West Africa

Las Anod — The newly formed Northeastern State of Somalia on Thursday welcomed the Federal Parliament’s approval of a revised national constitution, calling the move a significant step toward strengthening Somalia’s federal system and clarifying the country’s governance framework. In a statement issued by its Ministry of Justice, Religious Affairs and Constitutional Affairs, the regional administration congratulated both the House of the People and the Upper House for completing a long-delayed review. The ministry described…

Iran–Israel war redraws the Horn of Africa’s security map The joint United States–Israeli strikes on Iran last week, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior security officials, have vaulted the Middle East into a wider war with immediate spillover risks for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. Iran has hit Israel and several Arab states that host U.S. military facilities — the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan — while Hezbollah’s barrage from Lebanon…

South Africa’s government on Monday urged citizens stranded in the Middle East to “take immediate advantage” of the resumption of limited commercial flights out of the region, while Kenya Airways announced special repatriation services between Nairobi and Dubai to help passengers displaced by days of attacks. The moves follow a period of disruptions that left many travelers unable to leave and prompted several African governments to coordinate emergency measures. South African officials appealed to nationals in affected…

Tinubu Suspends Cashless Payment System at Nigerian Airports President Bola Tinubu has directed Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo to suspend the cashless payment system recently implemented by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at major airports, including those in Lagos and Abuja. The decision comes in response to widespread complaints from travelers who reported long queues and delays caused by the new system. Reflecting on the situation, Keyamo stated that the president emphasized the importance of…

Somalia’s Olympic Committee accuses sports minister of interference, escalating power struggle in Mogadishu MOGADISHU — Somalia’s National Olympic Committee on Wednesday accused the country’s sports minister of attempting to disrupt its work and interfere in the administration of national sports, deepening a public rift between two institutions at the heart of Somali athletics. In a statement, the Olympic body alleged the minister orchestrated “fake contacts” to undermine its operations and tried to take control of its…

‘No school, no food’: Drought pushes Bay region children out of class and into Baidoa’s camps BAIDOA, Somalia — At night in a camp on the edge of this bustling regional capital, Hassan Isaq Sabri counts his children as they file into borrowed huts to sleep. The adults bed down outside. By morning, he will borrow 20 liters of water from neighbors and begin the daylong search for a meal — and for a way to keep his four school-age children from slipping further behind. “My children had a good education before,” said Hassan, 55,…

Somalia, U.S. open high-level trade talks in Mogadishu, eye energy and critical minerals amid rising offshore interest Wednesday March 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia and the United States held high-level talks in the capital on Tuesday to expand bilateral trade and investment, with a sharp focus on energy and critical minerals, officials said. The meeting — formally convened inside Somalia for the first time — was cast by both sides as a marker of growing confidence in the country’s security and economic trajectory. The…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal parliament on Wednesday approved a revised constitution, formally ending more than a decade under a provisional charter and marking a significant step in the country’s turbulent state-building project. In a rare joint sitting of the House of the People and the Upper House, 223 lawmakers voted in favor of the amended text — 186 members of the lower house and 37 senators — with no votes recorded against. The tally reflected an opposition boycott rather than unanimity across the political…

Land Disputes in Liberia: A Growing Crisis Officials from the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) have issued a grave warning that unresolved land disputes across the country could spiral into widespread conflict. This statement was made during a recent hearing before lawmakers regarding the alarming surge in land-related tensions affecting various communities. LLA Vice Chairperson Joe K. Williams emphasized that the current disputes represent "only a fraction" of what may unfold if the government does not take swift and…

Somali ministers from Puntland State resign after parliament approves constitutional overhaul MOGADISHU, Somalia — Two Somali federal state ministers from Puntland State resigned Wednesday in protest after lawmakers approved a revised national constitution, escalating a standoff between Mogadishu and regional leaders. Aynaashe Yusuf Hussein, state minister for labor and social affairs, and Ismail Buraale, state minister for petroleum and minerals, announced they were stepping down from their cabinet posts shortly after a…