Author: Abdihakim Kalale

To combat the gangs controlling Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, Kenya has pledged to send 600 more police officers to Haiti in the coming weeks. This deployment will increase the number of Kenyan officers in the Caribbean nation’s police force to 1,000, with personnel being gradually deployed since June. During a visit to Haiti, Kenyan President William Ruto expressed his support for transforming the current Kenya-led security mission into a full-fledged UN peacekeeping operation. Several other countries have also committed at least 1,900 additional troops. Despite these efforts, violence remains rampant in Haiti, with a UN human rights expert warning that…

Mohamed Kahin Ahmed, Somaliland’s Minister of Internal Affairs, has called on the Somali government to address the growing ties between Yemen’s Houthi rebels and the extremist group al-Shabaab. In an interview with Al Arabiya TV, Ahmed urged immediate action, warning that the cooperation between the two groups could destabilize regional security. “The alliance between the Houthis and al-Shabaab poses a significant threat to regional peace. The Somali government must take control of the situation and prevent further collaboration between these groups,” the minister stated. Ahmed highlighted that Somaliland cannot handle security challenges in the Red Sea region alone and called…

Kenya’s foreign exchange reserves reached a record high of 7.85 billion US dollars as of Thursday, marking an increase for the third consecutive week, according to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in its weekly financial market update released on Friday night. The CBK reported that reserves rose from 7.34 billion USD on August 29, covering about 3.8 months’ worth of imports. “As of September 19, usable foreign exchange reserves stood at 7.85 billion USD, providing 4.1 months of import cover. This meets the CBK’s statutory requirement to maintain at least 4 months of import cover,” the central bank stated.…

The World Bank has approved an additional $90 million in financing to expand the Djibouti Regional Economic Corridor, a significant infrastructure project aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and trade in the Horn of Africa. This latest funding increases the total project budget to $160 million, up from the initial $70 million approved in December 2021. The new funding will be allocated to the repair and maintenance of three sections of the Djibouti-Addis Southern Corridor, a crucial trade route linking Djibouti and Ethiopia. It will also support transit facilitation measures and provide technical assistance to Djibouti’s government for improved corridor management.…

The Sudanese army has successfully retaken a village near the strategic city of Wad Madani, a military source reported on Thursday. This development comes amid ongoing clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the central region of the country. The army regained control of Al-Shayqab, located approximately 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) north of Arab and 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) west of Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazirah state. The RSF, which captured Wad Madani in December and subsequently expanded its influence over much of Al Jazirah, attempted a counteroffensive to reclaim Al-Shayqab but was successfully…

Witnesses and local organizations are accusing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of perpetrating a new series of atrocities in villages within Sudan’s central Al Jazirah state, including killings and looting. Reports indicate that the violence occurred late last week. Eyewitnesses informed Sudanese media that RSF forces killed a civilian during looting operations in Hijaz. The Al Jazirah Conference, a local organization, claimed that the RSF killed four civilians in an assault on the village of Um Jalud on Thursday. According to resistance committees in the Abu Qouta area, RSF forces raided Kambo Musa village on Wednesday, where they reportedly demanded…

Djibouti has proposed an alternative port for South Sudan’s oil exports, highlighting the risks of depending on a single route, according to a statement from the South Sudanese government. Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Mahamoud Youssouf, presented the proposal during a meeting with South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir in Juba on Wednesday. Youssouf underscored the potential advantages of establishing a new oil corridor linking South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, stressing its potential to enhance regional economic integration. Youssouf also voiced Djibouti’s support for lifting sanctions against South Sudan, emphasizing the critical role of economic development in promoting regional stability. South Sudan’s Foreign…

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has lost an appeal against a ruling that allows it to be sued in Kenya over the dismissal of 185 content moderators. The moderators, who were employed by Sama, a Kenyan contractor for Meta, accuse the tech giant of unlawfully firing them after they attempted to form a union. The former moderators are now seeking $1.6 billion (€1.43 billion) in compensation. The Court of Appeals in Nairobi upheld an earlier decision by a Kenyan labor court, which found that Meta and Sama could be tried for alleged discrimination and violations of the moderators’ rights.…

On September 21, 2013, the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, became the site of one of the deadliest terror attacks in the country’s history. The upscale shopping center, popular among locals, expatriates, and tourists, was stormed by heavily armed gunmen affiliated with the Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab, resulting in a harrowing four-day siege that left 71 people dead, including 67 victims and four attackers, and more than 200 injured. The Attack: A Well-Coordinated AssaultThe assault began on a Saturday afternoon when four Al-Shabaab militants entered the mall, armed with AK-47 rifles and grenades. The attackers indiscriminately opened fire on…

Sudan’s annual inflation rate surged to 218.18% in August, up from 193.94% in July, exacerbating the country’s already severe economic crisis, according to a report released on Thursday by the Central Bureau of Statistics. The agency attributed the sharp rise in inflation primarily to the depreciation of the Sudanese pound against foreign currencies. The ongoing conflict and political instability have plunged Sudan into a severe economic downturn, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports for essentials like petroleum and wheat. Inflation in rural areas reached 237.70% in August, significantly higher than the 189.38% recorded in urban areas. The statistics agency…

Google is testing its AI-powered ultrasound devices in hospitals across Kenya as part of a study aimed at improving maternal health. Ultrasound is a medical imaging technique primarily used in prenatal care to examine internal organs and assess fetal health, gender, and overall development. However, only about 16% of pregnant women in Kenya have access to these services. “To address this gap, Jacaranda Health is collaborating with Google on an eight-month research project to explore how AI tools can support point-of-care ultrasound delivery in Kenya,” Google stated in a recent report. These new devices are smaller, more affordable, and energy-efficient…

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) declared a decisive victory over the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following a significant RSF assault on El Fasher on Thursday. According to an army spokesman, Nabil Abdallah, the RSF was repelled with heavy casualties and forced to retreat, abandoning “dozens of vehicles and hundreds of their fallen comrades.” In a separate statement, joint force spokesman Ahmed Hussein Mustafa confirmed the victory, stating that the RSF withdrew due to significant losses. The RSF’s attack on El Fasher marks a recent escalation in defiance of international appeals for a ceasefire. This escalation came just one day after…

The Sudanese health ministry announced on Thursday that the cholera outbreak sweeping through nine states has claimed 348 lives and infected over 11,000 people. The situation is worsening amid the country’s humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by heavy rains and flooding. According to the federal health ministry, the outbreak began on August 12 and has rapidly spread due to flooding and heavy rainfall, which have created ideal breeding conditions for disease vectors. A response campaign has reached 71% of Kassala and Wad Al-Hiliu, two of the most severely affected areas in eastern Sudan. Six states, including Kassala, River Nile, and Gedaref, reported…

Turkiye plans to meet separately with Somalia and Ethiopia to resolve a dispute over Ethiopia’s agreement to lease part of Somaliland’s coastline, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Thursday. Turkiye has already facilitated two rounds of talks between the East African neighbors to ease tensions. However, the third round, initially set for Tuesday in Ankara, was canceled. Tensions between the countries escalated in January when Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 kilometers of coastline from the self-declared Somaliland region in exchange for recognizing its independence. In response, Mogadishu declared the agreement illegal and threatened to expel thousands of Ethiopian troops in…

Kenya plans to facilitate the employment of 5,000–10,000 Kenyans abroad each week, according to Dr. Alfred Mutua, Cabinet Secretary for Labor and Social Protection. Speaking at a conference in Nairobi with private employment agencies and home care training centers, Dr. Mutua highlighted the government’s strategy, which includes partnering with financial institutions to provide credit to job seekers as a key measure to achieve this ambitious goal. “I want to see five to ten thousand people leaving the country each week. We have taken several steps, such as engaging financial institutions to extend credit to job seekers,” Mutua said. “With access…

A military helicopter carrying foreign peacekeepers crashed on Thursday outside Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, with all personnel on board, including three Ugandan soldiers serving under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), surviving the incident, according to security sources. A military official, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media, confirmed to Anadolu Agency that there were no fatalities resulting from the crash. However, neither ATMIS nor the Somali National Army (SNA) have issued an official statement regarding the incident so far. Sources indicated that all individuals on board were safely rescued, although it remains unclear whether…