Eye on Africa

As Sudan grapples with a worsening food crisis, millions of citizens are struggling to get by on just one meal each day. This alarming situation, highlighted in a report released Monday by several NGOs, looms over a nation already embroiled in conflict. The ongoing war, marking its third year on Wednesday, pits the Sudanese army against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It has plunged the country into one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, forcing millions to flee and igniting widespread hunger.…

Monday April 13, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The Somali Future Council on Sunday issued a sharp warning against politicizing the Somali National Army, saying the country’s security forces must be protected from clan rivalry and partisan pressure if they are to remain effective and credible. In a statement released to coincide with the 66th anniversary of the army’s founding on April 12, the council congratulated servicemen and women and praised their role in defending the nation, preserving unity and helping maintain public…

Polling stations in Benin have officially closed following a significant turnout, with nearly eight million voters participating in the presidential election. Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni is anticipated to emerge as the victor. Patrice Talon, the current president, is concluding his tenure after serving two five-year terms and navigating a coup attempt last December. Talon has publicly supported his 49-year-old finance minister, Wadagni, as his successor to guide the next administration. The primary opposition party,…

Pope Leo XIV will soon undertake a sweeping 18,000-kilometre journey through Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, a packed itinerary that includes 11 speeches and seven masses before his return on 23 April. The trip is designed to spotlight some of the world’s most urgent concerns — from conflict and migration to corruption and human rights — against a backdrop of uncertainty tied to the Middle East war. Leo will make history as the first pope to visit Algeria, where Islam is the state religion. His programme…

A tragic airstrike by the Nigerian military has claimed the lives of numerous individuals, primarily traders, after hitting a village market. This incident unfolded near the border connecting Yobe and Borno states, where the aircraft was reportedly engaged in operations against Islamist militants. According to the Nigerian Air Force, the strikes were part of "mop-up" operations targeting "identified terrorist locations" along the Jilli axis in Borno State. Sources indicate that the fighter jet involved was tracking a group…

Saturday April 11, 2026 Djibouti (AX) — President Ismail Omar Guelleh has secured a sixth straight term in office after sweeping Friday’s presidential election with 97.81% of the vote, according to official results released by state media. His lone opponent, Mohamed Farah Samatar of the opposition Unified Democratic Centre (CDU), won 2.19% of ballots. Authorities said turnout reached 80.4% in the vote, in a country of about one million people with roughly 256,000 registered voters. Shortly after early results were…

Friday April 10, 2026 Djibouti heads to the polls on Friday in a presidential vote that is widely expected to hand incumbent Ismael Omar Guelleh another term, after lawmakers scrapped the age restrictions that could have blocked the 78-year-old from running again. Though tiny in size and home to fewer than 1 million people, the Horn of Africa nation sits in one of the world’s most strategic locations: the Gulf of Aden, at the mouth of the Red Sea. That positioning has drawn a rare concentration of foreign military…

The United States is urging its citizens to think twice before traveling to Nigeria, pointing to increasing threats of terrorism, kidnapping, and civil unrest. A recent update from the State Department has identified specific regions within Nigeria that pose heightened risks, placing them under a severe travel warning that advises against all travel to these areas. American citizens are cautioned that violent incidents can erupt suddenly in public venues such as markets, hotels, places of worship, educational institutions,…

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah used her State of the Nation Address to unveil an ambitious plan to jump-start growth, anchoring it on targeted investment, energy stability, and a renewed push in agriculture. She outlined headline domestic commitments, notably the introduction of fully subsidised tertiary education for qualifying students, supported by broader access to financial aid. Calling the moment “decisive,” the president pressed Parliament to fast-track the petroleum amendment bill, cautioning against the…

Mucahithan AvciogluFriday April 10, 2026 A Turkish deep-sea drilling vessel has reached Somalia, setting in motion what Ankara is calling a “historic mission” and marking Türkiye’s first overseas deep-sea drilling operation, the energy and natural resources minister announced Thursday. “The Cagri Bey (ship) has arrived in Somalia for its historic mission,” Alparslan Bayraktar said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, saying the effort would usher in “a brand-new chapter in the energy history of both Türkiye and…