Author: Abdihakim Kalale

The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), in coordination with Somalia’s federal government, launched an airstrike against al-Shabaab militants near the Adan Yabaal district in the Middle Shabelle region on April 16, 2025. According to an AFRICOM statement released Monday, the precision strike resulted in no civilian casualties, though the number of militants killed has not been publicly disclosed. The operation followed a coordinated al-Shabaab assault on Adan Yabaal earlier that day, which forced Somali government forces to retreat after heavy fighting. Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group, has recently intensified its insurgency, capturing strategic areas and targeting both local and international…

A tragic incident occurred outside Kenya’s Nairobi National Park when a 14-year-old girl was killed by a lioness that had entered a residential area bordering the park. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) confirmed the attack took place on Saturday night after the lioness jumped over a makeshift fence surrounding a ranch. The young girl was inside a house with another teenager when the lioness attacked. According to KWS spokesperson Paul Udoto, there is no indication of provocation. The second teenager quickly raised the alarm, prompting a swift response from KWS rangers and emergency teams. The girl’s body was found along…

Somaliland officials have confirmed the death of Farah Aydiid Jama, believed to be an Ethiopian consulate official in Garowe, Puntland. He was reportedly killed on April 20 by suspected Al-Shabaab militants, though the Ethiopian government has yet to confirm his death or his role at the consulate. A letter circulated by local media described Jama as a coordinator supporting Ethiopian citizens in border areas. According to the Attorney General of Khatumo State, Jama was abducted from his home in Las Anod, tortured, and executed. His body, bearing signs of severe abuse, was found in a valley outside the city. Investigations…

Kenya and Ethiopia have signed a new agreement aimed at accelerating trade between their border communities through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The deal, signed in Mombasa by senior government officials from both countries, is designed to implement a simplified trade regime that will ease cross-border commerce and promote regional integration. Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry, Lee Kinyanjui, emphasized that the partnership seeks to address long-standing trade barriers in the Moyale region. “We want to ensure that people at the border can trade freely and easily. This agreement brings us closer to realizing that goal,”…

The death of Pope Francis has triggered an outpouring of condolences and reflections from across Africa, where the Catholic Church plays a central role in spiritual and social life. Political leaders, major religious institutions, and millions of ordinary citizens are mourning a figure remembered for his humility, compassion, and dedication to justice. As the global Catholic Church prepares for a conclave, many in Africa are turning their attention to the possibility of an African successor — including Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Turkson. Condolences Across the Continent From presidents to religious leaders, figures across Africa have expressed their sorrow at the passing…

President William Ruto is set to make his inaugural state visit to China, marking a new chapter in Kenya’s expanding partnership with Beijing. The five-day trip, beginning on April 22, 2025, aims to enhance Kenya’s economic standing through discussions on key infrastructure projects, including the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the dualing of the Rironi–Mau Summit highway. The visit will see Ruto engage with top Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, to solidify agreements in various sectors like trade, agriculture, and technology transfer. The discussions will focus on financing Kenya’s ambitious projects and…

Ethiopia has officially announced its bid to join the BRICS-led New Development Bank (NDB), signaling its intention to deepen economic ties with emerging global partners and strengthen key domestic sectors. According to Ethiopia’s ambassador to Brazil, Leulseged Tadese Abebe, Addis Ababa has submitted a formal membership application and is awaiting final confirmation. “We are fully committed to all frameworks within the BRICS structure, and the New Development Bank is a vital pillar for us,” said the ambassador. He noted that the country has received strong political backing from existing BRICS member states and expressed optimism that the membership process will…

A Sudanese oil firm has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two Russian companies to strengthen cooperation in petroleum services, signaling deepening ties between Khartoum and Moscow ahead of a major bilateral summit. The agreement, signed Saturday, brings together Sudan’s Bashayer Pipeline Company (BAPCO), Russia’s Al-Rossi Global Services, and the state-owned Zarubezhneft. The deal comes just days before the upcoming Sudan-Russia Joint Ministerial Committee meeting, which is expected to cover a wide range of cooperation, particularly in the extractive industries. Sudan’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum confirmed the MoU signing, which took place in the presence of Russian Embassy…

Somali security forces faced a major security breach late Saturday night after militant group Al-Shabaab carried out a coordinated attack on military positions in Elasha Biyaha, a strategically located area just 15 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu. The assault, which began with explosions and was followed by hours of heavy gunfire, targeted personnel from the Somali National Army (SNA) and the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). Eyewitnesses described intense clashes involving both light and heavy weapons, leaving several casualties. The government has yet to release official figures on the number of dead or injured. Elasha Biyaha has long been a…

Sudan’s ongoing civil war has taken a troubling turn as evidence emerges linking Bulgarian-made weapons, originally exported to the United Arab Emirates, to fighters on the ground. Despite a European Union arms embargo on Sudan, 15,000 mortar shells manufactured by Bulgaria’s Dunarit company were reportedly used by Sudanese paramilitary forces, raising fresh concerns about illicit arms flows fueling the brutal conflict. The weapons, according to Bulgarian officials, were legally sold to the UAE’s Ministry of Defense in 2020. Sofia maintains that it has not violated any sanctions, citing end-user certificates and proper documentation. “The products were delivered to a government…

Tanzania’s leading opposition party, CHADEMA, has raised alarm over the mysterious whereabouts of its leader Tundu Lissu, who was arrested last week on treason charges. According to party officials, lawyers, and family members, repeated attempts to locate Lissu at Keko Prison in Dar es Salaam on Friday were unsuccessful, prompting concerns over his safety and detention conditions. Lissu, a former presidential candidate and vocal critic of the government, has been in custody since April 9 following allegations that he incited rebellion during a recent speech. Authorities have yet to allow him to enter a plea, and the charges have sparked…

The death toll from a devastating boat fire and capsizing on the Congo River earlier this week has risen to 148, with more than 100 people still missing, officials confirmed on Friday. The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday when a wooden vessel carrying around 500 passengers caught fire and sank near the town of Mbandaka in the country’s north-west. The fire reportedly started when a passenger was cooking on board the boat, which quickly spread, leading to chaos as people attempted to escape. Many passengers, including women and children, jumped into the river in panic but drowned as they were…

According to Shabelle Media Network United States has formally opposed a United Nations initiative to finance the African Union’s new mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM, raising concerns about the future of efforts to stabilize the country and combat al-Shabaab insurgents. AUSSOM, which began operations in January 2025, aims to support Somalia’s security forces and consolidate peace in areas liberated from militants. The mission is set to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which is gradually winding down its operations. Ahead of a key U.N. Security Council vote on May 15, Washington declared its opposition to a…

In the fierce struggle for African liberation, few names resonate with such electrifying clarity as Patrice Émery Lumumba. The first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a towering figure in Africa’s anti-colonial history, Lumumba’s life was both a beacon of resistance and a tragedy forged by imperial betrayal. Though assassinated within months of Congo’s independence, his vision of a free, united, and sovereign Africa continues to burn in the hearts of those who reject subjugation in all its forms. Origins of a Revolutionary: From Humble Beginnings Born on July 2, 1925, in Onalua, in the Kasai…

In the annals of modern African history, few names shine as brightly and controversially as that of Thomas Sankara, the revolutionary leader of Burkina Faso whose short tenure from 1983 to 1987 shook the very foundations of neocolonialism, corruption, and complacency in Africa. Known as “Africa’s Che Guevara,” Sankara was much more than a symbol of radicalism; he was a pragmatic visionary who sought to redefine what it meant to be free, African, and independent in a post-colonial world still held hostage by Western interests. Early Life: The Birth of a Revolutionary Born on December 21, 1949, in Yako, a…

Tanzania has announced a bold new trade policy stance, threatening to impose sweeping restrictions on agricultural imports from Malawi and South Africa unless the two countries lift what it calls unfair non-tariff barriers on Tanzanian farm products. Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe delivered the ultimatum via social media, warning that Dar es Salaam will suspend all fertilizer exports to Malawi and halt the transit of agricultural goods from both nations through Tanzanian territory—including its ports—if the restrictions are not lifted by Wednesday next week. Bashe criticized the continued bans on key Tanzanian exports such as bananas, flour, maize, ginger, and rice.…