Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has lodged a formal protest with his South African counterpart after widely shared videos purportedly showing xenophobic assaults on Ghanaian nationals sparked outrage online. Calling the footage “extremely disturbing,” Ablakwa pressed South African authorities to act swiftly. “The South African Foreign Minister has expressed empathy with the victims and promised full-scale investigations into these depressing incidents,” Ablakwa said on social media. He added that…

By Mohamed OladThursday April 23, 2026 With Ethiopia’s 7th National Elections just days away, the political temperature in the Somali Regional State is rising fast. In that charged atmosphere, old networks tied to the Abdi Iley era — including some of his former close advisers — and a diaspora faction of the ONLF have turned to smear politics as their chosen weapon. Their campaign against President Mustafa Omer has grown increasingly loud, multilingual, and contradictory, revealing more about the tactics of its authors than…

A last-minute diplomatic tussle has grounded Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s planned trip to Eswatini, with Taipei accusing Beijing of leaning on other nations to deny overflight permissions—an action it condemned as a breach of international norms and a risk to aviation safety. Taiwan said Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar withdrew Lai’s flight clearances under “intense pressure” and economic coercion from China. Beijing rejected the coercion claim and instead lauded the three Indian Ocean countries, saying it held…

Thursday April 23, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia has renewed its sharp condemnation of Iran’s recent attacks on Arab countries, voicing unequivocal backing for Gulf and regional governments and urging a united front to safeguard Middle East stability. Deputy Foreign Minister Hasan Mohamed Ali set out Somalia’s position at an extraordinary ministerial session of the League of Arab States, held by videoconference on Tuesday. The meeting focused on a draft resolution put forward by Bahrain over Iran’s actions and its…

In a move that escalates a bitter political standoff, the Zambian government says it has taken custody of former president Edgar Lungu’s body—10 months after his death in South Africa—despite the family’s objections. The clash revives a long-running feud between Lungu and his successor, Hakainde Hichilema. The family has responded by filing an urgent application in a South African high court, seeking an order to return the former president’s body to the funeral home where it was originally kept.

Before a crowd estimated at about 100,000, Pope Leo XIV delivered a pointed message at a national service attended by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the country’s leader and the world’s long-serving president. Leo called on citizens to work together to forge a society “capable of engendering a new sense of justice,” one with “greater room for freedom” where “the dignity of the human person always may be safeguarded.” He also addressed the nation’s troubling record on human rights and the stark imbalance in how the oil-rich…

Thursday April 23, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State has moved to tighten its grip on the region’s coastline, announcing a sweeping crackdown on illegal fishing and warning that Somali and foreign operators caught violating maritime rules will face firm legal consequences. In a statement released Wednesday, the Puntland State Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources said it would step up patrols and inspections to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a practice officials say is degrading marine…

Thursday April 23, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia and China on Wednesday opened a new research center dedicated to Chinese modernization, a move officials say will broaden cooperation between the two countries and deepen the exchange of ideas. The Center for Research on Chinese Modernization was inaugurated at the Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation during a ceremony that brought together senior government officials and diplomats. Permanent Secretary Hamza Haadow and China’s…

By Caolán MageeWednesday April 22, 2026 Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, off the UAE coast Iran has seized two foreign commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and taken them to its coastline, sharpening tensions in a region already on edge just hours after United States President Donald Trump said he would prolong a ceasefire with Tehran. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the ships had breached maritime rules and entered the vital passage without coordination, according to Iranian…

By David ShepardsonWednesday April 22, 2026 Luggage and travelers' belongings are loaded before the departure of an Ethiopian Airlines plane at N'Djamena International Airport in the capital city of N'Djamena, Chad, December 2, 2025.... Purchase Licensing Rights Ethiopian Airlines moved to widen its long-haul reach on Monday, announcing that it will purchase six more Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners as Africa’s biggest airline pushes deeper into service across Africa and on routes to the U.S., Europe and Asia. In an interview with…