias ignited long-simmering grievances. “There are people outside the conflict…

Political Shifts in Liberia: A Changing Landscape Under President Boakai In a dramatic turn of events, President Joseph Boakai of Liberia has reshaped the government's landscape by dismissing senior officials, sparking a wave of uncertainty among cabinet members and agency heads. This unexpected upheaval has not only alarmed those directly affected but has also raised broader questions about the direction of Boakai’s presidency. As the dust settles, the political implications of these moves could resonate far beyond the…