First Independent Mena Newspaper
Türkiye is steadily expanding its influence across Africa through a blend of diplomacy, military cooperation, and development initiatives, positioning itself as a strategic alternative to traditional powers like France and the United States. At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum held from 11-13 April, African leaders, including Somalia’s president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, gathered with Turkish officials, highlighting […]
Somalia has extended an offer to the United States for exclusive control over strategic airbases and ports in the Gulf of Aden, thus adding a new geopolitical twist to great-power competition in the Horn of Africa. In a letter from president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to U.S. president Donald Trump, Somalia proposed granting the U.S. operational […]
Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Ankara this week to reaffirm their countries’ strategic partnership, focusing on enhanced security cooperation and deepening economic ties. The leaders discussed a range of initiatives aimed at bolstering infrastructure, trade, and humanitarian aid, emphasizing Turkey’s role as a critical partner in […]
Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on Tuesday when his convoy was targeted by a roadside bomb in Mogadishu. The bomb exploded near the presidential palace as the president’s motorcade was leaving the building en route to the airport. The militant group Al-Shabaab, which has long waged attacks against the Somali […]
Somali security forces have successfully ended a 24-hour siege at a hotel in Beledweyne, central Somalia, killing all attackers from the U.S.-designated terrorist group, al-Shabab. The siege, which began with a car bomb and was followed by a gun battle, left at least 10 dead, including military officers and clan elders. The attackers, from the […]
At least six people perished Tuesday when al-Shabaab militants orchestrated a coordinated assault on a hotel in Beledweyne, central Somalia, where local elders and government officials had gathered for security discussions. The attackers initiated the siege by detonating a powerful car bomb before storming the building with gunfire. Social media footage revealed thick black smoke […]
A new report by Drone Wars UK has highlighted the alarming rise of military drone strikes across Africa, resulting in nearly 1,000 civilian deaths over the past three years. The report, titled ‘Death on Delivery’, warns that the uncontrolled spread of armed drones, primarily imported from countries like Turkey, China, and Iran, is exacerbating civilian […]
The East African Community (EAC) is grappling with a severe financial crisis, with member states failing to remit over $62 million in contributions for the 2024/25 financial year. The bloc, which comprises Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, has seen its programs delayed, while salaries for staff […]
After nearly two months of intense combat, Puntland forces in Somalia claim to have successfully pushed back Islamic State (IS) militants, dealing significant blows to the terror group in the region. However, despite recent victories, experts warn that the IS may attempt to regroup and continue its operations across the Horn of Africa. The offensive, […]
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the world’s most expensive region when it comes to transferring remittances, with an average cost of transferring money of 8.37% in the second quarter of 2024, according to the World Bank’s most recent report. This cost remains significantly above the global average, despite the increasing importance of remittances in the region’s economies. […]