West-Africa

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOMonday May 4, 2026 Health CS Aden Duale speaking at the event./STEPHEN ASTARIKO Health CS Aden Duale has stepped up pressure for the reopening of the Kenya–Somalia border, saying the decades-old closure is largely a formality that deprives the government of revenue and weakens oversight. Addressing guests at a graduation ceremony at Madarasa Manar in Waberi Ward, Garissa Township, Duale said people continue to move across the frontier even though the crossing points remain officially shut. “The border…

In a bold move to enhance the nation’s energy infrastructure, President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled plans for a significant expansion of Ghana's energy capacity through the development of a new 1,200-megawatt gas-fired power plant. This initiative aims to preempt potential energy shortages that have plagued the country with recent power supply disruptions. During the announcement, Mahama emphasized the pressing need for increased investment in the energy sector, highlighting that when his administration took office in…

Nigerian authorities have announced that their recent discussions with Thamsanqa Mseleku, South Africa's High Commissioner to Nigeria, aimed to "officially express the Nigerian Government's deep concerns" regarding the reported "mistreatment of Nigerian nationals and their enterprises" amidst anti-immigrant demonstrations occurring in South Africa.

Monday May 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) has backed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s call for talks with the Somali Future Council, adding fresh international weight to efforts to ease mounting political tensions as his term nears its end. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, the mission urged all sides to approach the May 10 meeting in Mogadishu with a spirit of compromise and mutual responsibility, saying Somalia’s national interests…

Monday May 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has said that former North Western State of Somalia President Muse Bihi Abdi was prepared, in principle, to discuss Somali unity during mediation efforts in 2020 led by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Speaking in an interview last week, Farmaajo described Abiy Ahmed as deeply involved in trying to bring Somali political figures together, even as Ethiopia’s role in Somali affairs continued to draw suspicion and criticism across the…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Nairobi (AX) — Former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen has declared that he still holds the legitimate mandate to lead the administration, saying he expects to return to the region after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term ends on May 15, 2026. In an interview in Nairobi this week — his first public comments since March 30 — Laftagareen spoke at length about the political standoff in South West State and the circumstances surrounding his departure from Baidoa. Laftagareen…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Sunday unveiled the full calendar for the country’s 2026 regional elections, setting South West State on course to open the voting season later this month. Under the newly announced timetable, South West State will be first to vote. Local council and parliamentary elections are slated for May 10, the election of the state parliament speaker will follow on May 18, and the regional president is due to be chosen on May 23,…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The European Union has welcomed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s invitation to the Somali Future Council for a high-level meeting in Mogadishu on May 10, as political uncertainty deepens with the end of his term approaching. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, Francesca Di Mauro, the EU Ambassador to Somalia, said the bloc backs efforts to build agreement on the country’s electoral path. “The EU in Somalia welcomes President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s invitation to the Future…

Mohamed GabobeSunday May 3, 2026 Gulf of Aden (file photo) An oil tanker has been seized by Somali pirates off Yemen’s coast, according to several Somali security officials who spoke to the BBC. Yemen’s coastguard said earlier that the MT Eureka had been hijacked and was being taken toward Somalia. Security sources said the vessel was overpowered by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, close to the port of Qana. The attackers are understood to have left a remote stretch of coastline near the seaside town of Qandala, on the Gulf of…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s opposition leaders say the country is drifting into dangerous political territory, warning that an approaching electoral transition could trigger a constitutional showdown. At a press conference in Mogadishu on Saturday, the politicians said they had spent recent days consulting widely with traditional elders, scholars, women, young people, media figures, and civil society activists about the country’s political climate and the road to elections. “We agreed to safeguard the…