From the stage of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, President Paul Kagame delivered a sharp critique of global sanctions, saying they are wielded unevenly and weaponized against weaker states. He argued that the way sanctions are imposed reflects raw power rather than justice, advantaging countries with greater strategic or economic clout. During a session moderated by CNN anchor and correspondent Eleni Giokos, African leaders were pressed on how they are navigating escalating geopolitical strains — from disputed mineral…

Friday May 15, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia on Friday received 25 tons of food aid from Russia, a timely delivery as conflict, drought and deepening food insecurity continue to drive humanitarian needs across the country. The handover took place in Mogadishu during a ceremony attended by Information Minister Abdifatah Qasim Mohamud, Somali Disaster Management Agency Chairman Mohamud Moalin Abdulle and Russia’s ambassador to Somalia and Djibouti. Mohamud said the support arrived at a crucial moment for families and…

by Frankline Oduor Friday May 15, 2026 President William Ruto has laid out the reasons the Kenya-Somalia border remains sealed 15 years after it was first shut, even after he said earlier this year that reopening would begin in April. In an interview with France 24 on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Ruto said the plan was thrown off course by a fresh wave of instability inside Somalia. He said Kenya had initially made headway with the Somali federal government, but the process unraveled as tensions…

By Aaron RossFriday May 15, 2026 A security officer keeps watch as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, not pictured, visits a camp for internally displaced Somali people in Baidoa, Somalia, on April 29, 2026. In drought-stricken parts of the country, clinics treating severely malnourished children have been forced to turn away patients and ration supplies after shipping disruptions linked to the Iran war cut off vital therapeutic foods. REUTERS/Feisal…

In a troubling escalation of public health concerns, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that the Lassa fever outbreak has claimed 191 lives nationwide. As the number of infections continues to rise, health officials are sounding the alarm over widespread cases emerging in numerous states. This year, at least one confirmed case of Lassa fever has been identified in 23 states, affecting 106 local government areas. Alarmingly, five states—Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Benue—are responsible for…

Friday May 15, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s National Independent Human Rights Commission has raised alarm over the prolonged detention of Sadio Moallim Ali, saying she has spent more than a month in Mogadishu Central Prison without being tried. In a May 13 statement, the commission said it had visited the facility on April 29 to examine Ali’s detention conditions and review her legal and humanitarian circumstances. The commission said its delegation met with Correctional Service officials, prison administrators, Ali and…

Friday May 15, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Agency has announced a major shift in passport rules, saying applicants will soon need a national identity card or proof of registration before they can apply. Starting July 1, 2026, Somali citizens who do not hold a National Identification and Registration Authority card, known as a NIRA ID, or a certificate confirming registration will no longer be eligible to submit a passport application, the agency said Thursday. “Anyone who does not have a…

By Ariba ShahidThursday May 14, 2026 Families of the Pakistani hostage crew members of the Oil Products Tanker the HONOUR 25 that was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, hold placards during a protest, calling the government to take immediate action for the safe return of their loved ones, in Karachi, Pakistan May 13, 2026. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro Purchase Licensing Rights In Karachi on Wednesday, Ambreen Fatima stood with her children and pleaded for the release of her husband, one of 10 Pakistani crew members…

Thursday May 14, 2026 In the town of Afdub, in Ethiopia’s Somali region, residents have gone through multiple missed rainy seasons and now rely on a private water supplier.Ethiopia 2026. ©Roza Bekele/MSF Humanitarian conditions are worsening fast across Ethiopia’s Somali region and nearby border areas, where drought and displacement are combining to drive up malnutrition and deepen water shortages, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned, saying shrinking aid budgets are making a bad situation even harder to manage. MSF said…

By Morgan PhillipsThursday May 14, 2026 When President Donald Trump heads to China this week with hundreds of aides, security personnel and officials in tow, many of them will intentionally leave one of the most familiar tools of public life at home: their everyday cellphones. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) As Trump and his delegation prepare for the trip, U.S. officials are once again relying on tightly controlled communications practices meant to reduce the chances of surveillance, hacking or unwanted data collection in a…