Preparation

Beledweyne (AX) – There are days in Beledweyne when the air hums with the kind of tension you cannot quite articulate. This Thursday was such a day. Muse Salad Wehliye, the esteemed Governor of Hiiraan, took a momentous step forward, as he examined the newly marshalled ranks of the Ma'awisleey local forces. These troops gathered under the morning sun, preparing for an impending campaign aimed at dislodging the entrenched al-Shabaab sanctuaries in western Hiiraan. These Ma'awisleey fighters, hailing proudly from the…

Mogadishu (AX) — Blimey, the Brits have dug deep, tossing an extra £7.5 million into the coffers to back the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, ATMIS. Their pot now brims with a whopping £77 million since 2021. This cash injection pays the brave souls from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda, anchoring ATMIS in their gritty mission. Mike Nithavrianakis, the UK's envoy to Somalia, banged the drum for Britain's enduring dedication to Somalia's defense and growth. He voiced, "Backing ATMIS isn't just…

Garowe (AX) – On Tuesday, Northeastern State's Information Minister, Engineer Mohamud Aydid Dirir, leveled accusations against Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, claiming he has dropped the ball on prepping for Somalia's 2026 elections.From Garowe, Dirir took a swing at the National Consultative Council (NCC) gathering, suggesting it's all smoke and mirrors to let President Hassan Sheikh angle for a term extension. "Hassan's autocratic ways have met their match," Dirir declared. "He'll get the boot from Villa Somalia…

In a notable response to potential unrest, authorities in Nigeria are bolstering police presence in several key states ahead of an anticipated national protest, driven by concerns over soaring living costs and dissatisfaction with current governance. Organized by the Take It Back movement, demonstrators have slated their gathering for October 1, coinciding with the nation’s 64th anniversary of independence. Protesters claim that the government has neglected the issues raised during their August rally. The Nigerian…

With the presidential election in Tunisia approaching in October, there’s a palpable tightening of the reins on dissent, particularly within the media, warns Bassam Khawaja, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch. He pointed out that at least five journalists find themselves incarcerated, simply for expressing their viewpoints. “This crackdown is systematically erasing criticism and stifling diverse opinions across Tunisia’s media landscape,” Khawaja noted. He elaborated that meaningful…

Hargeisa (AX) — The North Western of SomaliaElectoral Commission has officially handed over the candidacy certificates to three presidential contenders, signaling a significant ramp-up in preparation for the impending November elections. On Saturday, President Muse Bihi Abdi from the Kulmiye party, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro representing the Waddani party, and Faisal Ali Warabe of the UCID party were all conferred their certificates at the commission's Hargeisa headquarters. Besides these principal parties, seven…

MOGADISHU, Somalia | April's military battle involving loyal troops and supporters of the opposition to President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo's term extension may have fundamentally affected the bargaining power of spy chief Fahad Yasin after years of firm grip on the National Intelligence and Security Agency. . Before the unfortunate events sparked by Farmajo's plot to cling to power, Yasin, a former Al-Jazeera reporter, controlled the security agencies, even using them to attack political challengers, including carrying…