Washington — More than 20 people were killed and more than 10 others were wounded during two days of fighting between Islamic State fighters and security forces in Somalia’s Puntland region, officials said Tuesday. In an interview with VOA’s Somali Service, Brigadier General Mohammed Mohammed Ahmed, spokesman for Puntland security operations, said 15 Islamic State … Read more
Geneva – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned on Friday that Sudanese civilians are in greater danger than ever as ethnically motivated attacks and hate speech by the warring parties become “increasingly common”. “As the Sudanese Armed Forces [SAF] and rapid aid force [RSF] Fight for control at all costs in that … Read more
Sparrows Point, Maryland – Most Americans and visitors to the United States encounter Customs and Border Protection agents when they enter the country or return at land crossings or airports. But CBP is also responsible for inspecting goods going out of the country, which makes it an almost impossible task to try to stop all … Read more
Human Rights Watch has found that African governments continue to unfairly arrest political opponents, critics, activists, and journalists. The rights group also says armed forces and armed groups in some African countries have targeted civilians, killing them and driving them from their homes. The conflicts in Sudan and Ethiopia feature prominently in a Human Rights … Read more
Johannesburg – A rescue operation is underway at a gold mine in South Africa’s North West province, where hundreds of illegal miners have been trapped underground for months. Police confirmed on Tuesday that more than 50 bodies have been brought to the surface in the mine, while operations are underway to rescue those trapped underground. … Read more
Decades ago, Mozambique’s liberation party, FRELIMO, easily attracted hordes of admirers. The promise of liberation from Portuguese colonialists and a life with jobs and housing for all was an easy sell in the southern African nation suffering under racist rule. But when Frelimo’s Daniel Chapo becomes president on Wednesday, he will face more people dissatisfied … Read more
Nairobi, Kenya – Human rights groups in Kenya are blaming police for a recent increase in kidnappings of critics opposing government policies. Activists say at least 29 people are missing after raising concerns about poor administration. Kenyan cartoonist Gideon Kibet said he was followed by unidentified men onto a bus while leaving a meeting in … Read more
Washington — Somalia announced that obstacles to Ethiopia’s participation in the new African Union Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) have been cleared, and the finalization of the structure and size of Ethiopian forces is expected to be resolved shortly. Somalia had earlier threatened to expel Ethiopian troops from the African Union peacekeeping mission unless Ethiopia abandoned … Read more
Cairo – Sudan’s army and its allies have retaken a strategic town from the rebel Rapid Support Forces, officials said Saturday, dealing a major blow to the notorious paramilitary group which the United States has targeted in the country’s ongoing civil war. Was accused of committing genocide. The recapture of the city of Wad Medani, … Read more
Ethiopia relaunched its stock exchange, the Ethiopian Securities Exchange, on Friday after a 50-year absence. The Ethiopian Securities Exchange ceased operations in 1974 following a takeover by the communist military government. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described the relaunch as a “historic milestone” for Ethiopia’s economic and financial landscape. “We have officially rang the bell to … Read more