MOGADISHU, Somalia — The families of crew members aboard the hijacked commercial vessel “MT Eureka” say Somali pirates have raised their ransom demand to $10 million, deepening fears for the sailors being held off the Somali coast. Amiira Mohamed, the wife of Egyptian engineer Mohamed Radi, who is among eight Egyptian sailors on the ship, said her husband was briefly allowed to call her by phone. “He told me the situation is very difficult and pleaded for anyone who can help to intervene for their release,” she said.…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOWednesday May 6, 2026 Muslim Religious leaders drawn from SUPKEM during the meeting. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO Religious leaders in Northeastern are sounding the alarm over what they describe as a “silent epidemic” of HIV and AIDS, calling for immediate, coordinated action to confront a health challenge they say is spreading under the weight of stigma and denial. The warning came during a high-level meeting in Garissa convened by the National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC) in collaboration with the…

By Abdi Ismail SamatarSaturday April 25, 2026 Turkey has cast Somalia as a gateway to the Horn of Africa and, potentially, far beyond. But that ambition can only take root if Somalia first regains political stability. Trying to rebuild the Somali Defence Force without a clear national political framework is like setting out on a long trip with no map. In 2011, the West bluntly blamed al-Shabaab for Somalia’s famine. Yet the deeper cause was American policy under the Obama Administration, which blocked food deliveries to…

The Liberian government has urged its citizens to remain calm as diplomatic discussions are underway to address the escalating tensions along the Liberia-Guinea border. This call for tranquility comes in the wake of a significant incident that has raised concerns about national sovereignty and regional stability. Reports indicate that Guinean soldiers recently crossed into Liberian territory in Lofa County, where they prominently removed the Liberian flag and replaced it with their own at the Sorlumba Port of Entry. This…

Angola's New NGO Law Raises Alarms Over Civil Liberties President João Lourenço has signed into law new legislation regulating the operation of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups in Angola, stirring significant concern among civil society. Organizations like Human Rights Watch have raised alarms about the severe implications this law could have on civic freedoms within the country. The new legislation grants authorities expansive powers to authorize, monitor, suspend, and financially restrict NGOs under…

In Mogadishu, a small but determined push against a tide of falsehoods MOGADISHU — For three days in late October, a conference room in the Somali capital hummed with the sort of quiet urgency that has come to define journalism in fragile states: laptops open, phones muted, trainers and trainees leaning into the same problem — how to stop lies from becoming news. The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), with funding from the Australian government via its High Commission in Nairobi, brought 32 reporters, editors…

Conflicting decisions between, on the one hand, the National Assembly authorizing national deputies to be heard by the courts and, on the other hand, the Senate rejecting the waiver of the immunity of certain members of this House. Voices have been raised to mourn the scandal over senators' attitudes that, according to some structures, have hampered justice.…

BAIDOA, Somalia - Ethiopia's National Defense Forces gathered in several parts of the southwest and raised flags before the planned battle with Al-Shabaab militants, who still control large parts of the countryside in central and southern Somalia, as the military works hard to liberate many cities. ENDF troops are key security stakeholders in the Horn of Africa and have been associated with the liberation of key areas, which were once under the linked al-Qaeda group that controls internal parts of the country. The…

Somalia's partners raise concerns over Mogadishu violence MOGADISHU, Somalia - A number of Somalia's international partners have expressed concern over escalating violence in the capital Mogadishu, which escalated on Sunday after heavy fighting that created troops loyal to outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and opposition leaders. For most of Sunday, troops exchanged fire…

After criticism, Biden says he wants to raise the U.S. ceiling on footage of refugees U.S. President Joe Biden said Saturday he will raise the ceiling for the number of refugees admitted to the United States this year, a day after he criticized Democratic lawmakers for agreeing to keep the historically low figure in place. Biden signed an order on Friday to extend a ceiling of 15,000…