Eye on Africa

MOGADISHU — Israeli carrier Arkia says it has not yet received renewed authorization to fly over Somali airspace when its current permit expires at the end of January, a delay that could force the airline to reroute Tel Aviv–Thailand services if clearance is not granted in time. In a statement Thursday, Arkia linked the issue to routine international procedures requiring periodic renewal of overflight permits. “As of now, Arkia has not yet received the renewal of the periodic permit for air transit over Somalia for…

In Minneapolis, confrontations between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and protesters have become a pressure point for something older and deeper than a dispute over deportations. For Somali Americans in Minnesota — home to more than 100,000 people of Somali descent — the scenes on the streets are the latest chapter in a generational experience of displacement, stigmatization and resilience. Across a tightly connected global diaspora, the anxiety is acute, but so is the resolve. Over much of his second term,…

Minneapolis — Federal authorities have arrested 16 people in Minnesota on charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers amid protests tied to U.S. immigration enforcement operations, including a Somali American woman who went viral for describing her identity as “bananas and rice,” officials said. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests Wednesday as federal agents stepped up enforcement efforts in Minneapolis following days of unrest. The Justice Department said the individuals were charged…

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — Scuffles and shouting erupted during a joint session of Somalia’s parliament on Wednesday after the speaker moved to advance a package of constitutional amendments that opposition lawmakers said would extend political mandates, forcing the session’s abrupt suspension. The confrontation underscored the high stakes surrounding long-delayed efforts to finalize Somalia’s provisional constitution. The country has operated under the temporary charter since 2012, and repeated attempts to…

Analysis: Ilhan Omar attack spotlights a volatile clash over Trump’s anti-Somali rhetoric and Minnesota’s immigration crackdown Ilhan Omar was sprayed with a foul-smelling liquid during a Minneapolis town hall Tuesday, an attack that unfolded as the Minnesota congresswoman denounced federal immigration enforcement and called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The incident, carried out by a man who rushed the stage with a syringe, left Omar unharmed but underscored a combustible mix: the Trump…

Mohamed Salah’s first goal since November arrived with emphatic timing, capping a restorative week for the Egypt star and sealing Liverpool’s direct passage to the Champions League round of 16. Salah curled in a 50th-minute free kick to make it 3-0 in a 6-0 rout of Qarabag at Anfield on Wednesday, a result that locked Arne Slot’s side into third place in the new 36-team league phase. The margin mattered. Under UEFA’s revamped Champions League format, finishing in the top eight secures a bye to the last 16 and avoids the…

MINNEAPOLIS — Federal authorities arrested 16 people in Minnesota, including a Somali American woman who went viral for describing her identity as “bananas and rice,” as part of a widening crackdown after protests tied to U.S. immigration enforcement operations, officials said Wednesday. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests, saying the defendants face federal charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding federal law enforcement officers. The enforcement push comes amid escalating clashes between demonstrators…

CAF on Thursday announced a string of suspensions and fines against players, coaches and federations after an investigation into the chaotic scenes that marred the AFCON 2025 final in Morocco, and dismissed a Moroccan challenge to the result. The Confederation of African Football’s Disciplinary Board said it had penalized both Senegal and Morocco following a stoppage-time penalty award that provoked protests and a walk-off by the Senegalese team. Head coach Pape Thiaw was hit with a five-match suspension from all CAF…

Somalia hosts Horn of Africa finance ministers in Mogadishu, with energy trade at center of agenda MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday closed the 27th Horn of Africa Initiative Forum of finance ministers, the first time the high-level regional meeting has been held in Mogadishu, in a session that put regional energy trade at the heart of economic integration efforts. Officials said convening the forum in the Somali capital signaled growing international confidence in Somalia’s security and…

Major cinema chains in South Africa have pulled a documentary about Melania Trump just before its scheduled release, citing concerns over "the current climate," the exhibitors said Friday. The film, which follows Melania Trump in the weeks leading up to her husband Donald Trump's second inauguration, was withdrawn from listings by multiple theatres only days before it was to premiere, according to distribution notices and exhibitor statements. Organisers did not provide further detail on specific security or diplomatic…