Eye on Africa

Mogadishu (AX) – At a special gathering led by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, Somalia's Cabinet of Ministers gave the green light to a whopping $1.3 billion budget for 2025. This decision was made during an urgent session held on Tuesday. This budget showcases a 24.4% jump from the previous year's allocation, all thanks to a surge in home-grown revenue. The Ministry of Finance spilled the beans, revealing that the budget for 2025 had ballooned by $263 million compared to the $1.08 billion earmarked for 2024. “Ramping up…

Mogadishu (AX) – Somali Premier Hamse Abdi Barre reinforced on Tuesday that the discussions by the National Consultative Council (NCC) in Mogadishu are progressing as planned. This is even after Jubbaland's leader, Ahmed Madobe, returned to Kismayo amidst tensions over the forthcoming elections. In the heart of Mogadishu, Prime Minister Barre gave his word that both federal and regional dignitaries are deep in dialogue over crucial matters. "Once all topics are hashed out, they’ll make their decisions public," he mentioned.…

NAIROBI, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Over one million folks in Kenya are grappling with food woes, desperately needing aid, as revealed by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) this past Monday. According to NDMA’s latest insights shared from Nairobi, the predicament stretches across 23 out of the 47 counties, earmarked as either parched or partly parched lands. The body highlighted a silver lining: kiddos aged six to 59 months facing severe hunger dipped to 760,488 by August, a decline from February's staggering…

Erdogan announced a transformative shift for the once conflict-ridden Somali region, saying it will now be heralded for growth, prosperity, and peace thanks to the discoveries by Oruc Reis. Under a deal inked in March between Türkiye’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and Somalia’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the ship will conduct seismic surveys in Somali waters. Around 11 a.m. (0800GMT), the vessel set sail through the Istanbul Straits after making its entrance from the Black Sea, cruising past…

MP Mukhtar Mohamed Guled, helming the Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Livestock, and Marine Resources, brought forth the legislation for its third discussion. As the presiding figure, Speaker Sheikh Aadan Mohamed Nur, accompanied by Second Deputy Speaker Abdullahi Omar Abshirow, declared the outcome, ushering the bills to the Upper House for further examination. Praising the legislative body's quick adaptability, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Mohamed Abdi Hayir Maareeye, along with Chairman Guled,…

Somalia's security faces peril from illegal arms trafficking, warns the nation's foreign minister. (Mustafa Çağlayan - Anadolu Agency) MOGADISHU, Somalia - On Sunday, Somalia voiced fresh anxiety over alleged illegal weapon deliveries from Ethiopia, casting a shadow over the Horn of Africa. During a press briefing in Mogadishu, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi denounced the alleged arms deliveries as a danger to the country’s safety. He appealed to Ethiopia for adherence to current pacts and commended Türkiye's…

Turning up in Mogadishu, Somalia's Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi gets a warm welcome after returning from the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Mogadishu (AX) — Just back from the international spotlight, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, Somalia's Foreign Minister, recently chewed the fat with Egyptian and Eritrean counterparts, focusing on what Somalia says are ongoing invasions by Ethiopia into its turf. Both Egypt and Eritrea threw their weight behind Somalia, lambasting Ethiopia for actions that jeopardize Somalia's…

Hargeisa (AX) – Mohamed Abib Yusuf, a lawmaker from North Western State of Somalia, has leveled accusations against the North Western State of Somalia authorities, alleging they detained him to spark turmoil in the Awdal area, aiming to derail upcoming elections and extend their political tenure.Upon his release from Mandera prison, the outspoken MP shared his perspective with the press on Monday. He contended that his arrest was baseless, serving as a means to postpone elections and breed discord in Awdal.“The government…

Toronto – An earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale rattled Ethiopia, reaching a depth of 10 kilometers beneath the surface. This seismic event struck the Awash Fentale region, located roughly 165 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa. The government confirmed this occurrence through an update on social media.The tremor took place on Sunday around 9 P.M. local time. Residents in the capital, Addis Ababa, as well as in places like Metehara to the southeast and Kombolcha near Dessie to the north, felt the tremors.…

Taye Atske Selassie Photographer: Leonardo Munoz/AFP/Getty Images Addis Ababa (AX) – On Monday, Ethiopia's legislative body chose Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie as the nation's president. He takes over from Sahle-Work Zewde, who has concluded her leadership role. This decision was made during the inaugural gathering of the 6th House of People's Representatives (HoPR) alongside the House of Federation (HoF), kicking off the fourth year of this term. With the vote concluded, Taye took the presidential oath and received the…