U.S

U.S. Embassy in Somalia Scales Back Services as Washington Shutdown Ripples Overseas Mogadishu — The U.S. Embassy in Somalia said Wednesday it is curtailing some regular operations following a federal government shutdown in Washington, underscoring how a budget stalemate in Congress can reverberate far beyond the Beltway and into one of the world’s most complex diplomatic environments. “Due to the lapse in appropriations, this X account will not be updated regularly until full operations resume, with the exception of…

Turnabout in U.S. Visa Policy: A New Chapter for Ghana In a significant diplomatic shift, the Ghanaian government joyously announced the reversal of U.S. visa restrictions, a decision hailed as a triumph for relations between the two nations. Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) during the bustling backdrop of the United Nations General Assembly, marking a pivotal moment in Ghana's international standing. A Step Toward Enhanced Mobility "Ghanaians can now be eligible for five-year…

Mass shooting and arson at Michigan Mormon church leaves at least four dead; suspect killed A gunman who drove his vehicle through the front doors of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, fired an assault-style rifle at worshippers, set the sanctuary on fire and was later killed in a confrontation with responding officers, authorities said Sunday. Local officials said at least four people were confirmed dead and eight were hospitalised, though investigators warned the…

U.S. launches fresh strike against ISIS-Somalia in Cal-Miskaad mountains MOGADISHU — The U.S. military carried out a precision airstrike late last week in the Cal-Miskaad mountain range near Bosaso, targeting fighters from the Islamic State in Somalia (ISIS-Somalia), U.S. Africa Command said Monday. The operation is the latest in a sustained campaign of air attacks that U.S. officials say are aimed at degrading the group’s ability to threaten American interests, Somali forces and regional allies. The strike, conducted in…

West African Deportees Find Uncertain Futures After US Return In a swift turn of events, eleven West African nationals have returned to their home countries after being deported to Ghana by U.S. authorities. This decisive action is more than just a legal maneuver; it casts a long shadow on the ongoing conversation about human rights, immigration policies, and the fate of vulnerable individuals caught in the crossfire of international agreements. A Cautionary Tale of Deportation The group's saga began with a glimmer of…

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…