Ethiopia Excluded from New AU Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia

Ethiopia Excluded from New AU Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia

A senior Somali official confirmed on Saturday that Ethiopia will not be part of the new African Union peacekeeping mission starting in January. Voice Of America says, the exclusion follows a deadlock over a Memorandum of Understanding Ethiopia signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland earlier this year. Since 2007, African Union troops have operated in Somalia, first under AMISOM and then ATMIS, which will end its mandate this […]

November 11, 2024 4

Africa

Egypt, Somalia, and Eritrea Hold Summit As Relations Strain with Ethiopia

The leaders of Egypt, Somalia, and Eritrea, all of whom have tense relations with Ethiopia, gathered in Asmara, Eritrea’s capital indicates BBC Africa. An official statement emphasized the importance of respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity in the region, potentially alluding to Ethiopia’s ambitions for sea port access. Ethiopia was not directly mentioned, though recent diplomatic tensions have drawn Somalia closer to Egypt and Eritrea, both of which have long-standing disputes […]

October 11, 2024 8

Africa

Somalia cafe attack kills nine during Euro final

The death toll from a car bombing at a cafe in Somalia's capital Mogadishu that was packed with football fans watching the the Euro 2024 final has risen to nine, security sources said today. Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos after the powerful blast late Sunday, with people scrambling for safety and the main entrance to the cafe destroyed by the blaze. Mohamed Yusuf, an official […]

July 15, 2024 10

Africa

AU approves force shift amid Somalia security concerns

The African Union has endorsed the creation of a new force to replace more than 13,000 troops due to leave Somalia by year-end, amid fears that al Qaeda militants in the country are growing in power. Bloomberg Africa reports that troops from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi, and Djibouti, part of the so-called African Union Transition Mission, are due to leave by the end of December.

June 24, 2024 16

Africa

Africa plays big in a list of top global startup ‘ecosystem contenders’

By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency Africa has the potential to almost double its representation in a prestigious ranking of the world's top 100 startup hubs as cities from its unranked countries control the list of top contenders to watch out for, according to a global index. Currently, only 13 African countries feature in the Startup Blink’s Startup Ecosystem Report 2024, in a list […]

June 17, 2024 21

Africa

Somalia plugs 5G into its economic rebound

By Seth Onyango, bird story agency Somalia has received its first 5G installation, cranking up a series of reforms to revamp its economy after joining the East Africa Community (EAC). Hormuud Telecom Somalia Inc., its largest telco, rolled out faster internet speeds last month, signalling budding growth in the country's digital services industry. "As Somalia strides towards stability, the launch of 5G services by Hormuud Telecom emerges as […]

April 2, 2024 10

Africa

East Africa must prepare for more extreme rainfall during the short rainy season – new study

By David MacLeod, Cardiff University; Erik W. Kolstad, Uni Research; Katerina Michaelides, University of Bristol, and Michael Singer, Cardiff University East Africa has recently had an unprecedented series of failed rains. But some rainy seasons are bringing the opposite: huge amounts of rainfall. In the last few months of 2023, the rainy season known as the “short rains” was much wetter than normal. It brought severe flooding to […]

March 11, 2024 47

Africa

Somalia-Turkey maritime deal is a win for both countries, and not a power play for the Horn of Africa

By Brendon J. Cannon, Khalifa University A recent defence deal between Somalia and Turkey has great significance for Somalia and the region’s security. The agreement, which covers both land and sea, aims to enhance defence cooperation between Turkey and Somalia. It includes the possibility of Turkey providing both training and equipment for a Somali navy. Its near-term impact should, however, not be exaggerated. Instead, it should be […]

March 11, 2024 29

Africa

Cuban speaker in Kenya over fate of abducted doctors

Cuba's parliament speaker is visiting Nairobi in a bid to uncover the fate of two Cuban doctors abducted in Kenya by Somalia-based jihadists almost five years ago, its foreign ministry said. The mission by Esteban Lazo comes after Al-Shabaab claimed in a statement that the two doctors had been killed in a US air strike in Somalia last week. Lazo "has travelled to Kenya in order to engage in urgent […]

February 22, 2024 20