Horn of Africa

Several police stations and security checkpoints in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, were attacked early on Wednesday, officials and militants said. It comes as the nation prepares for a much-delayed presidential election. Internal Security Minister Abdullahi Nor accused Al Shabaab militants of carrying out the attack. Al-Shabab spokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab, …

Ethiopian parliament on Tuesday voted for an early end to a six-month state of emergency, effective immediately, adding to signs that a bloody conflict between the government and rebellious Tigrayan forces could be easing, Reuters reports. It follows the proposal by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s cabinet last month to end …

The Tigray region’s top Islamic council announced that it has severed ties with the country’s umbrella body – the Ethiopia’s Islamic Affairs Council. This comes days after Tigray’s Orthodox religious leaders announced they had cut ties with the Ethiopian Orthodox church to establish their own synod. Muslim leaders say they …

At least two protesters have been shot dead as security forces confronted crowds marching in Sudan on Monday demanding the release of prisoners and an end to military rule, Reuters reports. Across the River Nile from Khartoum, soldiers fired teargas to try to disperse people who approached the disused parliament …

Thousands of protesters once again took to the streets of the capital of Sudan, Khartoum, to reject the October coup and demand the release of recently arrested politicians. Protesters are calling for the release of three politicians, members of the previous civil-military government, recently arrested. Pro-democracy protesters are also demonstrating …

Sudanese security forces arrested Mohamed al-Faki Suleiman, a member of the dissolved civil-military government, near his home in the capital Khartoum. This follows the arrest of two other politicians last week. They were part of a task force trying to dismantle the network established by the former president Omar al-Bashir, …

Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia will start teaching the Swahili language after signing an agreement with a Tanzanian university, state media EBC reports, citing the university’s president. The language studies will be facilitated by the University of Dar es Salaam. The move comes days after the African Union adopted Swahili …

A former civil administration minister in Sudan and another senior official were arrested in the latest crackdown on critics of the military government, local media reported. Khalid Omer Yousif and Wagdi Salih, another top official in the former administration, were arrested on Wednesday, according to their Forces of Freedom and …

The United States announced visa restrictions against current or former Somali officials whom it accused of undermining democratic processes. The restriction comes as the United States pushes for credible elections in Somalia – which have long been delayed. In a statement, State Secretary Antony Blinken said the visa restrictions applied …

Authorities in Ethiopia’s Oromia region have accused a rebel group of killing more than 160 civilians and burying 87 bodies in a mass grave, local media reported. The federal government has often accused the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) of being behind the killings of ethnic minorities living in the area. …