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When a diploma isn’t the barrier — a passport is Mustaf Moha­­med Takoy had done everything right. He won a full scholarship to study a master’s in Environment and International Development at the University of Copenhagen, bought health insurance, secured an acceptance letter and packed the hope of a better future. Then Denmark’s immigration service told him that his Somali passport was not a valid travel document — and that was that. Mustaf’s story, relayed in a short but stark exchange with Danish authorities, speaks to…

Puntland State’s new anti-terror law tests a familiar bargain: more security, fewer liberties The ink is barely dry in Garowe. With a stroke of the pen on October 8, Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni signed into law a sweeping anti-terrorism bill that grants security agencies powers long sought, and just as fiercely debated. The legislation, approved by the regional parliament in late July, is now published in the official gazette and enforceable across Puntland State’s cities, coasts and mountain ranges. This…

A Nation Mourns: Raila Odinga's Legacy and the Turbulence of Farewell Nairobi, Kenya — In a somber atmosphere turned chaotic, Kenya bid farewell to one of its most enduring figures, Raila Odinga, amid clashes that left four dead and many injured. The tumultuous events at Kasarani Stadium on Thursday encapsulated the deep emotional and political currents that Odinga, who passed away in India at age 80, represented throughout his life. A Life of Struggle and Influence Raila Odinga's story is woven into the fabric of Kenya’s…

In Johannesburg, women leaders bridge generations and push for jobs — and a celebration crowns three days of purpose Johannesburg — For three days in mid‑October, a gathering of activists, funders, policymakers and entrepreneurs threaded personal histories into public strategy at the Women Create Wealth Summit. Hosted by the Graça Machel Trust from Oct. 13–15, the conference stitched together urgent conversations about jobs and intergenerational leadership with a softer, human purpose: to lift and celebrate the women who…

Bodies, borders and a bitter ceasefire: what the recent exchanges reveal about Gaza’s fragile pause The exchange of bodies and a single identified Israeli remains a grim marker of a ceasefire that is at once fragile and consequential. Over recent days, Israeli forces and Hamas have overseen the handover of human remains in a transaction that follows the contours of a wider, uneasy truce — one that has temporarily halted the fiercest fighting but has not ended the humanitarian catastrophe or the political tectonics that…

Egypt’s warning over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam rekindles a 21st-century struggle over an ancient river CAIRO — When Egypt’s Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly declared that the Nile is “a matter of existence, not subject to compromise,” he was not indulging in rhetoric. He was speaking for a country whose modern life, agriculture and industry grew up along the river’s narrow ribbon through desert. Yet that river feeds more than one national story. The spokesman’s rebuke this month, aimed squarely at Ethiopia’s…

Somalia’s ID Deadline Tests the Promise of Digital Inclusion In a quiet Saturday statement that ignited a very noisy week on the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia’s National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) said it will stop issuing national ID cards for free after October 31, 2025. The line that got people moving was simple: “The National ID Card Registration Fee Exemption Period ends on October 31. Please take advantage of the opportunity and apply at your nearest NIRA Center!” Within hours, long queues…

Raila Odinga, Kenya’s towering opposition figure, dies in India NAIROBI — Kenyans woke to shock and grief on Wednesday after reports that Raila Odinga, the country’s most prominent opposition leader and a defining figure in modern Kenyan politics, died during a morning walk at a hospital in India. Odinga, 80, was reported to have collapsed at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre in Kochi, Kerala, after experiencing breathing difficulties at about 7:45 a.m., a hospital spokesman told news agencies.…

Somalia and Turkey move to seal a labor pact — and raise bigger questions about jobs, skills, and dignity In a quiet room in Doha on Friday, Somali Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Yusuf Mohamed sat down with Turkey’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Prof. Dr. Vedat Işıkhan, to push forward a bilateral labor cooperation agreement. On paper, it is a technical accord: training programs, civil service capacity-building, and a plan to spur job creation. In practice, it is also a test of whether two close partners…

As Côte d'Ivoire Prepares for Elections, Misinformation Casts a Shadow As Côte d'Ivoire gears up for a critical election on October 25, a silent yet pervasive threat looms over the democratic process: misinformation. The nation, known for its vibrant culture and commitment to progress, is grappling with a troubling rise in false narratives proliferated through the ever-ubiquitous social media. This election, like previous ones, is not just a test of the political system but a reflection of the societal fractures that…