West-Africa

Mali's military leader, Assimi Goïta, has stepped into the role of defense minister following the death of Sadio Camara, who was killed in a suspected suicide bombing amidst a spate of coordinated assaults. Goïta is poised to take over the defense portfolio in the wake of this tragic event. The nation is grappling with a severe security crisis, more than a week after a coalition of jihadists and separatist insurgents launched extensive attacks across the country. This operation, spearheaded by the Azawad Liberation Front…

By Pranav Baskar and Matthew Mpoke BiggMonday May 4, 2026 A brazen seizure off Yemen has renewed fears that Somali pirates are regaining their footing — and raised fresh suspicions that they may be operating alongside Iran-backed Houthi rebels amid upheaval across the Middle East. Maritime police forces from the Puntland State region of Somalia patrolling the Gulf of Aden last year.Credit...Feisal Omar/Reuters Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker off Yemen’s coast on Saturday and steered it into Somali waters, authorities…

By Khadar M LeyliMonday May 4, 2026 Symbiotic Antagonists  A familiar political pattern is unfolding around Somali Regional State President Mustafa Omer: longtime rivals are setting aside their own enmities for one purpose only — to attack him. What brings together this uneasy alliance is not a common blueprint for Ethiopia or for the Somali Region, but a shared determination to tarnish a leader they regard as an obstacle to their ambitions.  This coalition of symbiotic antagonists — TPLF loyalists still bitter over their…

Monday May 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali Police Force Commander General Asad Osman Abdullahi on Monday hosted a senior Turkish delegation in Mogadishu, in a meeting centered on expanding security cooperation between the two countries. Officials said the talks were aimed at deepening bilateral ties in the security field, with a particular focus on training initiatives and efforts to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Somali Police Force, including its elite Haramcad unit. The meeting comes amid continuing efforts…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOMonday May 4, 2026 Alex Njiru, their chairperson Christian community in Garissa./STEPHEN ASTARIKO Non-local community leaders in Garissa have sharply criticised politicians they accuse of stoking tensions and turning recent killings into ammunition for tribal blame games. The leaders spoke after the death of a taxi driver in Garissa and a bandit attack in Tseikuru, Mwingi, which left eight people dead. At a press briefing in Garissa on Sunday, they said politicians have direct access to top government…

Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate who represented the Labour Party, has officially parted ways with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a political organization he joined in December 2025. He cites a deteriorating political landscape characterized by both external meddling and internal discord, emphasizing that his departure is not due to any personal conflicts with ADC leaders. Obi characterized the current national political environment as "increasingly toxic," highlighting a pervasive atmosphere of…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOMonday May 4, 2026 Health CS Aden Duale speaking at the event./STEPHEN ASTARIKO Health CS Aden Duale has stepped up pressure for the reopening of the Kenya–Somalia border, saying the decades-old closure is largely a formality that deprives the government of revenue and weakens oversight. Addressing guests at a graduation ceremony at Madarasa Manar in Waberi Ward, Garissa Township, Duale said people continue to move across the frontier even though the crossing points remain officially shut. “The border…

In a bold move to enhance the nation’s energy infrastructure, President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled plans for a significant expansion of Ghana's energy capacity through the development of a new 1,200-megawatt gas-fired power plant. This initiative aims to preempt potential energy shortages that have plagued the country with recent power supply disruptions. During the announcement, Mahama emphasized the pressing need for increased investment in the energy sector, highlighting that when his administration took office in…

Nigerian authorities have announced that their recent discussions with Thamsanqa Mseleku, South Africa's High Commissioner to Nigeria, aimed to "officially express the Nigerian Government's deep concerns" regarding the reported "mistreatment of Nigerian nationals and their enterprises" amidst anti-immigrant demonstrations occurring in South Africa.

Monday May 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) has backed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s call for talks with the Somali Future Council, adding fresh international weight to efforts to ease mounting political tensions as his term nears its end. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, the mission urged all sides to approach the May 10 meeting in Mogadishu with a spirit of compromise and mutual responsibility, saying Somalia’s national interests…