tensions

As Pope Leo XIV begins a 10-day tour of Africa, a growing rift between the Vatican and President Donald Trump’s administration has come sharply into focus. Ties between the Holy See and Washington have long shifted with the political winds. But tensions escalated after the Pope suggested over the weekend that a “delusion of omnipotence” was helping drive the war on Iran, prompting a swift rebuke from the US President. “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” Trump said. In a social media post, he branded the leader of the Catholic…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday moved to underscore Uganda’s deep and costly military involvement in Somalia, stressing that Kampala has continued to bankroll troop deployments beyond the African Union mandate and has absorbed heavy losses in hardware without compensation. The president’s remarks offered a diplomatic rebuttal to recent pointed comments from Uganda’s Chief of Defense Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who has drawn attention for his criticism of foreign influence in the Horn of…

Saturday April 11, 2026 Police officers walk towards bus for their deployment in Islamabad, Pakistan before planned US-Iran ceasefire talks With negotiators already on the move, the next round of US-Iran ceasefire talks has been plunged into fresh uncertainty. The United States delegation has left for Saturday’s planned discussions in Islamabad, Pakistan, while Iran’s government says its representatives have already landed. Yet even before the two sides sit down, Friday brought a new burst of friction that cast a shadow…

Somalia’s federal authorities and the semi-autonomous Puntland state have clashed repeatedly over who has the final say on governance, elections, and the wider constitutional direction of the country. The dispute has continued even as Somalia faces security threats from Al-Shabab and economic pressure across the region. At the core of the tension is a political question: whether federal institutions should lead reforms and national decision-making in a way Puntland believes must be treated as constitutional and agreed by…

BAIDOA, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government has introduced a nighttime curfew in Baidoa and barred civilians from carrying weapons in the city after dark, allowing only security personnel to do so, officials said. The restrictions were announced amid heightened security concerns tied to recent political shifts in South West State, where tensions have escalated in the wake of changes in the regional administration. Somali Police Commissioner Asad Osman Abdullahi, who has met with police officers in Baidoa over the past…

The escalating conflict in the Middle East is prompting a significant shift in oil procurement strategies among European and Asian buyers, who are increasingly turning to African oil-producing nations. These countries not only offer lower insurance costs but also promise more consistent delivery timelines compared to the high-risk regions of the Middle East. According to industry analysts, leading African energy players—namely Nigeria, Libya, Angola, Gabon, Mozambique, Namibia, and Tanzania—are being regarded as safer…

Monday March 30, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Southwest State on Sunday accused the federal government of turning Turkish-trained troops and military hardware donated by Türkiye against its own regional administration, a claim that adds fresh fuel to an already volatile political and security standoff. In a statement, the Southwest State presidency said forces trained by Türkiye for counterterrorism missions had been deployed in an operation directed at the regional leadership. It also alleged that Turkish drones were…

BAIDOA, Somalia — Intense fighting flared Monday on the outskirts of Baidoa, where Southwest State security forces battled troops from the Federal Government of Somalia backed by armed militias, according to officials and witnesses, in the latest sign that the region’s political standoff is deepening. The confrontation unfolded in the peri-urban belt around the city and involved both light and heavy weaponry. Southwest State media said its regional forces pushed back what it described as an attempt by “armed groups” to force…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - International partners are urging dialogue and restraint as tensions rise between Mogadishu and South West State, warning that the standoff could deepen Somalia's wider federal crisis. Calls for talks reflect the same kind of settlement logic usually associated with the National Consultative Council, where federal and regional leaders are expected to negotiate high-stakes disputes rather than escalate them. At its core, the confrontation is another test of Somalia's federal system and the limits of…

Friday March 27, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The United Kingdom has stepped up its warning as Somalia’s Southwest State faces rising political strain and a worsening security picture, with fears growing that clashes could erupt between federal authorities and regional forces. In a Friday press release, the British Embassy in Mogadishu said it is tracking developments closely and warned that the latest tensions could further destabilize a security environment already under severe strain. “Recent tensions risk further destabilising…