Eye on Africa

Kelly Ng Wednesday April 15, 2026 The outrage began with a kiss, but it ended with a jail sentence: American livestreamer Johnny Somali has been sentenced to six months behind bars after offending South Koreans by violating a statue that commemorates wartime sex slaves. Seoul authorities charged him with public nuisance in November 2024 after he uploaded footage showing himself kissing and performing lap dances on the statue during a visit to South Korea. Since then, he has been barred from leaving the country. The…

Tuesday April 14, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday brought together senior government institutions for the latest quarterly meeting of the Maritime Security Coordination Mechanism, as officials moved to sharpen defenses against mounting risks along the country’s coastline. Held in Hargeisa, the meeting examined the changing security picture in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, where developments in regional and international affairs continue to shape some of the…

By Khadar AfrahTuesday April 14, 2026 For years, Somalia’s opposition has made its presence felt from Mogadishu statements and Nairobi hotel corridors, while Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has worked from Villa Somalia to stretch his authority, centralize power, and treat the federal arrangement as something still under construction. At some point, political opposition has to move beyond speeches and into strategy. In South West State, it did not. Federal troops moved into Baidoa, forced President Abdiaziz Laftagareen from office…

By: Eng. Jama Farah Noor Tuesday April 14, 2026 Somalia stands at a dangerous crossroads, and the stakes could hardly be higher. An election process shaped by the incumbent leadership, rather than by broad agreement, risks not only weakening democracy but also igniting serious violence and pushing the country back toward civil war. In place of the current orchestrated election model advanced by the President and his team — a model that appears driven by narrow political interests and lacks the participation of key…

Sudan marked a grim milestone on Wednesday, commemorating three years since the onset of its civil war. This protracted conflict has spiraled into relentless violence, claiming the lives of tens of thousands and displacing over 11 million individuals. The turmoil erupted on April 15, 2023, initially as a clash between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). As it enters its fourth year, the United Nations deems it the "world's largest humanitarian crisis." A disturbing hallmark of the conflict's…

By: Prof. Abdinasir Ali OsmanTuesday April 14, 2026 A Condensed Investigative and Forward-Looking Policy Analysis of Curad-1 and Somalia’s Offshore Future Somalia’s offshore oil frontier has quickly become one of the Horn of Africa’s most closely watched energy stories. In a region where maritime security, foreign investment, and state-building often collide, the Curad-1 drilling program has pushed Somalia from theory into action. This condensed investigative analysis draws on international reporting, institutional…

Tuesday April 14, 2026 Displaced families grapple with food, water shortages/File Photo/Ergo Pastoralist families uprooted by drought in southern Somalia’s Lower Juba region have reached Kulbiyow, a small border town near Kenya, stripped of their livestock, shelter and dependable access to food. They left behind rural settlements around Buulo-Haaji, near Kismayo, after months of severe drought depleted water points, killed animals and shattered the livelihoods that sustained them. Among those now struggling in Kulbiyow is…

President Daniel Chapo says Mozambique’s campaign against insurgents has turned a corner, with national security forces working alongside regional partners to retake areas once controlled by militants. Under sustained pressure, he noted, the armed groups are “constantly on the move,” and authorities have recorded no confirmed kidnappings in the past six months. Addressing the National Council of the Mozambique Youth Organisation (OJM), the ruling Frelimo Party’s youth wing, the President also appealed for responsible…

By Dr. Ali Said FaqiTuesday April 14, 2026 Somalia is approaching a defining crossroads. The possibility of offshore oil and gas development by the Turkish firm could open a route to economic independence and lasting stability. For a nation long dependent on outside assistance, it is an unusually promising chance to shape its own economic destiny. Yet promise by itself will not deliver results. Around the world, resource-rich countries have learned that without sound governance, natural wealth can deepen instability instead…

Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Nigerian petroleum minister, has made headlines as she stands trial in London, vehemently denying allegations of bribery and luxury accommodations linked to government contracts. Accused of enjoying opulent stays and extravagant spending sprees in the UK, she asserts that these claims are baseless. In her testimony to the jury, Alison-Madueke maintained her innocence, stating she never misused her position to solicit or accept bribes, despite facing six serious charges under the UK Bribery…