West Africa

Benin Foils Attempted Coup with Regional Support Amid a surge of military takeovers in West Africa, Benin successfully thwarted an attempted coup with assistance from regional allies. The president assured stability despite an early morning crisis. President Patrice Talon confirmed the situation is under control. Nigerian forces provided critical support to counter the coup. A troubling pattern of coups has developed in West Africa. Swift Response to Crisis On Sunday, Benin experienced a coup attempt when…

MOGADISHU — The Somali Electoral Commission said Monday that a dozen political organizations have submitted candidate lists for the December 25 district elections in the Banadir region, marking a significant step toward the first such vote held in the capital in more than 50 years. Commission Chairman Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan told reporters in Mogadishu that the 12 organizations have collectively put forward hundreds of names toward the required slate of 390 candidates per party. Some groups have completed their submissions,…

Mogadishu — Somali and U.S. forces are intensifying a joint campaign in northeastern Somalia to capture Abdulqadir Mumin, whom U.S. officials say now leads the Islamic State group, as his estranged wife in Britain says he abandoned the family more than a decade ago and has not contacted them since. Security officials say Mumin is believed to be hiding in the Cal Miskaad mountains in Puntland State, where Islamic State fighters have fortified camps and used remote valleys to evade detection. U.S. Africa Command has said the…

JIGJIGA, Ethiopia — Police in Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State have arrested a man accused of secretly recording Somali women and attempting to extort them with explicit videos obtained through social media, authorities said Monday. The suspect, identified by police as Ayuub, is originally from Mogadishu and has lived in several European countries, including Italy and Austria. He was detained in Jigjiga after multiple women reported that he recorded them without their knowledge and later threatened to release the footage…

Somali lawmakers pass amendments to Accountants Bill to tighten financial oversight MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s House of the People on Monday approved amendments to the Somali Accountants Bill, a measure aimed at strengthening financial oversight across federal institutions and raising professional standards in the public accounting sector. The chamber voted 140-1 to adopt the revisions, with four lawmakers abstaining. Second Deputy Speaker Abdullahi Omar Abshirow announced the tally shortly after debate opened on the…

Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is preparing to relaunch Somali Airlines in the coming months, marking the national carrier’s first return to service since it was grounded more than 30 years ago during the civil war, the country’s transport minister said Sunday. Government says management, regulation and fleet plans are in place as the carrier enters final operational planning. Two Airbus A320s have been acquired; additional jets are slated from 2026. IATA’s Billing and Settlement Plan access is being reinstated after 33 years, a…

Mogadishu — U.S. Africa Command carried out seven new airstrikes in Somalia between Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, pushing this year’s total to at least 109 strikes — a record level of U.S. military activity in the country. The latest operations targeted ISIS-linked militants in Puntland State and an al-Shabaab site in southern Jubaland, AFRICOM said. The command described a rapid sequence of strikes focused on a remote mountain zone southeast of Bosaso, a longtime militant hideout, and a separate strike near the Kenyan border. It did…

Jubaland forms drought response committee as water crisis deepens; 1.5 million need aid, OCHA says KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam “Madobe” has appointed a seven-member committee to steer the region’s response to a worsening drought, as aid agencies warn of escalating food insecurity and water shortages across southern Somalia. The decree, released Sunday, empowers an interministerial body to organize relief operations, accelerate aid delivery and coordinate with humanitarian partners. The committee…

Mogadishu (AX) — China has donated $1 million to the Somalia Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) to bolster drought relief as seasonal rains falter and food insecurity deepens across the country, Somali and Chinese officials said Monday. Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Wang Yu formally handed over the contribution during a high-level meeting hosted by SoDMA Commissioner Mohamud Moalim Abdulle in Mogadishu. Wang said the aid reflects Beijing’s commitment to stand by Somalia “during these difficult times,” citing the “principle…

Political Accusations Against George Weah: A Closer Look A prominent Liberian broadcaster has come forward to address serious allegations against former President George Weah, describing them as politically motivated fabrications. Stanton Witherspoon, a veteran broadcaster based in the U.S., emphasized that various political commentators have tied Weah to deaths and disappearances during his presidency, but he argues that these claims lack credible evidence. Witherspoon asserted that the accusations form a coordinated…