Author: Abdihakim Kalale

Kenya’s Central Bank has announced it will lift its nine-year ban on licensing new commercial banks by July 1, 2025, marking a significant turning point for the country’s financial sector. The move is expected to usher in a wave of competition, innovation, and foreign investment in East Africa’s largest economy. The moratorium, which has been in place since November 2015, was originally imposed to address weaknesses in governance and risk management across the banking industry. Over the years, the pause allowed for major reforms and sector consolidation, positioning Kenya for a more robust financial future. In a statement released this…

Premier African Minerals Faces Uncertainty as Ethiopia Revokes Mining License of Key Partner Premier African Minerals Limited is navigating fresh turbulence after the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines revoked the Mining and License Agreement (MLA) held by Circum Minerals Limited, a company in which Premier has an indirect but substantial stake. The license termination comes amid an ongoing Force Majeure declared by Circum in September 2022—an extraordinary legal status that typically shields companies from penalties due to unforeseeable disruptions. Premier’s interest in Circum is held through Vortex Limited, which owns 36.7% of Circum’s shares. Premier itself holds a 13.1% stake in…

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, has initiated a sweeping cabinet reshuffle by removing key ministers, signaling a potential overhaul of the transitional government structure. Foreign Minister Ali Yousif and Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments Omer Bakhit were among those dismissed, both confirming their exits via separate social media statements. Their removal comes just five months after being appointed in a limited reshuffle that aimed to recalibrate the government during a period of escalating internal conflict. Yousif, reflecting on his tenure, expressed satisfaction with his contributions amid what he described as “enormous challenges.” He thanked his…

The war in Sudan has taken a devastating toll on the country’s health sector, with alarming reports of targeted violence against medical professionals. According to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate, more than 230 doctors have been killed since the conflict erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The syndicate’s Steering Committee revealed that nine female doctors were raped, and two others abducted when RSF fighters advanced into Gezira State. In addition, both warring factions are accused of arresting over 30 doctors and abducting at least 20 more, whose fates remain unknown. Adeeba Ibrahim Al-Sayed,…

The Somali National Army, with support from US Africa Command (AFRICOM), has launched decisive counteroffensives against al-Shabaab, killing at least 47 militants in separate operations in Middle Shabelle and South West State. The operations come amid growing concerns of a jihadist resurgence in Somalia following a series of bold al-Shabaab attacks. In the central town of Aadan Yabaal, Somali forces carried out a joint airstrike late Wednesday targeting a militant gathering. The Somali Ministry of Information confirmed that 12 al-Shabaab fighters — referred to as “Khawaarij” by the government — including senior operatives, were killed. The strike, coordinated with AFRICOM,…

As traditional powers like France and the United States lose influence across the continent, African nations are increasingly embracing Türkiye’s rising role as a strategic partner — one that promises mutual benefit rather than dominance. At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum held from April 11–13, Türkiye showcased its deepening ties with Africa through diplomacy, military cooperation, and economic engagement. Leaders such as Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud joined Turkish officials in a display of growing South–South solidarity. For many African nations, Türkiye’s “win-win” approach — rooted in respect, reciprocity, and shared development — is emerging as a credible “third way” amid…

Djibouti’s Council of Ministers has approved a new defense cooperation treaty with France, renewing and expanding military ties between the two countries for the next two decades. The agreement, which is set to be submitted to Djibouti’s Parliament for ratification, will be in force from 2025 to 2045. It marks a notable moment in France’s shifting Africa policy, as the country redirects its strategic focus from West to East Africa following major setbacks in the Sahel region. The treaty, signed in Paris on July 24, 2024, by President Emmanuel Macron and Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh, replaces a previous agreement…

A deepening dispute over land ownership between a British-owned tea company and a local community in Kenya’s Rift Valley is drawing attention to long-standing grievances over colonial-era land seizures and sparking broader concerns for the future of the country’s tea sector. Residents of the Kimasas community have occupied over 350 acres of tea-rich land on the Sitoi estate, claiming ancestral ties and citing a 1986 land donation from Eastern Produce Kenya (EPK). EPK, a subsidiary of UK-based Camellia Plc, disputes the size of the land transfer, maintaining that only 202 acres were legally gifted. Daniel Biwott, chairman of the Kimasas…

A forthcoming United Nations report has mapped complex logistical supply lines that continue to fuel the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, including routes extending through Chad, Libya, and potentially by air into Darfur, according to reviewed documents and diplomatic sources. The detailed findings, compiled by the UN Panel of Experts on Sudan and shared with Sudan Tribune, focus on the RSF’s evolving military logistics between May and October 2024. Investigators tracked activity at Am Djarass airport in eastern Chad—located close to Sudan’s border—but noted that while road corridors from the airport into Darfur had been identified, there was no…

Sudan’s de facto leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has received a formal invitation to visit Egypt from President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, as regional dynamics around the Sudan conflict continue to shift. The message was delivered in writing by the Egyptian ambassador to Sudan, Hani Salah, during a meeting held in Port Sudan on Wednesday. The session was also attended by Sudan’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Youssif. The invitation follows growing public divisions between Egypt and Saudi Arabia on one hand, and the United Arab Emirates on the other, over approaches to Sudan’s protracted war. The tension surfaced during an international…

Somaliland has formally suspended all peace negotiations with the Federal Government of Somalia, citing a “blatant violation of its sovereignty” following Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre’s unannounced visit to Las Anod on April 12. The decision, announced after an emergency cabinet meeting chaired by President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi “Irro,” marks a dramatic collapse of a decade-long dialogue process between the two sides. The Somaliland government denounced Barre’s visit to the contested Sool region as “a deliberate provocation and a breach of international norms and Somaliland’s territorial integrity.” “This act by the Prime Minister of Somalia undermines all efforts towards…

Militant group Al-Shabaab launched a coordinated attack on Adan Yabaal in central Somalia early Wednesday, targeting a town long used by government forces as a strategic base in their anti-insurgency campaign. The assault comes amid growing concern over the group’s territorial gains in recent weeks. Residents reported hearing explosions and heavy gunfire at dawn, with militants attacking from multiple directions. “After early morning prayers, we heard a deafening explosion, then gunfire,” said Fatuma Nur, a local resident sheltering indoors as fighting raged. Conflicting reports emerged on the outcome. A Somali army officer said government troops had repelled the attackers, while…

An international conference convened in London to address the escalating crisis in Sudan concluded on Tuesday without a unified statement, as divisions among key Arab states derailed efforts to present a coordinated global response. Led by the United Kingdom, the gathering aimed to establish a contact group under the African Union’s leadership and strengthen diplomatic alignment among nations with stakes in Sudan’s future. However, diplomatic sources confirmed that disagreements over language in the final communiqué—particularly between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—led to a breakdown in consensus. Egypt and Saudi Arabia reportedly objected to phrasing perceived as indirectly…

The Sudanese Armed Forces announced a fresh military gain on Tuesday, claiming the recapture of multiple strategic locations in western Omdurman from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as clashes between the rival factions intensify. According to a military statement, troops successfully took back control of Al-Safwa, Al-Hilla Al-Jadida, Al-Safirah village, and the Konan camp. The army also stated that mopping-up operations were ongoing to eliminate remaining RSF presence in the area. The military said it had neutralized dozens of RSF fighters, destroyed several armed vehicles, and was pursuing those who fled the battlefield. It described the latest operation as part…

Four men, including two Belgian nationals, a Vietnamese citizen, and a Kenyan accomplice, have pleaded guilty to wildlife trafficking charges after being caught attempting to smuggle thousands of live queen ants out of Kenya. The case, currently before the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Court, is being hailed as a landmark victory against biopiracy by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). Authorities intercepted over 5,000 queen ants—primarily from the prized Messor Cephalotes species, commonly known as the Giant African Harvester Ant—hidden inside specially modified test tubes and syringes filled with cotton wool. These makeshift containers were designed to keep the ants alive…

Over 270 African migrants, including a significant number of Ethiopians, attempted to escape from a detention facility in southeastern Myanmar on Sunday, voicing fears that they could be sent back to exploitative scam operations where they were previously subjected to forced labor and abuse. The group, rescued in a joint cross-border operation in February involving Myanmar, Thailand, and China, remains under the custody of the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA), an ethnic armed group in Myanmar’s Kayin State. Witnesses said tensions escalated after individuals believed to be connected to the scam compounds visited the site. Following the visit, detainees reported…