East Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Journalists' freedom in Somalia may be far from achieved after all, even with the recent appointment of a special prosecutor, who will look into the atrocities suffered by journalists, and despite frequent assurances from President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo himself. During a roundtable on the country's upcoming elections on Saturday night, Farmajo fired warning shots at journalists accusing them of lacking journalism knowledge and experience, in a statement that secretly exposes the strained…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's parliament on Saturday approved the electoral deal ending months of wrangling that almost threatened to disintegrate the country, in another dramatic occasion that would definitively define the nation's future political realignments. Ahead of the historic bicameral chamber session, there were concerns that Parliament would sabotage the implementation of the deal, after months of disagreements between the Senate and the Lower House, who were heavily divided over the quest to resolve the…

Two months after the sinking of a Japanese ship in Mauritius, the first overview of the consequences of the oil spill on biodiversity. It will take several months to assess the impact of the 1,000 tonnes of fuel spilled on the coral reef. Also on land, oil spills can have consequences, especially for two bird species that are already in danger. The water in the lagoon is petrol blue. Two months after the oil spill that hit Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, "we sometimes find oil products on the surface," said Vikash Tatayah,…

In Madagascar, we are measuring the impact of Covid-19's crisis on education. Civil society raised this issue during an online debate this Saturday, September 26th. For six months, classes have been suspended on the Big Island, except for graduate class students, to prevent the spread of coronavirus. With our correspondent in…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Several Al-Shabaab militants were killed in fragile Lower Shabelle on Friday, state media reported in ongoing operations targeting the Al-Qaida-linked group which is terrorizing security forces, civilians and even operatives audience in Somalia for decades. State media say the Somali national army killed 16 al-Shabaab militants in Barire, further weakening the authority of the country, which has suffered insecurity for two years, killing hundreds and more. seriously injured. Reports indicate…

KHARTOUM - Sudan does not want to link its removal from the list of American terrorism which hinders access to foreign funding for the country's economy with the normalization of relations with Israel, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said on Saturday. Sources said this week that US officials have indicated in discussions with a Sudanese delegation that they want Khartoum to follow the UAE and Bahrain and open relations with Israel. Sudan's designation as a sponsor state of terrorism dates back to its ousted leader…

In Madagascar, about thirty opposition political parties met on Friday 25 September at the Panorama Hotel in the center of the capital Antananarivo. Among them the TIM party of former President Marc Ravalomanana and the HVM of the outgoing head of state Hery Rajaonarimampianina. The latter rejects the holding of the senatorial election on 11 December 2020. An election that they consider constitutional and hasty, especially because several municipalities do not have large voters, and because validation of the executive…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - U.S.-trained Danab forces recaptured a strategic city in the hostile Lower Shabelle region on Friday, officials said in a statement, in a huge success against the militants, who wreaked havoc on the nation of the Horn of Africa in recent years. Reports indicate that the military team under the command of Danab, a contingent of the Somali National Army , stormed Mubarak's region in Lower Shabelle and successfully flushed out the militants, who controlled the key city which is a major supply…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Al-Qaeda ally in Somalia, Al-Shabab claims to have publicly executed two men on Friday afternoon accused of spying for a regional intelligence agency and a soldier in the Hiran region, in the center of the country. The terror group announced the killings on its affiliated online media, claiming they were carried out by a firing squad in a public square in the strategic town of Buq Aqable, an al-Shabaab stronghold in the state. federal government of HirShabelle. The two men - Abas Mohamed accused of…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's parliament votes today on an electoral deal reached between President Farmajo and the leaders of the country's federal states on September 17 in Mogadishu following discussions under pressure from the US embassy. The political deal is expected to gain support from MPs in both lower and upper houses, with sources indicating that First Vice President Abdiweli Mudey is against the pact and is campaigning for the amendment. If the deal passes, the government, together with the federal…