insert_link 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 […] todayJuly 15, 2024 9
insert_link 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. todayJune 24, 2024 15
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 […] todayJune 17, 2024 16
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 […] todayApril 2, 2024 8
insert_link 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 […] todayMarch 11, 2024 40
insert_link 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 […] todayMarch 11, 2024 24
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 […] todayFebruary 22, 2024 16
insert_link Africa Somaliland-Ethiopia port deal: international opposition flags complex Red Sea politics By Jutta Bakonyi, Durham University The memorandum of understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland announced on 1 January 2024 set off diplomatic rows in the Horn of Africa – and beyond. Details of the agreement are not publicly known, but both state leaders have touched on its content. Among the main elements: Ethiopia gets a 50-year lease on a strip of land on Somaliland’s Red Sea coast for naval […] todayFebruary 8, 2024 16
insert_link Africa Somalia’s rekindled aviation industry By Conrad Onyango, via bird story agency The recent opening of Somalia’s first plane maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility is the latest indicator of the country’s efforts to revive a civil aviation industry that collapsed more than 30 years ago. Christened the Blue Hangar, the facility in Mogadishu is a key step towards an independent industry, according to local officials, as it offers local flight maintenance capabilities. […] todayFebruary 6, 2024 29
