East-Africa

Monday March 30, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Federal government forces, reinforced by armed groups linked to opposition factions in Southwest State, moved into Baidoa on Monday after intense clashes with the Southwest regional administration. Witnesses said gunfire broke out heavily on the town’s outskirts earlier in the day as the rival sides fought for control of strategic points in the interim administrative capital. The death toll was not immediately known, and neither side had issued official casualty figures. Footage…

Monday March 30, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Federal government troops, supported by armed groups allied with opposition figures in Southwest State, pushed into Baidoa on Monday after fierce clashes with the Southwest regional administration. Witnesses said heavy gunfire rattled the town’s outskirts earlier in the day as the two sides fought over control of strategic sites in the interim administrative capital. The scale of the casualties remains uncertain, and neither camp has issued official numbers. Footage circulating on social…

Wycliffe Muia, NairobiSunday March 29, 2026 Giant African harvester ants - seen here in Kenya - have become highly sought after by hobby collectors across the world Right now, the ants are taking flight in Kenya. In the rainy season, clouds of them rise from thousands of anthills around Gilgil, a quiet farming town in Kenya's Rift Valley that has unexpectedly become the hub of a lucrative illegal trade. The mating ritual sends winged males out of the nest to fertilise queens, which also take to the air at this time. That…

Somalia is moving step by step toward elections where citizens cast ballots directly, a shift from decades of clan-based and indirect voting. In 2026, the process is no longer only a political promise: local voting has started, electoral laws have advanced, and Somalia’s election institutions are working to widen the model beyond pilot areas. Still, disputes over inclusion, security and political consensus remain central to whether the 2026 timetable can hold. What Happened Somalia’s election reform effort has followed…

Mohamed DhaysaneSaturday March 28, 2026 Somali forces, backed by international partners, carried out coordinated strikes on Thursday that killed more than 42 al-Shabaab fighters, including two senior figures, while leaving several others injured across operations in Middle Juba and Lower Shabelle, officials said. In one of the joint actions, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said it killed Abdihamid Ali Abdullahi Macalin, an al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab commander responsible for handling international…

Saturday March 28, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) - Three senior officers of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) will face a Ugandan military court after prosecutors alleged misconduct connected to the disappearance of a military aircraft during operations in Somalia, according to officials. The General Court Martial at Makindye, Kampala, on Tuesday formally charged Col. George Buga Andruca, Maj. Benjamin Kashumbusha, and Lt. Henry Gygenda with one count of wrongful acts tied to the loss of an aircraft. Each of the officers entered…

Friday March 27, 2026 In Mogadishu, a crowd of hundreds turned a football match into a statement of change—watching two women’s teams compete at Eng. Yariisow Stadium on February 17, 2026, after years when such scenes were nearly unthinkable in the conservative, conflict-torn country. The U17 Somalia players trained as the women’s game continued despite criticism from some religious conservatives who describe it as “un-Islamic.” (Photo by Hassan Ali ELMI / AFP) For many in the stands, Tuesday’s match felt like a…

In a decisive move to reshape the apparel market, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce has enacted a formal ban on importing second-hand clothing, tightening entry rules for these goods with permits now issued only under stringent conditions. The step comes amid ongoing concerns about the country’s fragile clothing value chain and the pressure it faces from cheaper, imported stock. Marketers have questioned the timing, warning that while the policy is billed as a lifeline for local manufacturers, it should be calibrated to…

France has revoked South Africa’s invitation to the forthcoming G7 summit, removing Pretoria from the guest list for the high-profile gathering. Paris rejected early claims that Washington had pushed for the exclusion, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa likewise dismissed suggestions of U.S. pressure. South Africa, not a G7 member, had been slated to attend as an observer. French officials said they were pursuing a “streamlined G7” and have invited Kenya instead, citing its role in helping France prepare a major…

Friday March 27, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — More than 40 al-Shabab militants were killed on Thursday when the group tried to reclaim a town recently taken in southern Somalia, according to officials. The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) said the clashes broke out in Mubarak, a strategically placed settlement in the Lower Shabelle region that joint forces from the Somali National Armed Forces and African Union troops seized earlier this month. According to AUSSOM, militants launched an attack on…