West Africa

Somalia’s ‘Iron Rock’ Vanishes: A Village Relic, a Scientific Marvel, and a Global Tug of War In a quiet river valley of central Somalia, children once clambered over a vast iron boulder and pretended it was a horse. Elders told stories about it. Knife-makers chipped off slivers to sharpen their blades. They called it Shiid-birood—the iron rock. It was part landmark, part myth, and, as it turns out, a relic from deep time: a 13.6-metric-ton meteorite shaped by primordial collisions that predate life on Earth. Today, the…

U.S. military chiefs visit North Western State of Somalia as Congress advances bill to deepen engagement HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Senior U.S. military officials overseeing East Africa operations met Monday with North Western State of Somalia’s new president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, in a rare high-level visit to Hargeisa that dovetailed with fresh momentum in Washington to widen America’s ties with the self-governing territory. The talks — which both sides described as focused on security…

U.S. military chiefs visit North Western State of Somalia as Congress advances bill to deepen engagement HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Senior U.S. military officials overseeing East Africa operations met Monday with North Western State of Somalia’s new president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, in a rare high-level visit to Hargeisa that dovetailed with fresh momentum in Washington to widen America’s ties with the self-governing territory. The talks — which both sides described as focused on security…

Somalia Welcomes Egypt’s Security Pledge — and Steps Onto a Narrow Diplomatic Tightrope Mogadishu’s new embrace from Cairo comes as the Nile dispute looms and Ethiopia watches closely Somalia’s leaders have a way of smiling through storms. In Mogadishu this week, officials welcomed Egypt’s renewed pledge to back the country’s security and state-building — a gesture with history behind it and geopolitics baked into it. On paper, it is straightforward: Cairo says it will support the new African Union Support and…

Analysis: Somalia’s Fractured Politics Meet Red Sea Power Plays On a humid September evening in Mogadishu, a handshake meant for the cameras never happened. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had hoped to sit down with Jubbaland leader Ahmed Mohamed Islam, better known as Ahmed Madobe, before flying to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Kenya, a frequent mediator in Somali politics, had quietly worked the phones to make it happen. But at the last moment, the meeting fell apart, after opposition figures urged…

Reflections on Guinea's Constitutional Reform: A Prelude to Power? As the sun rose over Guinea on a recent morning, streets that typically buzz with vibrant life grappled with a quiet tension. The nation prepared to vote on a constitutional referendum that, if passed, could dramatically reshape its political landscape. The stakes, however, seem weighted against the spirit of democracy. A Shift in Governance Proposed changes to Guinea’s constitution would extend presidential terms from five to seven years and open the door…

Kenya’s Somali Vote Emerges as 2027 Kingmaker — and a Test of the Country’s Coalitions On a blustery afternoon in Mandera, near the triple border where Kenya meets Ethiopia and Somalia, the political message was as direct as the dusty road to the venue: the Somali community will count, perhaps more than ever, in the 2027 election. Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, a seasoned operative known for his sharp tongue and long-time loyalty to opposition leader Raila Odinga, stood alongside President William Ruto and said the quiet part…

Kenya’s Mudavadi warns AI is reshaping the terror threat. The question is: Are we ready? The warning from New York On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi offered a stark message: artificial intelligence is no longer a distant technology story. It’s a security story—and a fast-moving one. “AI tools could be used to generate propaganda, manipulate information through deepfakes, automate recruitment messaging, or support cyber-enabled…

Ramla Ali’s Homecoming: A Boxer’s Quiet Power in a Country Finding Its Feet At Aden Adde International Airport, where the palm fronds sway and the wind blows in from the Indian Ocean, a ripple of applause rolled down the arrivals hall. Flag-waving fans pressed forward, mothers hoisted toddlers onto their hips, and the noise swelled into a chant for a fighter who once trained in secret. Ramla Ali—Somalia’s first Olympic boxer and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador—was back in Mogadishu. On Sunday, the 35-year-old featherweight…

Somalia’s Deputy Foreign Minister meets Sen. Ted Cruz as North Western State of Somalia recognition debate intensifies On a quiet Saturday in Washington, a meeting that might have passed as routine diplomacy was anything but. Somalia’s deputy foreign minister, Ali Omar Ali—widely known by his nickname, Balcad—sat down with Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and has emerged as one of the most vocal advocates in Washington for recognizing North Western State of…