West-Africa

by Sagal-Louise HaiderSaturday April 18, 2026 In Mogadishu’s historic Xamar Weyne district, Fakhr ad-Din Mosque endures as a medieval landmark with deep global roots — and mounting vulnerability. A photograph released by the African Union-United Nations Information Support Team shows a view of the Mogadishu fishing harbor from the Aruba Hotel, Mogadishu, Somalia, Aug. 6, 2012. (Photo courtesy of Sagal-Louise Haider) At the center of Somalia’s capital, Fakhr ad-Din Mosque sits almost in silence. Dating to no later than 1269,…

Friday April 17, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — After days of commercial strain in Somalia’s capital, authorities in Mogadishu moved on Thursday to enforce an order compelling traders to accept the Somali shilling. Banadir Regional Governor Hassan Mohamed Hussein Muungaab issued the directive in response to mounting complaints that refusal to take the national currency had disrupted everyday business and public transport across the city. Under the order, any trader who declines the Somali shilling will be regarded as violating the…

Friday April 17, 2026 A hard look at how political engineering, donor influence, and institutional frailty are shaping the future of the Somali state By Dr. Ali Said Faqi Two decades on, federalism in Somalia remains less a finished settlement than a work in progress — one whose contradictions now appear to threaten the stability it was meant to protect. Somalia officially embraced federalism in 2004 as a political arrangement designed to help rebuild a country shattered by collapse and civil war. It was widely viewed as a…

Friday April 17, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) - The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has issued a sharp rebuke of Israel’s decision to name a diplomatic representative to North Western State of Somalia, the self-declared region in northwestern Somalia. In a statement shared Thursday on social media platform X, the OIC said the move amounted to a breach of Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, while referring to Israel as the “occupying power.” The organization reaffirmed its full support for the Federal…

In a move that has sparked widespread outcry, activist and opposition figure Zainab Sheriff was sentenced to four years in prison for incitement. Known not only for her political stance but also as a model and musician, Sheriff was arrested in February after she voiced her criticisms regarding alleged electoral fraud at a political event. The contentious results of the 2023 general elections have ignited fierce debate, with numerous opposition leaders challenging the legitimacy of the polls that allowed President Julius…

Friday April 17, 2026 Istanbul (AX) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Thursday in Istanbul, underscoring a relationship that has steadily widened beyond diplomacy into energy, trade and security. The talks took place at the Dolmabahce Presidential Office, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate. Erdogan said Ankara would keep moving to deepen ties with Somalia across a range of areas, with trade and energy at the forefront. He pointed to the start of operations…

Friday April 17, 2026 Tehran is floating a plan to settle Hormuz transit payments in its own currency, a move Iranian officials say could bolster the rial and unlock as much as $15 billion a year in revenue. / Reuters A proposed bill to formalise Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz is being framed in Tehran as more than a territorial assertion: it is also intended to give the rial a stronger foothold in regional financial dealings, according to Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency. Ahmad Naderi, a member of…

Friday April 17, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia and India have signaled a renewed push to deepen their ties after a meeting in Mogadishu between Somalia’s foreign minister and India’s newly appointed ambassador. Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdisalam Ali, received the copy of credentials of Dr. Adarsh Swaika, India’s ambassador to Somalia, who is resident in Nairobi, at a ceremony on Wednesday at the ministry’s headquarters in Mogadishu. According to a statement from the ministry, the…

Friday April 17, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State’s Cabinet has called on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to work toward a broad political settlement on Somalia’s elections, warning that a prolonged standoff could deepen the country’s instability. The appeal came after a Cabinet session chaired by Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni, during which ministers examined the national political climate following the official expiration of the federal parliament’s four-year mandate on April 14, 2026. “The Council calls on…

A shocking new survey highlights a distressing trend in Liberia: a staggering 90% of women reportedly use antibiotics monthly to address their menstrual issues. This revelation has alarmed health experts, who label the findings "frightening" and express deep concern about the potential for escalating antibiotic resistance within the nation. Antibiotic misuse has long been a significant issue plaguing Liberia's healthcare system. Health officials are increasingly worried that the very medications essential for treating…