West-Africa

In a significant legislative move, the House of Representatives has granted approval for President Bola Tinubu's proposal to secure an external loan of $516.3 million aimed at constructing key segments of the Sokoto-Badagry superhighway. This ambitious project, spanning approximately 1,000 kilometers, is set to connect the states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos, commencing in Illela, Sokoto, and culminating in Badagry, Lagos. This green light comes on the heels of robust recommendations from various…

Wednesday April 29, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is poised to widen its seafood exports after China unveiled a zero-tariff policy for imports from 53 African countries, a move that could reshape the country’s fisheries sector and give a lift to economic growth. The policy, which takes effect on May 1, will allow Somali marine products to enter Chinese markets duty-free, removing a major obstacle that has long held back direct trade. Fisheries Minister Ahmed Hassan Aden said the arrangement opens a direct route to one of…

Wednesday April 29, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — South West State’s elections for the House of Representatives and local councils have been pushed back after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission granted political parties more time to complete candidate submissions. In a statement released Tuesday, the commission said parties had requested an extension on April 23 to finish the registration process for candidates. It added that it met with party leaders on April 25 at its headquarters to discuss the request. The…

Monday April 27, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — As tensions persist between Somalia’s federal government and opposition leaders, civil society groups are backing a familiar force in Somali politics: traditional elders. At a press conference in Mogadishu on Sunday, Osman Moalim Shatax, chairman of a coalition of non-state actors, said civil society supports appeals from both sides to bring elders into the mediation process. Shatax said the elders are in a strong position to help restore confidence and steer the country toward a…

Tuesday April 28, 2026 A cargo ship is seen in a port in central Mogadishu Suspected pirates have seized a cargo vessel off Somalia, according to officials and maritime security groups, in what appears to be the latest sign that insecurity is returning to waters once notorious for such attacks. The reported hijacking on Monday was the second off Somalia in less than a week. The target was the Sward, a St Kitts and Nevis-flagged ship carrying cement from Suez, Egypt, to the Kenyan port city of Mombasa. The incident comes at…

By Margaret KalekyeTuesday April 28, 2026 A Somali national has been convicted and jailed for belonging to the terrorist group Al-Shabaab. Abdikarim Hassanow Hassan, also known as Ali, was sentenced on Monday by the Kahawa magistrates’ court after the Director of Public Prosecutions called four witnesses. The court handed Hassanow 10 years’ imprisonment for membership in Al-Shabaab, and a further 10 years for organising a meeting in support of a terrorist group. He was also given 10 years for radicalisation, another 10…

Tuesday April 28, 2026 The third annual Somali Day at the Capitol drew together Somali community members, leaders and advocates in a show of unity at the State Capitol. The rally focused on major concerns facing Somali-Minnesotans, including education, access to healthcare, workforce development and civil rights, underscoring how those issues shape daily life across the community.

Tuesday April 28, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — North Western State of Somalia’s Guurti, the upper house of elders, has voted to extend the mandates of the local councils and the House of Representatives by 27 months, a decision that is expected to intensify arguments over the region’s election timetable and political direction. The measure passed on Tuesday with overwhelming support, as 71 of the 72 members present backed the extension. The move pushes the terms of the two institutions out by more than two years. Under North…

Tuesday April 28, 2026 Nairobi (AX) — A Kenyan court has authorized investigators to hold a Somali female political aspirant from Garissa County for 10 days as they pursue allegations of hate speech and incitement to violence, authorities said Monday. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said Bare Sahara Ahmed is being detained at Kilimani Police Station after the Chief Magistrate’s Court at Kahawa Law Courts in Nairobi approved the request. Investigators said the extra time is needed to examine digital material,…

Tuesday April 28, 2026 Sa’dia Moalim Ali, a Somali tuktuk driver at the centre of a political storm after her arrest during protests opposing evictions in Mogadishu. Mogadishu (AX) — Amnesty International is demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Sadia Moalim Ali, a 27-year-old tuk-tuk driver and social activist who has been held in Mogadishu since earlier this month without formal charges. Ali, widely known as “Sadia Bajaj,” was taken into custody on April 12 in Hodan district by officers from the National…