Author: Abdihakim Kalale

Morocco’s government has announced a wide-ranging package of social and political reforms following a surge of youth-led protests demanding action on inequality, corruption, and poor public services. The reforms, revealed through state media, include plans to improve healthcare and education systems, expand youth participation in politics, and strengthen transparency within political parties. Authorities said the 2026 draft budget will prioritise social spending, with substantial funding directed toward public health and education. Over 27,000 new jobs are expected to be created in these sectors, according to official reports. One of the proposed bills encourages young Moroccans under 35 to engage in…

Namibia has confirmed its first case of mpox in the coastal city of Swakopmund, prompting the government to declare an outbreak and activate emergency response measures. According to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, the patient is currently in stable condition and receiving treatment in isolation at Swakopmund District Hospital. Health Minister Esperance Luvindao said investigations revealed that the case may be linked to recent travel across Southern African Development Community (SADC) borders. “All immediate contacts are being traced and monitored while surveillance teams remain on the ground,” the minister noted in an official statement. Mpox, a viral disease…

Cameroon’s Constitutional Council has confirmed that it will officially declare the results of the 2025 presidential election on Thursday, October 23, at 10:30 a.m. during a formal session at the Yaoundé Convention Center. The announcement will determine who will lead the country for the next seven years, marking a crucial moment in Cameroon’s political history. The Council, which is the only body legally empowered to publish the final results, received all electoral materials from the National Commission for the General Vote Counting following the October 12 election. Officials say the delay in releasing results is due to Cameroon’s manual vote-counting…

Somali police officers who received advanced training in Türkiye are now playing an increasingly vital role in improving their country’s security and institutional strength. The partnership reflects growing cooperation between Mogadishu and Ankara in the areas of policing, counterterrorism, and migration management. Since 2012, Türkiye has supported Somalia’s efforts to rebuild its police force, which suffered major setbacks following the civil war and the collapse of central authority in the early 1990s. The collaboration expanded further with Türkiye’s Police Academy and the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy offering specialized programs to Somali cadets and officers. Officials say dozens of Somali…

South Africa is strengthening ties with Türkiye after years of limited engagement, as rising trade tensions with the United States push Pretoria to seek new international partners. The revival of a long-delayed cooperation mechanism between the two nations marks a major step toward diversified global partnerships. The Türkiye–South Africa Bi-National Commission, initially agreed upon in 2012, officially became operational on October 15, creating a permanent framework to regulate bilateral relations. Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who led the delegation to Türkiye this week, said the activation represents a new phase in political, economic, and trade cooperation. Reviving Long-Delayed Cooperation Speaking at…

Egypt has announced that it will continue consultations with Iran, the United States, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in a bid to help advance discussions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate telephone discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, focusing on potential steps toward resolving the long-standing nuclear dispute. According to the ministry, the exchanges took place as part of ongoing regional diplomatic efforts aimed at maintaining security, reducing tensions, and building on progress achieved…

Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU-PF, has launched a political initiative to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s presidency by two additional years — a move that could see the 83-year-old leader remain in power until 2030. The proposal was formally endorsed during the party’s annual conference in the eastern city of Mutare, where delegates unanimously supported a resolution instructing the government to draft constitutional amendments enabling the extension. Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, who also serves as ZANU-PF’s legal secretary, announced the decision, describing it as part of an effort to ensure “continuity and stability” in government policy. Party Divisions Emerge While the motion…

Nigeria’s military has rejected claims of a planned coup against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the reports circulating online as “false and malicious.” The allegations, which spread rapidly on social media and several local websites, suggested that sixteen soldiers — including a brigadier general and a colonel — had been detained for plotting to overthrow the government. In a statement released on Saturday, Defence Headquarters spokesperson Brigadier General Tukur Gusau dismissed the reports as fabrications intended to sow fear and distrust among citizens. “These claims are completely unfounded and made in bad faith. They are designed to create panic and…

Mali has officially handed over the production of its biometric passports from the French company IDEMIA to China’s EMPTECH, in a move the government says reinforces national control over digital data and identity systems. The Chinese firm, officially known as Shenzhen Emperor Technology Co., Ltd., will oversee the design, production, and supply of Mali’s new AES e-passport, which meets the latest International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) security standards. According to the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection, the change marks a new stage in Mali’s digital modernization strategy. Officials said the new system will enhance data protection, improve service delivery,…

Mozambique has called on Turkish companies to boost investments in its fast-growing energy and logistics sectors, highlighting new opportunities for industrial cooperation between the two nations. Speaking during the Turkey-Africa Economic and Business Forum (TABEF 2025), Mozambique’s Secretary of State for Industry and Commerce, António Grispos, said his country offers long-term prospects in energy generation and transport infrastructure. “Mozambique’s corridors — Nacala, Beira, and Maputo — are vital trade routes connecting regional markets,” Grispos told delegates in Istanbul. “We invite Turkish businesses to participate in developing ports, roads, power plants, and logistics facilities that support these routes.” He noted that…

Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) president Joseph Kabila has resurfaced in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to rally opposition forces against what he called the “authoritarian rule” of President Félix Tshisekedi. Kabila, who ruled the vast Central African nation from 2001 to 2019, met this week with several opposition and civil society leaders to form what they described as a campaign to “save the DRC from crisis.”A statement released after the two-day meeting urged citizens to unite in peaceful resistance and accused the current government of undermining dialogue and worsening economic hardship. Government Downplays Opposition Gathering The Congolese government dismissed the…

Cameroon’s tense political atmosphere intensified this week after an arson attack on the ruling party’s office in Dschang, western Cameroon, as the nation awaits the final results of the October 12 presidential election. The Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (RDPC) office was set ablaze late Wednesday, with images of the burning building spreading widely on social media. Secretary General Jean Nkuete condemned the incident and vowed to pursue legal action against those responsible. The attack came amid mounting disputes over the vote, with opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary declaring himself the winner and accusing the government of large-scale electoral fraud. Tchiroma,…

Thousands of mourners filled Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Friday to pay their final respects to former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a political icon who died in India earlier this week at the age of 80. Crowds waving Kenyan flags and carrying portraits of the late leader chanted his name and sang political songs as Odinga’s coffin, draped in the national flag, arrived in a ceremonial military procession. Security around the stadium was heightened, with police and army officers deployed after three people were killed on Thursday during chaotic scenes at the public body-viewing ceremony. Among the dignitaries…

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is set to deploy an electoral observation mission to Tanzania ahead of the country’s presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections scheduled for October 29. The regional bloc announced that the mission will officially be launched on October 21, with Malawi’s former Speaker of Parliament, Richard Msowoya, appointed as the head of the observer team. The deployment comes under the leadership of Malawian President Peter Mutharika, who currently chairs the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation. According to SADC officials, the mission will evaluate all phases of the electoral process — before, during,…

Senegal’s Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene has confirmed that at least 20 people have died following a Rift Valley fever outbreak that began in late September. The ministry said the viral disease — which primarily affects livestock but can also infect humans — has spread rapidly in the northern Saint Louis region, where 159 of the 171 recorded cases have been reported. Laboratory confirmation of the disease was first made on September 20, marking the start of the country’s latest public health alert. According to the ministry’s latest update, Senegal has so far recorded 20 deaths and 128 recoveries…

Madagascar’s military leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, has declared himself the country’s new head of state following the ousting of President Andry Rajoelina, marking another major political upheaval in the Indian Ocean island nation. Speaking from his barracks in Antananarivo on Wednesday, Randrianirina announced that he was “assuming the position of president” after the High Constitutional Court invited him to take charge in the absence of Rajoelina, who fled the country amid a military uprising. The colonel said he expects to be sworn in within days, adding that the army’s intervention was necessary to prevent further instability. “We had to take…