African

Africa’s Historic Football Surge: Nine Nations Gear Up for 2026 FIFA World Cup The thrill of African football is poised to reach unprecedented heights as the continent prepares for a historic representation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With nine African nations already securing their spots and one more potentially joining through a challenging intercontinental playoff, this upcoming tournament promises to showcase the rich talent and fervent passion that defines African soccer. Championing the Continent Among the nine…

Somalia elects nine EALA lawmakers, taking its full seat in East Africa’s regional house Somalia’s parliament has elected nine lawmakers to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), a procedural step with outsized symbolism. Less than a year after joining the East African Community (EAC), Mogadishu now has a voice in the bloc’s lawmaking chamber in Arusha, Tanzania — where rules on trade, movement, and regional cooperation are hammered out. The joint sitting of both Houses at Villa Hargeisa in Mogadishu capped months…

FIFA's Bold Commitment: Investing Over $1 Billion in African Football The world of football is changing, particularly in Africa, where the sport has become a powerful catalyst for unity, culture, and hope. This transformation was underscored recently by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during his address at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) meeting in Kinshasa. Infantino proudly announced that since the initiation of the FIFA Forward Program in 2016, FIFA has poured over $1 billion into the development of African…

Somalia’s turn toward Kiswahili: a classroom move with regional reach MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government has announced a policy shift that could reshape how the country talks to its neighbours: Kiswahili, the East African lingua franca, is to be introduced into the national school curriculum and promoted in Somali universities. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud framed the decision as part of a broader push toward regional integration. “The Somali National University, along with all Somali universities, must take the…

South African activists held by Israel after Gaza aid attempt are “in good health and high spirits,” Pretoria says South Africa’s foreign ministry on Wednesday said a group of its citizens detained by Israeli authorities after attempting to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip are “in good health and high spirits,” and that efforts to secure their safe return are “advancing steadily.” The detained activists were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla — a civil society initiative that sought to reach Gaza by sea amid a protracted…

AU condemns Mogadishu prison assault as Somali forces end six-hour siege NAIROBI — The African Union on Sunday condemned a deadly assault on a high-security detention facility in Mogadishu, as Somali authorities said they had killed all seven attackers after a six-hour siege that rattled a capital trying to return to normal life. The attack targeted Godka Jilacow — a notorious detention site long linked to Somalia’s intelligence service and used to hold al-Shabaab suspects — on a morning when Mogadishu’s streets had been…

Somali, Ugandan forces take Awdheegle in fresh push against al‑Shabaab Somali troops backed by Ugandan peacekeepers say they have seized control of Awdheegle, a strategic farming town on the Shabelle River about 80 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, in the latest phase of a stepped-up offensive against al‑Shabaab. The Ministry of Defense announced Saturday that the capture is a milestone in “Silent Storm,” a multi‑stage campaign to dismantle the militant group’s foothold across southern Somalia. In the hours after the…

South African ambassador to France found dead in Paris; circumstances unclear What is known South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, was found dead outside a Paris hotel on Sept. 30, about 24 hours after his wife reported him missing, according to a brief notice shared with reporters. Beyond the basic facts of the discovery and the missing-person report, few official details have been released and the cause of death has not been made public. The sudden death of a senior diplomat in a major capital raises…

African Union mission in Somalia teeters as $180 million shortfall threatens gains against al‑Shabab MOGADISHU — The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) is confronting a funding cliff that could unravel years of hard-won progress against the Islamist insurgency, AU officials warned at the United Nations General Assembly. With about 11,000 troops from Kenya, Burundi, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Uganda deployed across Somali towns and desert tracks, the mission now faces an estimated $180 million…

Johannesburg to Host Gathering Aimed at Recasting Africa’s Role on World Stage When the African Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS) and partners open the doors of the University of the Witwatersrand in late November 2025, they will do more than convene academics and diplomats. They will stage a weeklong exercise in reimagining how African countries engage with the rest of the world — from Beijing and Brussels to Brasília and the Gulf. “This conference is about agency,” said a senior organizer involved in…