Ambassador

KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland President Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe pressed the United States to increase investment in Somalia’s federal member states during talks in Kismayo with a U.S. delegation led by Ambassador Richard H. Riley, as the region seeks to consolidate security gains against al-Shabab. In the engagement with the ambassador and senior diplomats, Madobe outlined a slate of priorities centered on security, governance and economic development, highlighting what his administration described as steady progress in…

KISMAAYO, Somalia — Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam, widely known as Ahmed Madobe, hosted U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Richard H. Riley in Kismayo on Friday for talks centered on security coordination and U.S.-supported development projects, according to regional officials. The working visit brought together senior members of the Jubaland administration, including the Interior Minister and the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation. Participants discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and align…

When a partisan writer sits before the Senate: what a contested ambassadorial pick says about U.S.–South Africa ties Leo Brent Bozell III told senators this week he was "coming before you at a challenging moment for U.S.–South Africa relations." What followed in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was less a routine credentialing than a snapshot of how American domestic politics are reshaping diplomacy. The nominee — a conservative writer and activist with no previous diplomatic experience — found a largely friendly…

South Africa’s Ambassador to France Found Dead in Paris; Family Seeks Answers South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, was found dead outside a Paris hotel on Sept. 30, 2025, about 24 hours after his wife reported him missing, authorities and family members reported. The circumstances surrounding his death remained unclear, and the ambassador’s family has demanded answers amid confusion over how his mobile phone came to be discovered far from his body. Immediate facts and family concern The swift reporting of…

The Untimely Death of Nathi Mthethwa: A Complex Legacy In the heart of Paris, beneath the shadow of promise and tragedy, the body of Nkosinathi Emmanuel "Nathi" Mthethwa was discovered outside his hotel. The South African ambassador to France and former cabinet minister was found lifeless after the window to his high-rise room had been forcibly opened. He was 58 years old. A Diplomatic Journey Interrupted Mthethwa had just begun his role as ambassador in December 2023, serving as South Africa's envoy to one of its key…

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…

Somalia Courts German Investment as Mogadishu Seeks to Turn Stability Gains into Jobs On a sweltering Monday in Mogadishu, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre sat down with Germany’s ambassador, Sebastian Groth, for a conversation that was part pitch, part signal. Somalia, he said, has “vast investment potential” in fisheries, industry and livestock. Germany, Groth responded, is preparing to send senior officials to explore those opportunities on the ground. It wasn’t a flashy announcement—no ribbon cuttings, no signed…

On Turkey’s Victory Day, new Somali officers step forward in Ankara Under a late-summer sky in Ankara, the brass of military bands mingled with the steady tap of parade boots and the low murmur of families craning for a better view. On a day when Turkey commemorates its hard-won independence, a new class of officers—including a cohort from Somalia—crossed the stage at the National Defence University’s War College to collect their diplomas. Somali Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and Somalia’s ambassador to Turkey,…

President-elect Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as the next ambassador to Israel, selecting a staunchly pro-Israel conservative. This decision could foreshadow shifts in American foreign policy concerning the tumultuous conflicts in the Middle East. Mr. Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, has been an unwavering supporter of Israel throughout his political journey. He’s consistently defended Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, earning him a reputation as a…

Mogadishu (AX) — The ball is in Somalia's court when it comes to deciding if Ethiopian forces will be part of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, or AUSSOM, that's set to kick off at the start of 2025, said UK Ambassador Michael Nithavrianakis.During a chinwag with reporters, Ambassador Nithavrianakis shed some light on diplomatic dances being orchestrated by Kenya and Turkey to help chill out the frosty relations between Somalia and Ethiopia.“Ethiopia’s been a key player in the ATMIS mission as…