ministers

BRUSSELS — Ireland is expected to opt for a financial contribution to frontline migration states in emergency situations rather than take in relocated migrants, as European Union justice ministers meet in Brussels to sign off on elements of the EU Migration Pact. The pact’s central “solidarity mechanism” is designed to ease sudden pressure on countries such as Italy and Greece when arrivals spike. Under the plan, other member states would share the burden either by relocating some migrants for screening and processing or by…

Ireland is expected to choose financial solidarity over relocation under the European Union’s new migration framework, as justice ministers meet in Brussels to sign off on key elements of the EU Migration Pact. Under the pact’s emergency solidarity mechanism, member states would be required to help frontline countries such as Italy and Greece when they are suddenly overwhelmed by migration flows. Governments could either accept a share of people for screening and processing, or make a financial contribution to ease the…

Somalia, Yemen hold high-level defense talks in Cairo to bolster Red Sea, Gulf of Aden security Mogadishu (AX) — Somali Minister of Defence Ahmed Moallim Fiqi met his Yemeni counterpart, Lieutenant General Mohsen Mohammed Ahmed Al-Daari, in Cairo on Thursday for high-level talks aimed at strengthening defense cooperation and tightening maritime security across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s most vital shipping corridors. The talks, attended by the Commander of the Somali National Armed Forces, Major General…

Somalia and Ethiopia test a fragile thaw on the shores of Lake Tana At a security forum in northern Ethiopia this weekend, officials from Somalia and Ethiopia stepped into a quiet side room and did something deceptively simple: they talked. In an era when silence can harden into policy, the meeting on the sidelines of the Tana High-Level Forum in Bahir Dar—Ethiopia’s lakeside city ringed by papyrus boats and monastic islands—signaled a cautious shift from confrontation to engagement in the Horn of Africa. The delegations,…

Kenya’s mediation frays as passports withdrawal exposes fragile balance in Somalia Nairobi’s attempt to broker a truce between Mogadishu and Jubaland has produced not a ceasefire but a fresh crisis — one that underlines how external actors, local strongmen and fragile federal institutions are reshaping Somalia’s political future. Hours after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud flew to Kismayo for high-stakes talks with Jubaland leader Ahmed “Madobe” Mohamed, Kenyan authorities reportedly revoked the travel documents of two…

Uganda and Somalia tighten security ties after joint gains against al‑Shabaab A Kampala meeting with eyes on intelligence, training, and the front lines Kampala—Somalia and Uganda have moved to deepen their security partnership after a fresh battlefield gain in southern Somalia, with both governments framing the moment as a chance to accelerate counterterrorism coordination in the Horn of Africa. On Tuesday in Kampala, Somalia’s Minister of Internal Security, Gen. Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartaag, met Uganda’s Minister of…

Gaza-bound flotilla reports drone attacks as European ministers push for urgent vote on sanctions Activists aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla off the Greek island of Crete say several of their vessels were targeted overnight by drones and experienced radio jamming and explosions — claims that add fresh urgency to a growing European push to punish both Hamas and hardline Israeli actors over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “We will not be intimidated,” say flotilla organisers The Global Sumud Flotilla, a coalition of 51 boats…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A heated row has erupted between two prominent Somali ministers, spotlighting corruption allegations swirling around Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre's administration. The conflict hinges on which official should serve as the nation's representative at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalin Fiqi opted for Mohamud Moalim, the current head of Somalia's disaster management agency, to take on WMO envoy duties. Meanwhile, Environment Minister Khadija Makhzoumi backed Guled…

In mid-January, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is slated to undergo a confidence vote, a move that could potentially lead to new elections as early as March. This development follows the ousting of his Finance Minister, Christian Lindner, after protracted disagreements about the government's economic strategy. Scholz cited a breakdown of trust as the reason for Lindner's dismissal, emphasizing that collaboration had become untenable. "He has broken my trust too often... Serious government work is not possible under such…

Mogadishu (AX) — On Sunday, the Somali Deputy Minister of Education, Ahmed Isman Ibrahim Daqare, alongside Abdirashid Jire Qalinle, Minister of State for Planning and International Cooperation, tendered their resignations due to the federal government's intentions to challenge certain regional authorities. Qalinle shared his apprehensions regarding what he perceives as discriminatory actions by the federal government against the regional governments of Jubbaland, Northeastern State, and SSC Khatumo. Daqare, in a similar…