West Africa

In a stunning display of skill and strategy, the global football landscape shifted dramatically on January 22, 2026. Major matches across different leagues provided fans with electrifying moments, altering league standings and igniting discussions about upcoming tournaments. At the heart of these matches was the highly anticipated clash between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga. As is tradition, the infamous El Clásico was more than just a battle for points but also a clash of iconic legacies. Barcelona secured a…

Analysis: At Davos, Trump’s remarks about Somali migrants signal a familiar pattern — rhetoric that shapes policy President Donald Trump’s jab at Somali migrants on the World Economic Forum stage in Davos did more than provoke outrage. It fit a years-long pattern in which inflammatory language about Black and African diasporas is paired with restrictive immigration moves — a feedback loop with real policy and political consequences in places like Minnesota, Maine and beyond. Before a crowd of foreign dignitaries and…

MOGADISHU — The Intergovernmental Authority on Development on Wednesday welcomed Somalia’s ratification of the new IGAD Treaty, calling it a significant step toward stronger regional cooperation and integration across the Horn of Africa. Somalia’s House of the People approved the treaty by show of hands after the agreement was presented by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ali Omar Balcad, who urged lawmakers to endorse it as essential to the country’s regional engagement and political stability. According to Speaker…

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026 HARGEISA — North Western State of Somalia security forces killed two suspected gunmen and arrested several others in a planned operation in the Salal region on Wednesday, days after the killing of two civilians triggered a manhunt and heightened security measures, the military said. Two suspected attackers were killed; four others were wounded in the clash Several suspects arrested and illegal weapons, including AK-47 rifles, seized Operation conducted in the Indho-Biraale area of Salal following…

Gunmen Kidnap Worshippers from Churches in Kaduna State, Nigeria Authorities in Nigeria's Kaduna State have confirmed that gunmen kidnapped scores of worshippers from three churches on Sunday, reversing an earlier denial of the incident. This distressing event has sparked outrage and fear within the local communities, highlighting ongoing security challenges in the region. The Kaduna Police Commissioner initially dismissed the reports of the kidnappings as "falsehoods peddled by conflict entrepreneurs" seeking to "cause…

Former First Lady's Foundation Ordered to Surrender Records Amid Investigation A court has ordered the Clar Hope Foundation, owned by former First Lady Clar Marie Weah, to surrender its administrative and financial records concerning the construction of the foundation's massive complex outside Monrovia. The order follows a request from the government's Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT), which is investigating allegations that illicit funds were used to finance the sprawling facility—a claim the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The United States has offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the identification or capture of those responsible for an attack targeting U.S. military personnel and property at Kismayo International Airport in southern Somalia, officials said Wednesday. The offer was announced under the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program and follows an assault claimed by the al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabab. The attack involved rockets and mortar shells fired at U.S. and…

MOGADISHU — Former Somali Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments Omar Ali Rooble accused federal security forces of raiding and demolishing parts of his family home in Mogadishu late Monday, alleging the operation was a politically motivated land grab tied to senior government figures, including President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. In a statement released Tuesday, Rooble said troops accompanied by demolition equipment arrived in a convoy of military vehicles and moved to seize a property he maintains legally belongs to his…

Somalia is sliding deeper into a health and nutrition emergency as failed rainy seasons, soaring water prices and sharp humanitarian funding cuts fuel a surge in malnutrition and preventable disease, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned Tuesday. MSF teams report rising numbers of children arriving at overcrowded displacement camps and health facilities in critical condition with severe acute malnutrition or illnesses such as measles, diphtheria and acute watery diarrhoea — conditions that vaccination and clean water can…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has welcomed an appellate ruling that clears the way for the country’s elected representatives to take their seats in the East African Legislative Assembly, ending months of legal uncertainty over Somalia’s participation in the regional body. In a statement issued Tuesday, the ministry congratulated the nine lawmakers chosen by Somalia’s Federal Parliament to represent the country in EALA, calling the court’s decision a key step toward…