rejects

Mozambique’s memory of election violence tests trust in courts and rights to protest When former presidential contender Venancio Mondlane publicly disavowed calls for street demonstrations this week, he was trying to steer what has become an anxious ritual in Mozambique away from confrontation and toward commemoration. “I did not call for demonstrations,” he told supporters; “I called for a day of reflection” to honour those killed in the unrest that followed last year’s disputed election — among them his lawyer, slain…

When a diploma isn’t the barrier — a passport is Mustaf Moha­­med Takoy had done everything right. He won a full scholarship to study a master’s in Environment and International Development at the University of Copenhagen, bought health insurance, secured an acceptance letter and packed the hope of a better future. Then Denmark’s immigration service told him that his Somali passport was not a valid travel document — and that was that. Mustaf’s story, relayed in a short but stark exchange with Danish authorities, speaks to…

Puntland State’s opposition rejects reported North Western State of Somalia understanding — and the political ground shifts In Garowe, the political heart of Puntland State, four opposition parties walked into a hastily called meeting and walked out with a message sharper than usual for Somalia’s notoriously tempered political language: whatever “understanding” was reportedly reached between Puntland State and neighboring North Western State of Somalia, they want no part of it. The parties — Ifiye, Mustaqbal, Mideeye, and…

Somalia as a Stage: Can Mogadishu Keep Egypt and Ethiopia from Turning It Into Another Front? When Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told the BBC Somali Service this week that his country “will not be a host to proxy wars” between Egypt and Ethiopia, he was addressing more than a regional spat over Nile water and peacekeepers. He was speaking to a fragile nation that has long been a canvas for others’ ambitions — and to a neighbourhood where resource rivalries are increasingly exported as power politics. Mohamud’s…

Somalia’s president rejects the idea of a proxy war as Egyptian and Ethiopian forces prepare to serve side by side President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s calm confidence — “there will be no proxy war” — is as much a diplomatic posture as it is a strategic calculation. His reassurance, given in an interview with the BBC, comes as Egypt prepares to send troops to Somalia as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission that already includes Ethiopian units. The announcement has unexpectedly exposed one of the Horn of Africa’s most…

Estonia says Russian jets briefly crossed its airspace, raising NATO fears of spillover Estonia accused three Russian MiG‑31 fighters of violating its airspace near the tiny island of Vaindloo on Thursday, an incursion that lasted roughly 12 minutes and deepened Western worries that Moscow’s war in Ukraine could accidentally — or deliberately — spill beyond the battlefield. Moscow denied the claim, saying the aircraft remained over neutral waters. Quick scramble, sharp words Italian F‑35s operating under NATO’s Baltic Air…

Somalia’s Political Crossroads: A Call for Electoral Unity MOGADISHU — As Somalia grapples with an ever-complex political landscape, former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has sounded a clarion call for urgency and unity in electoral matters. In his latest press conference held in Mogadishu, the leader of the opposition Salvation Forum vehemently opposed any attempts to extend the current government’s constitutional mandate, stating, “There is still ample time to conduct a credible and inclusive election before May 15,…

Analysis: Aid Spat Between Northeastern State and Mogadishu Exposes Fragile Federal Ties In Somalia’s rugged northeast, where the wind-carved ridges of the Cal Miskaad range fall to the sea, a familiar political quarrel is spilling into the humanitarian lane. Northeastern State officials and Somalia’s national disaster agency are trading accusations over who blocked lifesaving support to freshly secured areas — and why. It’s a dispute with real consequences for wounded soldiers, displaced families and the credibility of a…

SFF president Ali Abdi Mohamed (sporting a blue shirt)The Somalia Football Federation (SFF) has firmly rejected any allegations of bias among its referees.The federation emphasized its dedication to elevating the country's football to meet global standards. In a statement, the SFF highlighted the role of football as more than just a pastime; it's a source of jobs for young people, a deterrent from negative influences, and a glue holding the nation together despite its ongoing security troubles. "Some naysayers have been…

Former nurse Lucy Letby, now a convicted murderer, has faced a setback in her attempt to overturn her conviction for the attempted murder of a baby girl. In a recent session at the British Court of Appeal, her legal team sought permission to challenge the verdict from a retrial held in July, where she was found guilty of attempting to take the life of an infant known only as Child K. Letby's attorneys argued that the charge of attempted murder should have been halted, describing it as an "abuse of process." They claimed…