government

Mozambique has wiped out its arrears to the International Monetary Fund, settling U.S. $630,1 million in full by month’s end after beginning the month owing the entire amount. Among 85 countries listed by the Fund, Mozambique is the only country in this situation. With the IMF arrears cleared, securing additional financing from the Fund could become easier. The country previously received about $468 million through a 2022 Extended Credit Facility programme, which was suspended in April 2025 after only partial disbursements.…

In a decisive move, the House of Representatives has greenlit President Bola Tinubu's proposal for a substantial external loan totaling $6 billion, primarily designed to address fiscal deficits and support critical infrastructure initiatives. This approval facilitates the federal government’s ability to secure financing from international lenders based in the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. The comprehensive financial package encompasses a significant $5 billion Total Return Swap arrangement with First Abu…

South Africans face the prospect of record pump prices, even as Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana moves to trim the fuel tax by R3.00 a litre on both petrol and diesel. The step comes after crude prices surged by nearly 50% following attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran on  February 28. 

Monday March 30, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Southwest State on Sunday accused the federal government of turning Turkish-trained troops and military hardware donated by Türkiye against its own regional administration, a claim that adds fresh fuel to an already volatile political and security standoff. In a statement, the Southwest State presidency said forces trained by Türkiye for counterterrorism missions had been deployed in an operation directed at the regional leadership. It also alleged that Turkish drones were…

Monday March 30, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Federal government forces, reinforced by armed groups linked to opposition factions in Southwest State, moved into Baidoa on Monday after intense clashes with the Southwest regional administration. Witnesses said gunfire broke out heavily on the town’s outskirts earlier in the day as the rival sides fought for control of strategic points in the interim administrative capital. The death toll was not immediately known, and neither side had issued official casualty figures. Footage…

Monday March 30, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen stepped down Monday, just hours after federal government troops and armed groups aligned with regional opposition leaders entered Baidoa following fierce fighting that killed at least two people and injured 25 others. “Effective today, March 30, 2026, I, Mr. Abdicasiis Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, resign as President of the Southwest State,” Laftagareen said in a post on his official Facebook page, offering no explanation for…

Sunday March 29, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government has thrown out the results of Saturday’s elections in Baidoa, branding them illegitimate and intensifying a tense showdown with the Southwest State administration. In a statement from the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation, officials said the vote amounted to a “premeditated appointment” that did not reflect the wishes of the people of Southwest State. “The election was not legitimate,” the ministry said. “Any process based on…

A US federal judge has put the Trump administration’s sanctions on Anthropic on hold, ruling that the measures likely broke the law by effectively punishing the AI company for publicly questioning how its technology is being used by the Pentagon. In the Northern District of California, Judge Rita Lin granted Anthropic’s request for a preliminary injunction, freezing a presidential order that barred all federal agencies from using Anthropic’s technology while the lawsuit proceeds. The decision also halts the Pentagon’s…

Friday March 27, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The United Kingdom has stepped up its warning as Somalia’s Southwest State faces rising political strain and a worsening security picture, with fears growing that clashes could erupt between federal authorities and regional forces. In a Friday press release, the British Embassy in Mogadishu said it is tracking developments closely and warned that the latest tensions could further destabilize a security environment already under severe strain. “Recent tensions risk further destabilising…

Thursday March 26, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Tensions flared at Mogadishu’s Bakaara Market on Wednesday as hundreds of traders poured into the streets, accusing Somalia’s federal government of preparing to sell part of the market’s land to wealthy businessmen they say have close ties to those in power. The demonstrators blocked major roads leading into the sprawling market, denouncing what they described as an impending eviction that could wipe out their livelihoods. Many traders said the plan amounts to transferring public…