government

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s government accused Israel on Tuesday of multiple diplomatic violations, alleging that official Israeli channels launched “insulting attacks” against President Cyril Ramaphosa and that Israeli officials failed to inform the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) about visits by senior Israeli representatives. The allegations were set out in a government statement that cited two specific breaches: the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to attack…

Syria’s government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have reached a sweeping agreement to fold Kurdish security units and their autonomous administration into the central state, capping weeks of clashes that culminated in a cease-fire, according to statements released today by both sides and broadcast on Syrian state television. The accord follows a period of fighting in which Kurdish forces lost control of swathes of territory to pro-government units, leaving them confined largely to Kurdish-majority pockets in…

Military Government Dissolves Political Parties, Citing Unity and Stability The military-led government has taken the drastic step of dissolving all political parties by decree, effectively terminating their ability to operate, even internally. This bold move, announced by Interior Minister Emile Zerbo, is portrayed as a necessary action aimed at addressing the proliferation of political factions that, according to officials, have led to abuses, aggravated societal divisions, and ultimately weakened the nation's social…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government has canceled an arrest warrant for Jubaland President Ahmed Madoobe, clearing the way for him to attend high-level talks in Mogadishu on Feb. 1 and potentially easing a long-running standoff between federal and regional authorities. The Banadir Regional Court issued the warrant in November 2024 after Madoobe secured a third-term victory in Kismayo, a re-election the federal government deemed illegal under the country’s shift toward a one-person, one-vote electoral system. The order…

MOGADISHU — The United States will resume World Food Programme food distributions in Somalia after the federal government accepted responsibility for actions that disrupted humanitarian operations at the Port of Mogadishu earlier this month, clearing the way for life-saving aid to reach millions facing acute food insecurity. U.S. officials said Somalia’s acknowledgment of accountability satisfied conditions set after Washington halted certain assistance on Jan. 7, when it accused Somali officials of demolishing a U.S.-funded…

Somalia resolves rare public spat between embassies in Kenya and Tanzania MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government says it has resolved a rare and public dispute between its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, closing ranks after an internal review and new guidance meant to prevent a repeat. The rift surfaced in September after Somalia’s embassy in Tanzania criticized a visit by the Somali ambassador to Kenya to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a statement at the time, the Tanzanian mission said the…

Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government says it has resolved a rare public dispute between its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, closing a rift that raised concerns about internal coordination across the country’s diplomatic network. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Omar Balcad said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded an internal review and implemented recommendations to prevent a repeat of the episode, which centered on overlapping roles and communication lapses among missions in East Africa. The dispute…

Syria’s government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have extended their truce by 15 days to support a U.S.-led effort to transfer Islamic State group detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq, both sides said Saturday. “The extension of the cease-fire comes in support of the American operation to transfer Islamic State detainees from SDF prisons to Iraq,” the Syrian defense ministry said in a statement. The SDF confirmed the extension, saying it was reached through international mediation and that dialogue with…

Somalia foils suspected al-Shabab plot in Mogadishu: Five arrested, explosives seized MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali security forces arrested five suspected militants and seized explosives, weapons and vehicles in a Friday operation aimed at disrupting planned attacks on the capital, Mogadishu, the National Intelligence and Security Agency said. NISA said the group was preparing to enter the city to carry out attacks “threatening the security and stability of the capital,” and credited months of surveillance and close…

Somalia’s Federal Government has not issued an official response to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who used a World Economic Forum appearance in Davos, Switzerland, to question Somalia’s statehood and accuse Somalis of large-scale financial crimes. In his address, Trump alleged that “Somali thieves” had taken billions of dollars in the United States and described Somalis as “low in intelligence.” He also claimed the U.S. had waged military action against Somali pirates, drawing a comparison to operations against…