Eye on Africa

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…

John Steenhuisen, the leader of South Africa’s Democratic Alliance since 2019, has stepped aside from the party’s leadership race and will devote his attention to managing a severe foot-and-mouth disease outbreak that has drawn heavy criticism of his handling of the crisis, the party and his office said Friday. Steenhuisen — who, according to party sources, also served as agriculture minister — had been expected to run unopposed for another term but withdrew amid internal disputes and lingering controversies that party…

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…

The government of Ghana has taken a significant step in redefining the identity of one of its most notable transport hubs. The Transport Minister is set to submit a bill to Parliament proposing the renaming of Kotoka International Airport, a key gateway in West Africa, to Accra International Airport. This initiative has stirred public interest and debate, especially considering the historical significance attached to the current name. According to a pro-government Member of Parliament (MP), the proposed change aims to…