Eye on Africa

MOGADISHU — Somali police arrested 11 soldiers on Tuesday for illegally carrying weapons in central Mogadishu, part of a citywide security sweep aimed at enforcing a ban on off-duty personnel moving around armed ahead of this week’s local council elections. The Banadir Regional Police Command said the detentions followed coordinated operations across several districts of the capital to curb unauthorized weapons in public spaces and reinforce directives intended to protect civilians. 11 soldiers detained for illegally…

MOGADISHU — The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts worldwide in a sweeping reshuffle aimed at aligning U.S. diplomacy with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, according to two State Department officials. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters, said chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were notified last week that their tenures will end in January. All of the recalled diplomats were…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia opened its Third National Cybersecurity Forum on Monday, bringing together government, industry and academia in Mogadishu to strengthen digital defenses and coordinate responses to rising cyber risks targeting the country’s essential services and Digital Public Infrastructure. The two-day meeting, themed “Promoting Digital Security in Somalia,” is jointly organized by the National Communications Authority (NCA) and Mogadishu University. Senior government officials, policymakers, cybersecurity…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s civil aviation regulator will shut Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport for a full day on Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, as the capital holds local council elections, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority said Monday. The SCAA said no flights will arrive or depart during the one-day closure, describing the suspension as a security and technical measure designed to safeguard the public and ensure the vote proceeds smoothly. Airlines, passengers and travel agencies were advised to adjust plans and…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport will shut for one day on Thursday, Dec. 25, as the capital holds local council elections, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority said Monday, suspending all arrivals and departures as part of heightened security and technical preparations. In a statement, the SCAA advised the public, airlines and travel agents that no flights will land at or depart from the airport during the 24-hour closure. The authority described the move as a precaution to “ensure public…

U.S. Congressional Delegation Visits Nigeria, Rules Out Military Deployment A U.S. Congressional delegation that recently visited Nigeria to assess the country's security situation has ruled out the possibility of deploying American troops to the West African nation. The lawmakers stated that Nigeria's designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) is aimed at encouraging diplomatic reforms rather than invoking military intervention. "It is unacceptable that anyone—Muslim or Christian—is experiencing this level of…

Lake Naivasha’s shoreline has been on the move. When farmer Dickson Ngome leased his 1.5-acre plot in Kenya’s Rift Valley in 2008, his vegetables grew more than 2 kilometers from the water’s edge. This October, he woke to find his home and fields inside the lake—about a foot of water covering everything. “It seemed as if the lake was far from our homes,” said his wife, Rose Wafula. “And then one night we were shocked to find our houses flooded. The water came from nowhere.” The couple and their four children now sleep on the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali security agencies say nearly 10,000 police officers have been mobilized to secure Mogadishu’s local council elections on Dec. 25, a vote billed as the capital’s first direct, one-person, one-vote poll in more than 50 years. Speaking to reporters Sunday, Internal Security Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail (Farataag) said the Somali Police Force has finalized a citywide security plan to safeguard voters, polling stations, election workers and critical infrastructure throughout the Banadir region.…

Nigerian Authorities Secure Release of Remaining Schoolchildren Abducted in Niger State Nigerian authorities have announced the successful release of the final 130 schoolchildren and staff abducted from St. Mary's Catholic boarding school in Papiri, Niger state, effectively bringing an end to one of the country’s most harrowing mass kidnappings. The ordeal began on November 21, when more than 250 individuals were taken during a brazen attack. Earlier this month, about 100 children had been freed, and 50 were reported to…

BEKKERSDAL, South Africa — A manhunt is under way after a mass shooting at a tavern in Bekkersdal, near Johannesburg, left nine people dead and 10 others wounded, police said Monday. Authorities said about 12 unidentified gunmen arrived in two vehicles and opened fire indiscriminately on patrons. Seven men and two women were killed at the scene, police said, while some victims were shot as they tried to flee. Another person was reported killed nearby after dropping off a passenger. Police described the attackers as…