West-Africa

By IRENE MWANGISaturday May 9, 2026 A passenger vehicle traveling in Mandera East Constituency came under a deadly ambush on Saturday morning, leaving at least six people dead and several others nursing injuries after suspected gunmen opened fire. The attack took place at Beer-Awayon village on the road connecting Mandera town and Arabia town, where the vehicle was headed before it was struck by heavy gunfire. According to preliminary reports, armed assailants intercepted the vehicle and opened fire, killing several…

Saturday May 9, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s opposition-backed Somali Future Council said Saturday that it will move ahead with Sunday’s demonstrations over forced evictions and demolitions in Mogadishu, brushing aside government demands that the protest be confined to one official venue. The council said the rallies would remain peaceful and would unfold across districts in the Banadir region. It accused the federal government of pushing residents out of homes and businesses without proper legal procedure, compensation,…

By Khadar AfrahSaturday May 9, 2026 In Mogadishu’s Warlaliska neighbourhood on the evening of 6 May 2026, gunfire from federal government forces cut down civilians in a clash that had nothing to do with Al-Shabaab. The violence erupted during the government’s own land clearance drive — a wave of forced removals from public and private property that has swept across the capital in recent weeks. Among the dead was three-year-old Musamil Yusuf Osman. Casualties were reported on both sides. Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed…

Saturday May 9, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A fresh wave of arrests and harassment targeting journalists in Mogadishu has drawn sharp condemnation from the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), which says police and intelligence officers detained multiple media workers over the past week as political temperatures climbed in the capital. In a statement issued Saturday, NUSOJ said reporters and camera operators from Kalsan TV, Goobjoog Media Group, Shabelle Media Network, Somali Stream, Somali Cable TV and Kaab TV were…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOSaturday May 9, 2026 Garissa County Assembly Speaker Abdi Idle speaking to journalists in his office. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO Garissa County Assembly Speaker Abdi Idle has issued a stark warning to MCAs who repeatedly skip sittings, saying prolonged absenteeism could cost them their seats under the assembly’s standing orders. Addressing reporters in his office, Idle said the pattern of missing House business was hampering the assembly’s work and slowing down the passage of key motions and bills intended to serve…

Saturday May 9, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud landed in Djibouti City on Friday at the head of a Somali delegation, joining regional leaders for the inauguration of Djibouti’s re-elected President, Ismail Omar Guelleh. At the airport, the Somali president and his delegation were welcomed by Djibouti Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed and other senior officials, a reception that highlighted the long-standing ties and cooperation between the two neighboring countries. President Hassan…

Saturday May 9, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has urged the country’s leaders to use the final days of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term to build an inclusive electoral process that all political stakeholders can accept, warning that failure to do so could deepen instability. In remarks on Friday, Farmaajo said Friday, May 15, 2026, will mark the end of President Hassan Sheikh’s constitutional term, and he emphasized that Somalia now needs broad agreement on the path ahead for…

Saturday May 9, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — North Western State of Somalia stepped up its push for foreign investment on Thursday, as a delegation led by Trade and Tourism Minister Abdirahman Hassan Nur met with Israeli business representatives in Addis Ababa to explore deeper commercial ties. In a statement, North Western State of Somalia’s Ministry of Trade and Tourism said the discussions centered on broadening economic cooperation across agriculture, energy, technology, infrastructure, financial services and healthcare. The…

Friday May 8, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia's federal government says it plans to construct 12,000 homes to help resettle nearly 80,000 people living in informal settlements and other locations deemed unsafe or unsuitable across the country. Announcing the initiative in Mogadishu on Friday, Minister of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing Ayuub Ismail said the program is designed to assist families residing in high-risk areas, including flood-prone zones, government-owned land and land close to public facilities such as…

By  ADAM SCHRECK and AUDREY McAVOYFriday May 8, 2026 This locator map shows Iran and its capital, Tehran. (AP Photo) The Iran war’s fragile ceasefire came under fresh pressure Friday after the United Arab Emirates said it had responded to a missile and drone attack, just hours after the U.S. announced it had stopped attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and carried out retaliatory strikes on Iranian military sites. As Iranian and U.S. negotiators continue searching for a way to end the fighting, both sides have…