Eye on Africa

AFCON 2025: Africa's Premier Football Tournament Set to Kick Off in Morocco The stage is set for the commencement of Africa's biggest football event, the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025). With 24 teams competing for the continent's most prestigious sporting title, Morocco prepares to host this celebrated tournament for the second time, running from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. Since its inception in 1957, AFCON has evolved into a crucial measure of the performance of African teams on the…

Thursday, December 11, 2025 MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has launched an emergency diphtheria vaccination drive in the Banadir region as an expanding outbreak kills at least 50 people in recent weeks and infects more than 1,000 children, officials said. The five-day campaign begins Monday, Dec. 15, and will deploy teams to neighborhoods, health centers and schools in Mogadishu and surrounding districts. The ministry urged parents to ensure children are vaccinated, calling diphtheria “a…

Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025 GAROWE, Somalia — A Puntland State-appointed committee investigating the death of traditional elder Omar Abdillahi Abdi concluded that he was the sole casualty of a U.S. airstrike near Ceel Buh on Sept. 13, contradicting U.S. Africa Command’s assertion that the operation did not harm civilians. The committee’s report, compiled from Puntland State security agencies and witness testimonies, said Omar — widely known as Chief Omar — left Ceel Buh in the Sanaag region on Sept. 13 bound for Badhan district…

Puntland State inquiry says U.S. airstrike killed respected elder, not militant GAROWE, Somalia — A Puntland State investigative committee has concluded that a U.S. airstrike killed traditional elder Omar Abdillahi Abdi as he traveled to clan peace talks in the Sanaag region, finding no evidence he had ties to criminal or militant activity. The committee’s report, based on Puntland State security agency records and witness testimony, details the final hours of the elder known locally as Omar. It says he left the town of Ceel…

M23 Rebels Seize Key City in Eastern DR Congo Amid Rising Tensions Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have reportedly entered the eastern DR Congo city of Uvira, an essential military base located near the borders of Burundi and Rwanda. This unforeseen advancement has triggered panic among residents, forcing thousands to flee in fear. Witnesses stated that the M23 forces marched in without opposition, declaring they had "liberated" the city, although local officials maintained that government troops still controlled the area. This…

Rwanda-Backed M23 Rebels Capture Strategic City in Eastern DR Congo Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have reportedly entered the eastern DR Congo city of Uvira, a crucial military base located near the borders of Burundi and Rwanda. The takeover has triggered widespread panic and forced thousands of residents to flee, raising alarms about the regional stability. Witnesses reported that the M23 rebels marched into Uvira unopposed, claiming to have "liberated" the city. However, government officials insist that their troops remain…

Nicholas Zakaria, a pioneering figure in Zimbabwe’s sungura music and a founding member of the Khiama Boys, has died. He was 66. Zakaria — widely known by his stage name "Madzibaba" — was celebrated for his deft guitar work and a voice that helped shape the rhythmic, guitar-driven sound that defines sungura. His family said he was a "talented musician and beloved member of our community" who left an indelible mark on Zimbabwean music. As one of the early members of the Khiama Boys, Zakaria performed with and influenced a…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government has rejected allegations that weapons entering the country are being routed onward to armed actors in the region, insisting there is no evidence that Somali territory is used to funnel arms to Yemen’s Houthi movement. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Mohamed Omar, known as Ali Balcad, told Al Jazeera Net in an interview published Wednesday that Mogadishu is intensifying efforts to disrupt illicit arms flows across the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea corridor and to prevent…

Resurgence of Female Genital Mutilation in Liberia Raises Alarm Liberia is witnessing a troubling resurgence of female genital mutilation (FGM). Recent footage has unveiled that 502 girls and young women were initiated during a combined Sande ceremony across Lofa, Maryland, and Sinoe counties. This alarming trend affects half of Liberia's rural women aged 15 to 49, according to data from UN Women. Health advocates are raising urgent concerns that this latest mass initiation indicates a deteriorating situation amidst…

Somalia establishes Independent National Human Rights Commission as president signs law MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday signed into law the establishment of Somalia’s Independent National Human Rights Commission, finalizing a measure approved by both houses of the Federal Parliament and hailed by officials as a milestone for rights protection and institutional reform. The presidency framed the move as a clear signal of Somalia’s intent to safeguard the rights and dignity of its citizens.…