East Africa

Kenya to Reopen Border with Somalia After 15-Year Closure Kenya's decision to reopen its border with Somalia marks a significant step toward mending regional ties and enhancing security cooperation. The closure, initially instituted due to security concerns, is set to end in April, facilitating cross-border movement. Closure enforced in 2011 due to al-Shabab attacks. Upcoming April reopening announced by President William Ruto. Initial reopening plan in May 2023 reversed after attacks. A History of Conflict…

Egypt backs Somalia’s unity, rejects unilateral recognition at AU summit Friday February 13, 2026 Photo courtesy of Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Egypt reaffirmed its support for Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity and rejected any unilateral steps that could fragment the country, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said during talks with Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa. Abdelatty “categorically” rejected any unilateral…

Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia has lit a geopolitical fuse in the Horn of Africa. On Dec. 26, 2025, Israel became the first country to officially recognize North Western State of Somalia as an independent state, challenging Somalia’s territorial integrity and colliding head-on with a core African norm: that borders inherited at independence should remain intact. The move drew immediate regional and international pushback and opened a new chapter in great‑power maneuvering along one of the world’s most…

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan police arrested a 37-year-old dual citizen of Somalia and Australia, Nasir Egeh, at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi in connection with an ongoing fraud investigation, authorities said Thursday. The Kenya Police Service said Egeh was intercepted at Terminal 1A after arriving from Australia via Johannesburg on a Kenya Airways flight. He was flagged by an active immigration control alert issued on Jan. 30, 2026, linked to a case of obtaining money by false pretenses, according to a police…

Kenya to reopen Somalia border in April after 15-year closure, Ruto says MANDERA, Kenya — Kenya will reopen its border with Somalia in April, President William Ruto said Thursday, pledging tight security as his government moves to revive formal cross-border trade after years of closures tied to al-Shabab attacks. Speaking at the NYOTA Capital Disbursement event in Mandera, Ruto said he will personally officiate the reopening of the Mandera Border Post, which has been shut since 2011. “We cannot trade with closed borders. For…

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud unveiled a three-pronged diplomatic and legal campaign to overturn Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, warning the move threatens Somalia’s sovereignty and the security of the Red Sea corridor. He said Mogadishu is acting in close coordination with partners led by Saudi Arabia to contain what he called a reckless escalation. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Mohamud said any recognition of the self-declared Republic of North Western State of Somalia as an independent…

CAIRO — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Egypt’s defense minister, Gen. Abdel Mageed Saqr, on Wednesday attended a military formation ceremony for Egyptian troops preparing to deploy to Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). The event, held in Egypt, was also attended by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ahmed Khalifa and senior commanders, according to a statement from the Egyptian military spokesman. During the visit, officials received a detailed briefing on the preparation…

Hargeisa (AX) — The chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has voiced sharp concern over reports that a United Arab Emirates–linked training center has been established in Ethiopia for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, with potential supply routes running through North Western State of Somalia’s Port of Berbera. In a post on X on Tuesday, Sen. Jim Risch described the RSF as “genocidal RSF thugs” and warned that alleged training and transit activity tied to the UAE would be “escalatory and further reason to…

Zimbabwe’s cabinet has approved draft legislation that would reshape the presidency and could allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to extend his rule until 2030, senior officials said Tuesday. The proposals would shift the election of presidents from a direct popular vote to selection by members of parliament and lengthen presidential terms from five to seven years. Under the draft, presidents could serve a maximum of two seven‑year terms. Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the government plans public consultations before…

Tuesday February 10, 2026 Kenya’s deepening drought has left more than 2 million people facing hunger, with cattle-keeping communities in the northeast the hardest hit, according to the United Nations and other agencies. Stark images of emaciated livestock along the arid frontier near Somalia have shocked a region where climate extremes increasingly set the pace of daily life. For many families, the rains have grown shorter and more erratic in recent years, exposing entire districts to prolonged dry spells. In such cycles,…