U.S

As AGOA’s clock runs out, U.S. influence in Africa faces a test After a quarter-century as the marquee U.S. trade tool for sub-Saharan Africa, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is poised to expire on September 30 — and with Congress preoccupied and polarized, the chances of a last-minute renewal look slim. The prospect is more than a technical lapse: it is a moment that forces a choice about how Washington wants to engage with a continent where other powers are already deepening economic ties. What AGOA has…

The U.S. Takes a Stand Against Corruption in Nigeria In a bold move signaling its commitment to tackling global corruption, the U.S. mission in Nigeria recently announced that government officials found guilty of corruption will face a significant consequence: denial of U.S. visas. With a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the mission made clear that "fighting corruption knows no borders." This statement resonates deeply in a country where the scars of corruption run deep, casting a long shadow over…

U.S. military chiefs visit North Western State of Somalia as Congress advances bill to deepen engagement HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Senior U.S. military officials overseeing East Africa operations met Monday with North Western State of Somalia’s new president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, in a rare high-level visit to Hargeisa that dovetailed with fresh momentum in Washington to widen America’s ties with the self-governing territory. The talks — which both sides described as focused on security…

Somalia’s defence minister breaks silence to defend Ilhan Omar — and signals a new kind of transnational politics When Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi took to Facebook this weekend to defend U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, it read less like a routine diplomatic note and more like an embrace. “If our daughter is being targeted for her identity, I will stand firmly with her,” Fiqi wrote, adding that as defence minister “I am making it clear that I stand with Ilhan.” The statement came after former U.S. President…

Somalia’s Deputy Foreign Minister meets Sen. Ted Cruz as North Western State of Somalia recognition debate intensifies On a quiet Saturday in Washington, a meeting that might have passed as routine diplomacy was anything but. Somalia’s deputy foreign minister, Ali Omar Ali—widely known by his nickname, Balcad—sat down with Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and has emerged as one of the most vocal advocates in Washington for recognizing North Western State of…

U.S. Praise in Bosaso, Local Anger in Sanaag: A Test of Counter‑ISIS Strategy in Somalia BOSASO, Somalia — In a carefully choreographed visit this past weekend, senior U.S. officials flew into Puntland State’s bustling port city of Bosaso to laud the region’s role in combating Islamic State fighters and protecting Somalia’s northern maritime approaches. The delegation — led by Ambassador Richard Riley and including Major General Claude Tudor and the head of U.S. special operations in East Africa, Colonel Benander — met with…

Deportees' Legal Battle Shines a Light on Ghana's Immigration Policies In a poignant and complex clash of rights and national policy, eleven Ghanaians recently returned from the United States are taking unprecedented legal action against their own government. These individuals, who were deported under the controversial immigration stance of the Trump administration, claim their detention upon arrival violated their rights. The case encapsulates the delicate interplay between international agreements and domestic law,…

U.S. bill to lift Zimbabwe sanctions opens a fraught debate over land, justice and global finance In Washington, a seemingly technical change to U.S. law has the potential to reopen some of the oldest wounds in southern Africa. A new bill in the House of Representatives would repeal a cornerstone of American policy toward Zimbabwe — the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA) of 2001 — removing a U.S. veto over loans, debt relief and funding from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. But the repeal…

U.S. halts support for Somalia’s elite Danab commandos, raising alarm as AU forces prepare to leave MOGADISHU, Somalia — The United States has suspended its support for Somalia’s elite Danab special forces, reliable sources told Axadle on Monday, a move that could reshape the fragile security balance as African Union troops prepare to withdraw next year. The decision, described to journalists by sources who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the subject, follows growing U.S. concerns about “accountability…

Kenyan man indicted in U.S. child-nutrition fraud probe as investigators trace money to Nairobi real estate