Author: Abdihakim Kalale

Sudan’s gold production reached 64 tonnes in 2024, marking a 53% increase from 2022, according to the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC). The legal exports generated approximately $1.57 billion, offering critical revenue for the war-torn country’s struggling economy. SMRC Director Mohamed Tahir Omer announced the figures during a press briefing in Cairo. The agency projects 37 tonnes of production in the first half of 2025 alone, potentially yielding over 403 billion Sudanese pounds in revenue. Despite this rise, gold smuggling remains a persistent problem. Nearly half of Sudan’s output is believed to be illicitly exported across borders, particularly from mines…

Ethiopia is undergoing a visible transformation. In the capital Addis Ababa, once rubble-filled streets are giving way to high-rise apartments, parks, and bicycle paths. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s vision for a modern capital reflects a wider ambition: to liberalise and revitalise one of Africa’s historically state-led economies. Following years of centrally planned growth and state dominance, Ethiopia — with over 135 million citizens — has started easing restrictions and opening key sectors to global investors. The liberalisation push gained pace after the country defaulted on its external debt in 2023, following years of civil war and economic strain. Seeking international…

Burkina Faso’s transitional government has officially dissolved the country’s independent electoral commission, citing financial inefficiency and a desire to ensure national ownership of future electoral processes. The announcement was made via state broadcaster RTB, confirming that the Interior Ministry will now oversee the management of elections. Authorities stated the electoral commission had received an annual subsidy of approximately $870,000, which they described as an unnecessary expenditure. Minister of Territorial Administration Emile Zerbo explained that the move aims to reduce external influence on the electoral process while reinforcing Burkina Faso’s political sovereignty. Since taking leadership in 2022, the government has postponed…

Equity Group Holdings Plc, Kenya’s largest financial institution, plans to open a new office in the United Arab Emirates in the fourth quarter of 2025, aiming to strengthen trade and investment links between Africa and the Gulf region. The expansion is part of Equity’s strategy to tap into deep capital pools and logistics networks in the Middle East, particularly as Gulf nations increase their focus on African investment. According to CEO James Mwangi, the bank is in the final stages of obtaining regulatory approvals for the move. Equity joins other African financial giants like Absa Group, Standard Bank, and United…

Somalia’s Police Commander, Major General Asad Osman Abdullahi, held a meeting with senior female police officers to discuss strengthening security and advancing women’s roles in the country’s security sector. The meeting emphasized the government’s ongoing efforts to promote gender inclusion within the police and military, recognizing the increasing number of women holding leadership positions across Somalia’s armed forces. Describing the women as “courageous,” the Somali Police Force praised their commitment and growing impact on national stability. These officers have become role models for young Somali women, encouraging broader female participation in national service. In recent years, Somalia has seen notable…

A massive meteorite from Mars discovered in the deserts of Niger has sold for over $5.3 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York, marking the highest known sale for a Martian rock. Weighing 24.5kg and measuring nearly 38cm in length, the specimen—named NWA 16788—is the largest Martian rock ever recovered on Earth. It was unearthed in November 2023 in a remote region of Niger, a country in Africa’s Sahel zone increasingly recognized for its geological wealth. Sotheby’s described the meteorite as “unbelievably rare,” noting that only around 400 Martian meteorites have ever been documented globally. The chances of such…

U.S. Air Campaign Expands in Somalia Amid Militant ResurgenceThe United States has carried out 51 airstrikes in Somalia this year, marking the most intense phase of its drone operations in the Horn of Africa since 2019. Despite the growing number of air raids, Al-Shabaab and Islamic State militants have recently regained control of key territories, raising questions about the effectiveness of foreign military efforts. The latest strikes, conducted on July 13, targeted Daesh (ISS) fighters in the Cal Miskaad mountains in Puntland’s Bari region. These operations supported Operation Hilaac—a Puntland-led counterterrorism initiative launched in late 2024 to dismantle Daesh networks…

Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve has been officially recognized by the World Book of Records as the site of the “World’s Greatest Annual Terrestrial Wildlife Migration,” celebrating the movement of over 1.5 million wildebeests, zebras, and antelopes from Tanzania’s Serengeti to the Mara. In a letter to Narok County Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu, World Book of Records President Santosh Shukla praised Kenya’s global role in environmental preservation and sustainable eco-tourism. Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano called the recognition “a win for the planet,” crediting local communities and authorities for their conservation efforts. Governor Ntutu emphasized the reserve’s importance to global biodiversity…

Reliable sources near the Ethiopia-Eritrea border have confirmed that Eritrean troops launched a heavy artillery attack this evening on the town of Bure, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region. Bure sits on the tense border between the two countries, just 80 kilometers from the vital Eritrean port city of Assab. The town is also a key point on the Awash–Assab trade corridor, which Ethiopia once used for sea access before relations with Eritrea were severed. The town of Bure has long been a flashpoint between Eritrea and Ethiopia. It was one of the main areas contested during the 1998–2000 border war.…

Tensions are escalating in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, two and a half years after the Pretoria peace agreement ended a devastating civil war between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopia’s federal government. Despite the agreement, fears of renewed conflict have emerged, with residents in Mekele, Tigray’s capital, reporting anxiety, rising costs, and growing insecurity. Observers increasingly point to Eritrea as a destabilizing force. During the war, Eritrean troops supported Ethiopian forces against the TPLF. Now, Eritrea is reportedly backing armed factions and seeking to exploit Tigray’s political divisions, especially after a power split between TPLF chairman Debretsion Gebremichael…

The Sudanese army announced that it successfully repelled a large-scale assault by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. According to military officials, troops from the 6th Infantry Division and allied forces inflicted heavy losses on RSF fighters in both personnel and equipment. However, the violence also reached civilian areas. Medical sources reported that RSF artillery shelling hit the Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced persons, killing at least eight civilians, injuring others, and destroying multiple homes. El-Fasher remains a critical center for humanitarian operations in Darfur. The city has endured a prolonged RSF siege…

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has called on the international community to lift the sanctions and arms embargo that have been in place since the country’s civil conflict erupted in December 2013. Speaking at the opening session of the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly in Juba, Kiir said these restrictions are obstructing security reforms and national development. He emphasized that South Sudan’s foreign policy is rooted in peaceful coexistence and regional cooperation, and urged immediate removal of the embargo to enable progress. The UN arms embargo, enforced since 2018, bans weapons transfers and external military support to armed factions in…

Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) has detained 82 individuals suspected of links to the Daesh group’s Somali branch, according to a report by the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting. Authorities say the suspects are connected to the Daesh faction operating in Somalia’s Puntland region and had been trained to carry out attacks inside Ethiopia. Intelligence officials claim the group aimed to create covert cells throughout the country as part of a broader infiltration plan. The arrests follow months of surveillance, during which NISS tracked the group’s movement across borders and monitored efforts to embed operatives within local communities. The Daesh-Somalia…

As Cameroon heads toward its October 2025 presidential elections, Serge Espoir Matomba, leader of the PURS party and presidential hopeful, is calling for a bold shift away from colonial legacies. At the heart of his campaign is a demand for Cameroon to cut ties with the France-backed CFA franc currency and assert full control over its economy, politics, and national identity. Matomba is proposing a new political direction rooted in sovereignty and self-reliance, echoing the recent moves by the Alliance of Sahel States. His platform outlines major reforms, including adopting a new constitution, replacing French and English as official languages…

Egyptian officials and analysts have reacted positively to recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the long-standing Nile water dispute with Ethiopia. Speaking at the White House alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump voiced support for Egypt’s position and expressed his willingness to mediate a resolution over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). “If I were Egypt, I’d want water in the Nile,” Trump said, highlighting Egypt’s heavy dependence on the river, which supplies over 97% of its freshwater. He criticized the Ethiopian dam project for limiting the flow of Nile water, reiterating a claim he made in…

As Somali-American State Senator Omar Fateh campaigns to become the next mayor of Minneapolis, he is facing a wave of Islamophobic and racially charged attacks. Far-right voices have questioned his loyalty and background, especially after a past campaign clip showed him calling Somalia “home.” Critics have used this to cast doubt on his American identity, sparking viral disinformation and doctored images online. Despite the hostility, Fateh’s campaign has gained momentum, drawing comparisons to Zohran Mamdani—the Muslim democratic socialist who recently defeated Andrew Cuomo in New York’s Democratic mayoral primary. Both Fateh and Mamdani are sons of immigrants, rooted in grassroots…