Concerns

Analysis: China’s fishing push in Somalia risks fueling a marine and security crisis MOGADISHU — Accusations that Chinese distant-water fleets are mounting widespread illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing off Somalia’s coast have collided with Beijing’s expanding commercial and strategic footprint in the Horn of Africa, sharpening tensions over resources, sovereignty and security. The collision of fisheries depletion and geopolitical maneuvering is testing a fragile maritime governance system along one of the world’s…

MOGADISHU — Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has rejected the government’s plan to hold one-person, one-vote elections in Mogadishu this month, warning the process lacks legal consensus, adequate security and public confidence. The vote would be the capital’s first direct election in more than 50 years. In an interview with the BBC Somali Service, Sharif — a leading member of the Council for Somalia’s Future, a coalition that includes the Somali Salvation Forum as well as the Puntland State and Jubaland…

Kenya signs $2.5 billion health pact with U.S., first under Trump-era overhaul; data privacy questions follow NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya has signed a five-year, $2.5 billion health agreement with the United States, the first such government-to-government pact since President Donald Trump overhauled U.S. foreign aid, U.S. and Kenyan officials said Saturday. Washington cast the deal as a model for a series of agreements with developing countries, signaling a deeper pivot to direct funding of public sectors over traditional aid…

Graves in the Path of Progress: A Tale of Loss and Resilience in Mogadishu On the outskirts of Mogadishu, the bulldozers of development are closing in on the past. This relentless push for progress has driven a Somali family to make a heart-wrenching decision—to exhume the remains of their parents from Moalim Nur cemetery and transport them to the distant soil of Guriel in the Galgaduud region. The memory of last year's destruction of the Policia (Bulusia) cemetery looms large, casting a shadow of anxiety over burial…

Mary Robinson, the esteemed Chair of the Elders, recently voiced her frustrations regarding the ongoing COP29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan. During her address, she pointed her finger at several nations, notably the Vatican, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, accusing them of hindering progress on a vital gender-focused climate action strategy. Robinson didn’t hold back her disappointment about Azerbaijan's selection as the host for this significant global conference. She claimed that an overwhelming presence of fossil fuel…

Tomorrow, the United States Embassy in Kyiv is set to resume operations after a temporary closure prompted by air attack threats, according to a statement from the State Department. Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the department, refrained from specifying the nature of the threat that led to the embassy's shutdown as a precautionary measure. “Our top priority is the safety and security of our personnel, and we treat it with the utmost seriousness,” Mr. Miller stated. This closure came on the heels of Russia's threats…

Mogadishu (AX) — Donald Trump's return to the presidency has sent shivers through immigrant groups across America, especially among Somali communities now wrestling with fresh anxieties over deportation. His campaign emphasized a stringent approach toward undocumented migrants, pledging historic levels of deportation. This has stirred alarm particularly among Somali families who view North America as a sanctuary and now fear their settled lives might face upheaval. Many are considering the possibility of relocating to…

The political climate in Ethiopia's Amhara state has raised eyebrows in the United States, sparking significant concerns about the escalating conflict in the region—concerns expressed by none other than America's chief diplomat late on Monday. The Fano, a militia group part of the Amhara ethnic group, which holds the title of Ethiopia's second-largest ethnicity, is a curious player in this drama. Around April 2023, driven by the government's attempt to disarm regional forces, the Fano picked up their arms, embracing a role…

Today, a massive turnout of tens of thousands is anticipated across the United States, rallying behind Vice President Kamala Harris as she vies for the presidency. The annual Women’s March is set to unfold not only in Washington, D.C. but in various cities nationwide, taking place just three days prior to the pivotal U.S. Election. The slogan for this year’s event, “We Won’t Go Back!” resonates deeply, expressing a strong resistance against the possibility of another Donald Trump presidency and its potential ramifications…

Mogadishu (AX) — The resurgence of pirate activity in the Indian Ocean alongside a surge of armed robberies in the Singapore Strait has reignited international apprehension regarding maritime safety. These notorious acts now pose a renewed threat to crucial global shipping avenues. Alerts from the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) and the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP ISC) have startled ship operators. They advised boosting ship defenses in these…