Sunday May 17, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s stalled political transition has drawn fresh concern from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, which is pressing the country’s leaders to stay at the table after talks between the federal government and opposition figures failed to bridge major divides. In a statement released Saturday from Djibouti, the IGAD Secretariat said it had followed consultations held in Mogadishu from May 13 to 15 between the Federal Government of Somalia and opposition stakeholders. The…

By Abubakr Al-ShamahiWednesday March 25, 2026 As fighting grinds toward its first month, United States President Donald Trump is pressing a claim that “productive” talks with Iran are already paving the way to end the war he launched alongside Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — even as Iran’s senior leadership continues to flatly reject that account. With wartime messaging and competing propaganda clouding the picture, it remains difficult to determine what is happening behind the scenes. One way to cut through…

France Returns Djidji Ayokwe Drum to Côte d'Ivoire: A Step Toward Reconciliation In a significant move toward addressing historical injustices, France has officially returned the Djidji Ayokwe "talking drum" to Côte d'Ivoire. This drum, looted during a colonial military campaign in 1916, symbolizes not only the cultural heritage of the Ebrie tribe but also the broader reconciliation process between France and its former colonies. The three-meter-long drum served as a crucial means of communication for the Ebrie people,…