threats

JIGJIGA, Ethiopia (AX) — Mustafa Mohamed Omar, widely recognized as Mustafa Cagjar, the President of Ethiopia's Somali Regional State, has firmly rejected recent allegations asserting that his administration played a role in sowing division within the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). These claims originated from a faction of the ONLF, which has accused the regional government of intentionally causing a schism within the organization. In a revealing interview with BBC Somali, President Cagjar dismissed these…

Summit Highlights: A Call for Urgent Action in Somalia At the recent Extraordinary Summit of Troop Contributing Countries held in Entebbe, Uganda, regional leaders convened with a pressing sense of urgency. They voiced their deep concerns regarding the chronic underfunding of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission (AUSSOM). The conversation at this significant event pivoted around the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719, passed in December 2023, which authorizes the use of…

Greenland's new Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, firmly stated that the Arctic island will never be viewed as a mere "piece of property" to be acquired. His remarks come in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial suggestions regarding the sovereignty of the Danish autonomous territory, a proposal that Mr. Nielsen characterized as lacking fundamental respect. As he embarked on his inaugural visit to Denmark since taking office, the shadow of President Trump’s threats to take control of Greenland loomed…

Somalia PM Reshuffles Cabinet Amid Surging Al-Shabaab Attacks MOGADISHU, Somalia — On a dynamic Sunday morning, the corridors of Mogadishu echoed with the news of a significant political shake-up. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, with a strategic eye on the future, announced a substantial cabinet reshuffle. This decision was more than just a political maneuver. With less than a year before the federal government's term concludes, this reshuffle comes at a pivotal moment as the nation grapples with a surge in…

Mogadishu (AX) — The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has sounded the alarm, urgently calling for the rapid deployment of an additional 8,000 peacekeepers. This plea is made against the backdrop of escalating Al-Shabaab attacks, which have cast a long shadow over years of stabilization efforts in Somalia. The situation is becoming increasingly precarious, jeopardizing the hard-earned progress of the nation. During a ministerial meeting held in Kampala on Thursday, IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu…

On April 14, we marked a haunting eleven years since the tragic abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok by the extremist group Boko Haram in 2014. This incident did not merely shed light on the depths of human depravity but also highlighted the alarming systemic inadequacies in Nigeria's governance and security frameworks. Why, in a nation rich with resources and talent, do we continue to witness such harrowing events? Despite widespread condemnation and the fervent #BringBackOurGirls campaign, a staggering 90 of those…

The vibrant mural on the wall of the former US embassy in Tehran carries more weight than a mere splash of colors; it symbolizes the Iranian government's perspective on the complex negotiations with the United States. As Iran steps forward into a new round of talks with the United States, aimed at addressing its nuclear program, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed, “We are ready to engage with a view to seal a deal.” Yet, as with any entangled discourse, conditions apply. For Iran, it is imperative that US…

In an unfolding drama that is more reminiscent of a high-stakes poker game than international diplomacy, China announced on Tuesday its firm commitment to “fight to the end” against the United States’ recent threat of imposing yet another layer of tariffs—a staggering 50%—on Chinese imports. The backdrop to this intense tug of war is not just a simple case of two economic powerhouses having a disagreement. As the Commerce Ministry of China sternly articulated, the U.S.'s approach of imposing what it describes as…

Understanding the Persistent Threats: Pirates and Cruise Ships Imagine a serene cruise vacation turning into a scenario plucked from the pages of an adventure thriller. It's unsettling to even contemplate, isn't it? Yet history recounts moments when cruise ships found themselves under the menacing gaze of pirates. During a particularly audacious incident, passengers even resorted to throwing furniture in a bid to deter their attackers. Could this peril still lurk beneath the sunlit waves, and how do these magnificent…

During his recent visit to Greenland, U.S. Vice President JD Vance expressed strong concerns regarding Denmark's handling of security in the semi-autonomous territory, particularly in light of perceived threats from China and Russia. "Denmark has not kept pace and devoted the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view, to keep the people of Greenland safe from a lot of very aggressive incursions," he remarked. While Mr. Vance stated that the United States does not currently plan to expand its…