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Eye on Africa

Somalia and Turkey maintain strong ties despite rising criticism

By Ambassador Fathudin Ali OspiteWednesday April 8, 2026 Xiriirka Soomaaliya iyo Turkiga waxa uu ku taagan yahay wax ka badan hadal iyo heshiisyo lagu dhawaaqo; waxa uu ku dhisan yahay natiijo la arki karo. Waa iskaashi muddo lagu soo tijaabiyey, ku saleysan kalsooni, isla markaana si dhab ah u saameeyey nolosha dadka. Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya iyo Jamhuuriyadda Turkiga waxay leeyihiin mid ka mid ah iskaashiyada laba geesoodka ah ee ugu adag uguna saamaynta badan ee maanta ka muuqda masraxa caalamiga ah. Xilli…

Puntland State president orders forces on high alert over security threats

Wednesday April 8, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni has placed the region’s security forces on full alert, citing a mix of threats that he said range from terrorism and piracy to infiltration from within. Addressing senior officers and troops on Monday in Qardho district, Deni said Puntland State was fighting what he called a “just war” to protect its people and its territory. “Puntland State is waging a just war to defend its people and its land,” Deni said. “We will not give our forces wrong…

Multi-agency team seizes suspected Al-Shabaab uniforms during Eastleigh crackdown

By Manuel NtoyaiWednesday April 8, 2026 A sweeping security raid in Nairobi has uncovered what investigators suspect is a dangerous terror supply line, after officers seized dozens of bales of alleged Al-Shabaab combat uniforms concealed in Eastleigh. The nighttime, intelligence-driven operation around the busy KBS Garage area brought together a multi-agency team led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Starehe and the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU), who moved in on a consignment thought to be part of a broader…

Intimidation Allegations Mar Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Hearings Across the Country

Zimbabwe’s human rights watchdog has warned that public hearings on proposed constitutional changes are being undermined by intimidation and the exclusion of critics, with opponents of the bill reportedly singled out. The Zimbabwean Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) noted strong turnout at the sessions and praised Parliament for widely promoting the hearings and inviting written submissions. However, it flagged serious risks to participants’ safety. Commission Chairperson Jessie Majome said that "whilst those in support...…

Macky Sall’s UN Candidacy Challenges African Union Diplomacy Efforts

The aspirations of former Senegalese President Macky Sall to ascend to the role of UN Secretary-General have hit an impasse following the African Union's (AU) decision to withhold formal endorsement. On March 27, the AU announced that 20 out of its 55 member nations either opposed Sall's candidacy or sought an extension on the tightly constrained 24-hour deadline. Djiby Sow, a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), emphasized that this outcome does not reflect discord among African nations. Instead,…

Türkiye rejects claim Turkish defense system in Iran struck U.S. aircraft

Monday April 6, 2026 Türkiye is pushing back hard against an online attempt to tie it to the downing of a U.S. F-15 fighter jet over Iran, with the country’s official anti-disinformation body saying the claims are part of a broader campaign to draw Ankara into the war. The Directorate of Communication’s Center for Combating Disinformation dismissed allegations that Turkish air-defense systems shot down a U.S. F-15 and that Ankara is arming Iran with advanced anti-aircraft and UAV missiles. In a statement on…

Dispute erupts in Baidoa over parliamentary seat HOP204 election

Wednesday April 8, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A fresh political row has broken out over seat HOP204 in Somalia’s House of the People after incumbent lawmaker Isaaq Ali Subag said the post was put to vote while he was still serving in office and had never stepped down. The indirect election, held Tuesday in Baidoa, produced Minister of Ports and Maritime Transport Abdulqadir Mohamed Nur Jama as the winner with 96 votes from delegates. But the result has quickly raised questions about whether the seat was properly declared vacant…

Thousands of families displaced by conflict in South West state

Wednesday April 8, 2026 IDP mother and her children find shelter in IDP camp/File Photo A fresh wave of fighting in southern Somalia’s Bay region has driven thousands of families — including people already uprooted before — into parched rural communities where food, safe water and shelter are in painfully short supply. Gudey Abdullahi Malin, a mother of eight, told Radio Ergo that she fled her home in Baidoa with her children after violence broke out in her area in late March. She is now living in Buula Gedisoy village,…

Rwanda Marks Kwibuka 32 as Kagame Condemns Historical Distortion

President Paul Kagame issued a stark warning against genocide denial and the rewriting of history, insisting that the record of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi is incontrovertible and not open to erasure. He dismissed narratives portraying the killings as a spontaneous eruption. Kagame noted that the historical record has been firmly established by international tribunals and Rwanda’s Gacaca court process, which generated millions of case files nationwide. He also underscored that clear warnings were available before…

Namibia’s New Deputy Ministers Draw Backlash Over Budget Costs

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s move to appoint seven new deputy ministers has drawn swift criticism from political analysts and opposition figures, who argue the decision will meaningfully inflate government spending. They describe the plan as poorly conceived, saying it places fresh strain on the national budget. Each of the seven deputies will earn N$65 000 a month — N$780 000 a year — adding nearly N$1.7 million annually to the wage bill for public office bearers. Critics also questioned whether the appointees can…