West-Africa

By Abdullahi Farah AbdullahiMonday April 13, 2026 1. Hordhac iyo Muhiimadda Shilin Soomaaliga Shilin Soomaaliga, oo ah lacagta rasmiga ah ee Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya tan iyo 1962, wuxuu muddo dheer ka mid ahaa astaamaha ugu waaweyn ee dhaqaalaha dalka. Waxaa lagu bixin jiray mushaaraadka shaqaalaha dowladda, canshuuraha ayaa lagu uruuri jiray, ganacsiguna si caadi ah ayuu ugu socon jiray. Xilli nidaamka maaliyadeed uu lahaa qaab dhisan, Shilinku wuxuu ka tirsanaa lacagaha bulshada iyo ganacsatadu si buuxda ugu…

Monday April 13, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Council of Ministers on Monday named Hussein Qasim Yusuf as the new Director General of the Somali Immigration and Citizenship Agency (ICA), ending Mustaf Sheikh Ali Dhuxulow’s tenure at the helm. The cabinet approved the appointment during its weekly meeting after a recommendation from the Ministry of Internal Security. The government said the leadership change is part of broader reforms designed to reinforce Somalia’s security institutions and improve immigration and…

Monday April 13, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — President Donald Trump has prolonged the U.S. national emergency over Somalia for another year, renewing a policy first put in place in 2010 to confront terrorism, piracy and the chronic instability that has long unsettled the Horn of Africa nation. In a notice dated April 8, 2026, the White House said the emergency, which was due to lapse on April 12, will now stay in force through April 12, 2027. The extension preserves U.S. sanctions and other legal tools intended to curb threats…

Monday April 13, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The Somali Future Council on Sunday issued a sharp warning against politicizing the Somali National Army, saying the country’s security forces must be protected from clan rivalry and partisan pressure if they are to remain effective and credible. In a statement released to coincide with the 66th anniversary of the army’s founding on April 12, the council congratulated servicemen and women and praised their role in defending the nation, preserving unity and helping maintain public…

Polling stations in Benin have officially closed following a significant turnout, with nearly eight million voters participating in the presidential election. Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni is anticipated to emerge as the victor. Patrice Talon, the current president, is concluding his tenure after serving two five-year terms and navigating a coup attempt last December. Talon has publicly supported his 49-year-old finance minister, Wadagni, as his successor to guide the next administration. The primary opposition party,…

Pope Leo XIV will soon undertake a sweeping 18,000-kilometre journey through Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, a packed itinerary that includes 11 speeches and seven masses before his return on 23 April. The trip is designed to spotlight some of the world’s most urgent concerns — from conflict and migration to corruption and human rights — against a backdrop of uncertainty tied to the Middle East war. Leo will make history as the first pope to visit Algeria, where Islam is the state religion. His programme…

A tragic airstrike by the Nigerian military has claimed the lives of numerous individuals, primarily traders, after hitting a village market. This incident unfolded near the border connecting Yobe and Borno states, where the aircraft was reportedly engaged in operations against Islamist militants. According to the Nigerian Air Force, the strikes were part of "mop-up" operations targeting "identified terrorist locations" along the Jilli axis in Borno State. Sources indicate that the fighter jet involved was tracking a group…

The United States is urging its citizens to think twice before traveling to Nigeria, pointing to increasing threats of terrorism, kidnapping, and civil unrest. A recent update from the State Department has identified specific regions within Nigeria that pose heightened risks, placing them under a severe travel warning that advises against all travel to these areas. American citizens are cautioned that violent incidents can erupt suddenly in public venues such as markets, hotels, places of worship, educational institutions,…

Mucahithan AvciogluFriday April 10, 2026 A Turkish deep-sea drilling vessel has reached Somalia, setting in motion what Ankara is calling a “historic mission” and marking Türkiye’s first overseas deep-sea drilling operation, the energy and natural resources minister announced Thursday. “The Cagri Bey (ship) has arrived in Somalia for its historic mission,” Alparslan Bayraktar said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, saying the effort would usher in “a brand-new chapter in the energy history of both Türkiye and…

Friday April 10, 2026 Ethiopian police say Yetbarek Dawit, who is yet to comment on the allegations, was wanted in various countries Mogadishu (AX) — Ethiopian authorities say they have arrested a man accused of running a trafficking ring that moved thousands of migrants, including Somalis, into Libya over a number of years, where many were allegedly tortured, abused and held for ransom. Federal police named the suspect as Yetbarek Dawit, saying he directed a cross-border operation that smuggled more than 3,000 people from…