Dr

Saturday March 28, 2026 BAIDOA (AX) — Southwest State lawmakers convened in Baidoa on Saturday and re-elected Dr. Ali Said Fiqi as Speaker of the regional parliament, underscoring a fresh attempt to restore stability within the state’s political leadership. The electoral commission supervising the vote said Dr. Fiqi won with 67 votes, defeating Diini Sheikh Hassan, who received 11. Commission officials reported that two ballots were rejected as invalid. In total, 80 members of parliament took part in the election. After the…

New York — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday appointed U.S. diplomat James Swan as his new Special Representative for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known as MONUSCO, placing an experienced Africa hand at the helm of one of the U.N.’s most challenging peace operations. Swan succeeds Bintou Keita of Guinea, whom Guterres thanked for her leadership and service during a difficult period for the mission. The appointment lands at a pivotal moment for MONUSCO,…

MOGADISHU — Dr. Maryam Qasim Ahmed was elected chairperson of Somalia’s Independent Human Rights Commission on Wednesday after a closely contested leadership vote in the capital, officials said. Dr. Maryam secured five of the nine votes cast by commissioners, narrowly defeating fellow candidate Dr. Omar Abdulle Ulusow, who received four. A third contender, Farhan Mohamed Jimale, had registered for the race but withdrew before the ballot was held. “This is a heavy responsibility that has been entrusted to me, and I ask God to…

Mpox has long been a reality in Africa, but the continent still lacks access to vaccines, highlighting stark inequalities in global distribution as wealthier nations vaccinate populations at much lower risk. Experts warn that this disparity – combined with competing health crises and sluggish regulatory processes – puts millions of Africans at risk as the virus mutates rapidly, spreads from person to person and crosses borders at an alarming rate. "The shortfall in the distribution of mpox…