meeting

Somali Politics Spill Into Nairobi Again — And Mogadishu Pushes Back It is a familiar scene in East African diplomacy: Somali politicians gathering in a Nairobi hotel to hash out the country’s future far from Mogadishu’s checkpoints and political heat. This week, that well-worn script met a forceful rebuttal from Somalia’s defense minister, who said enough is enough. In a sharply worded post, Defense Minister Ahmed Macallin Fiqi condemned a Nairobi meeting of opposition figures and regional leaders — among them Puntland…

Ukraine hit by one of its largest overnight aerial assaults as Zelensky prepares to meet Trump at UN Ukraine scrambled on the ground and in the skies early on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly, after what President Volodymyr Zelensky described as one of the heaviest aerial barrages of the war. Moscow, meanwhile, painted the exchanges as reciprocal and defensive, underscoring how the conflict remains on a hair-trigger across multiple fronts even as diplomacy is scheduled to resume at New York. Massive strikes,…

Somalia’s Public Embrace of Qatar Signals Shifting Alignments in the Gulf–Horn of Africa Nexus DOHA — When Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stepped into the Amiri Diwan in Doha on Monday, he did more than pay a diplomatic courtesy call. In a terse, unequivocal statement — “The Somali government and its people stand in full solidarity with our Qatari brothers. We will not accept any violation of the sovereignty or stability of the State of Qatar” — Mohamud signalled a wider intent: to knit Somalia closer to a Gulf…

Sowing Seeds of Change: Senegal and France Redefine Their Relationship On a crisp autumn afternoon, the stately halls of the Élysée Palace echoed with the voices of two leaders navigating a complex web of history, diplomacy, and shared aspirations. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and French President Emmanuel Macron sat down for a meeting that was expected to redefine the longstanding relationship between their nations. With the backdrop of France's recent military withdrawal from Senegal, ending over six decades…

On a Monday rendezvous in Nairobi, Kenya's President William Ruto held discussions with William Burns, the CIA Director, while joined by Noordin Haji, Ruto's African counterpart. Fast-forward two years since the Ethiopian Tigray conflict reached a resolution on October 28, 2022. Although the peace pact supposedly ended hostilities, experts contend that thorny issues still linger unresolved. Tune into today's VOA 60 for more updates on developments across Africa.

At the African Defense Ministers Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, military brass from across the continent gathered to chat about pivoting from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to the fresh African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). Mogadishu (AX) — On October 16, 2024, amidst explicit disapproval from Somalia, Ethiopia hosted a confab of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) involved in ATMIS. The hoopla took place during the African Defense Leaders Conference in Addis…

Mogadishu (AX) – Somalia's Himilo Qaran party is sending out a clarion call to the country's leaders: steer clear of political maneuvers that could deepen the ongoing turmoil, especially when it comes to extending governmental terms.Helmed by former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the opposition faction laid out a seven-point statement this Thursday during a gathering in Mogadishu. This declaration emerges as the National Consultative Council (NCC) continues its powwow with top brass from federal and regional…

Inside Somali Political Leaders' NCC Gathering in Mogadishu MOGADISHU, Somalia - Recently taking center stage, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud summoned a crucial meeting of the National Consultative Council (NCC) in Mogadishu. This rare assembly of Somali leadership comes amidst persistent security hurdles and pressing threats to the nation's sovereignty. Sparking off today, this Thursday gathering occurs as Somalia grapples with Ethiopian threats concerning Red Sea access. This tension prompted Somalia to forge a defense…

In a bold assertion of diplomacy, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump announced his intent to mediate an end to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. This declaration came as he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prepared for an important conversation in New York. As reporters gathered at Trump Tower, Zelensky expressed his eagerness to present his "victory plan" for Ukraine directly to Trump. This strategic proposal aims to outline Ukraine’s vision for triumph amidst adversity. Trump…

He declared that the nation is set on establishing a resilient telecom infrastructure to enable the same goals. "Telecom is essential for emergency response and disaster management. Today's assembly shows our collective resolve to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of the Somali populace," he articulated. “We are determined to build a strong and durable telecom infrastructure capable of efficiently handling emergencies. This infrastructure will bolster our national capabilities in disaster management, early warning…