West Africa

US defends increased Somalia airstrikes as ‘critical support’ backing ISIS pressure in Puntland State Thursday, February 5, 2026 The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has defended a rise in airstrikes in Somalia, calling them “critical support” that has helped Somali partner forces weaken ISIS-linked militants and hold strategic ground in the country’s northeast. In a digital press briefing, AFRICOM Commander General Dagvin Anderson said the operations are coordinated with Somali forces and designed to deliver…

Investigation Ordered into Alleged Bribery of Foreign Scholarship Recipients In a decisive move to address corruption, President John Mahama has mandated a "full-scale" investigation into allegations that officials are soliciting bribes from recipients of foreign scholarships. This probe has been initiated in response to claims made during a recent radio panel discussion featuring Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, the former CEO of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme. Nkansah's revelations raised serious concerns…

BAIDOA, Somalia — At least 10 people were wounded after two days of heavy fighting between Southwest state security forces and armed militia groups rocked Baidoa, shuttering businesses, snarling transport and cutting communications in parts of the city, residents and local officials said. The clashes erupted Wednesday and continued into Thursday, beginning as a land dispute before spiraling into broader unrest with political undertones, according to witnesses. Residents reported the use of heavy weapons in several…

RIYADH — Türkiye and Saudi Arabia reaffirmed support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s one-day visit to the kingdom, rejecting what they called separatist moves and parallel structures that threaten the Horn of Africa nation’s unity. In a statement released Wednesday by Türkiye’s Communications Directorate following Erdogan’s meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, the leaders stressed their “unwavering support” for the Federal Republic of Somalia and…

Tragedy Strikes in Nigeria: Death Toll Surges in Village Attacks In a brutal assault that has sent shockwaves across Nigeria, armed attackers raided the villages of Nuku and Woro in Kwara State, resulting in a staggering loss of life. Initial reports estimated at least 35 fatalities; however, human rights organizations later revised this figure to over 170, revealing the grim reality of the violence. Witnesses recounted horrifying scenes, with victims reportedly shot at close range or burned in the flames of their own…

Somali star Farhiya Fiska alleges domestic assault in Hargeisa; husband released on bail HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Prominent Somali singer Farhiya Ahmed Adaawe Geedi, widely known as Farhiya Fiska, has accused her husband of beating and strangling her during an incident in Hargeisa, saying she was locked in a room for hours and feared she would be killed. In an interview Tuesday, Farhiya said her husband, fellow musician Mubarak Ahmed Yusuf, who performs under the name “October,” attacked her and held her…

CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday reaffirmed support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, jointly rejecting Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia during a high-level meeting in Cairo. The talks, held ahead of the Egypt–Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, centered on bilateral relations and regional flashpoints including Somalia, Sudan and Gaza, according to the Egyptian presidency. Both leaders cast their…

In the harsh light of midday in Hariro, a settlement carved into the rock and dust of Somalia’s Bari region, Mahado Cilmi Matan tightens the cloth walls of a shelter stitched from branches and tin. The hut barely holds her and her 11 children. Shade is thin, cold seeps in at night, and the wind picks at the seams. A year after war began in the Almiskad mountains above them, the family is still displaced and living without income, pushed to the edge by conflict and a relentless drought. “There is no food available,” Mahado…

Analysis: How Somalia’s “family feud” shows sameness alone can’t secure peace Somalia appears, on paper, like a country built for cohesion. Nearly everyone is ethnically Somali, speaks Somali and practices Sunni Islam. Yet three decades after the state collapsed in 1991, the country remains trapped in fractious, often intimate violence. The paradox is instructive far beyond the Horn of Africa: shared identity does not guarantee stability. When institutions fail and rules disappear, homogeneity can magnify rivalries instead…

U.S. Deploys Troops to Nigeria for Counter-Terrorism Efforts The U.S. Command Africa (AFRICOM) commander, General Dagvin Anderson, has announced the deployment of a small team of U.S. soldiers to Nigeria. This move comes as part of a mutual agreement between the U.S. and Nigeria aimed at strengthening counter-terrorism efforts in the region. This development signifies the first official acknowledgment of U.S. troops on the ground in Nigeria since U.S. airstrikes last December. The decision follows President Donald Trump's…