Eye on Africa

Climate finance training for Somali banks signals shift toward private-sector climate action in Mogadishu MOGADISHU — Somalia’s banking sector took its first coordinated step into climate finance on Sunday, as the National Climate Fund (NCF) and the Somali Bankers Association (SBA) convened the country’s inaugural training on how lenders can access, structure, and deploy climate capital. Held in Mogadishu, the workshop introduced senior banking professionals to the global climate finance architecture — the funds, rules and…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s push to unlock climate finance moved a step forward Sunday as the National Climate Fund (NCF), in partnership with the Somali Bankers Association (SBA), held the country’s first climate finance training for Somali banks in Mogadishu. The session introduced bank executives and risk, credit, and product teams to the global climate finance architecture — how major international climate funds operate and where opportunities exist for Somalia’s private sector. It also served as a peer forum for…

AfDB approves $76.37 million in additional financing to boost Somalia’s road corridors, cross-border trade Sunday December 14, 2025 The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved $76.37 million in additional financing for Somalia’s Road Infrastructure Program, strengthening a key segment of the Horn of Africa corridor linking Somalia with Ethiopia and Djibouti and aimed at accelerating regional trade and integration. In a statement issued Thursday, the bank said the program is designed to “stimulate cross-border…

MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud urged Mogadishu residents to turn out for the Banadir local council elections later this month, calling the vote a historic step toward one-person, one-vote democracy and the first time in nearly 57 years that citizens will directly choose their local leaders. Speaking Saturday after collecting his own voter card, Mohamud framed the December ballot as both a civic right and a personal responsibility with tangible consequences for daily life in the capital. “You choose who…

Turkey starts building Somalia spaceport, a strategic equatorial launch site drawing global scrutiny Turkey has begun constructing a satellite and rocket launch site on Somalia’s Indian Ocean coast, a bold step that Ankara says will accelerate its space ambitions and that outside observers say is already drawing intense attention from rival powers. The spaceport — publicly backed by Baykar chairman Selçuk Bayraktar — is being developed under Turkish state authority on a roughly 30-by-30-kilometer coastal tract. Turkish…

Vermont school district deluged with threats after raising Somali flag in show of support WINOOSKI, Vt. — A small Vermont school district has been hit with racist and threatening calls and messages after flying a Somali flag on campus to support Somali American students following President Donald Trump’s remarks referring to Minnesota’s Somali community as “garbage.” The Winooski School District began displaying the Somali flag on Dec. 5 outside its K-12 building, placing it beneath the U.S. flag and alongside Vermont’s…

DHOBLEY, Somalia — Kenya’s deputy army commander, Maj. Gen. Mohamed Hassan, wrapped up a two-day operational visit to Kenya Defence Forces troops deployed in Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, delivering a message of discipline, vigilance and troop welfare as the mission supports Somalia’s security transition against al-Shabab. Hassan inspected positions at the Dhobley Main Operating Base and forward locations in Afmadhow, Beles Qoqani, Tabda and Hoosingo on Dec. 9 and 10. He…

UN Initiatives for Peace Talks in Sudan The United Nations is poised to initiate peace negotiations in Geneva to address Sudan's ongoing conflict. Secretary-General António Guterres announced this diplomatic stride, signaling hope for resolution amid the turmoil. UN aims to restart communication between warring factions. Talks follow a prolonged stalemate with severe civilian impact. The timeline for discussions remains unconfirmed. Escalating Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis Since April 2023, Sudan has been…

Kenya’s High Court on Thursday temporarily halted a $1.6 billion Kenya–U.S. Health Cooperation Framework, citing privacy concerns over the transfer of Kenyans’ medical and epidemiological data. Justice Bahati Mwamuye issued conservatory orders after the Consumers Federation of Kenya petitioned the court to stop implementation until the state provides safeguards for how sensitive health information would be handled. In an interim ruling, the judge paused any move by the State Law Office, the Senate and other government…

Congolese Electoral Commission Urges Voter Verification Ahead of 2026 Presidential Election The electoral commission in the Republic of Congo is urging registered voters to verify their names on the provisional voter's roll in preparation for the upcoming presidential elections. This call to action is accompanied by banners displayed throughout Brazzaville, highlighting the critical nature of this verification process. As the nation gears up for the 2026 presidential election, President Denis Sassou Nguesso, now 81 years…