Kenyan currency takes a beating as foreign reserves plunge to a year low, breaches EAC law
Kenya is facing an acute foreign exchange crunch, with US dollar reserves dropping to their lowest in eight years as its currency keeps plummeting against major global currencies. According to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), the plunge of the Kenyan shilling has been so substantial that it has even...
Somalia’s new strategy to cripple Al Shabaab: Weaken insurgents militarily, undermine its philosophy and operational efficiency
Three months after reclaiming the presidential office, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud resolved to root out al-Shabaab from Somalia. The new administration formed a unified front comprising local players, federal member states, religious leaders and external actors to confront al-Shabaab on military, religious and financial grounds. This coalition put al-Shabaab on the...
Nigeria elections commission promises to address grievances of presidential poll losers
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will “redress” the “grievances” of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) regarding the presidential election outcome. Festus Okoye, INEC national commissioner for information, spoke while addressing members of the PDP who protested at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. TheCable had reported how the...
Hazy US, Nato policy on Ukraine war sets stage for disruption of world economies and security
One of the most striking aspects about the past year is how little debate we’ve seen over US and Nato policy on Russian-Ukraine war. This is not to say that there is only one right position on Ukraine. Nor does it mean that there are not some deranged people who...
Muting criticism of US stand on Ukraine war encourages nuclear conflict, which Moscow is spoiling for
There is a disturbing aspect to the discourse in Washington DC and European capitals surrounding the war in Ukraine that seeks to quash any dissent from the official narrative surrounding Nato’s military support for Ukraine. As the world was thrust into Cold War 2.0, the Western commentariat dusted off the...
France announces radical policy change in Africa, vows to respect sovereignty of former colonies
The era of French interference in African affairs is “well over”, President Emmanuel Macron said in Gabon during his four-nation tour of central Africa. Speaking on the fringes of an environment summit in the Gabonese capital Libreville, Macron said France harboured no desire to return to past policies of interfering...
South Africa greylisted by G-20 for failing to act firmly on money laundering, terrorist financing
The greylisting of South Africa last month by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has made waves in the country, occupying substantial media attention. South Africa became only the second G20 country to have been greylisted other than Turkey – an embarrassing fall from grace. Nigeria’s addition to the list...
Somali national security adviser says Kenya and Ethiopia will contribute more troops to fight Al-Shabaab
Three neighbouring countries of Somalia are to send new troops to support Somali forces against al-Shabab in the next phase of military operations, the national security adviser for the Somali president said. In an interview with VOA’s Somali Service on Wednesday, Hussein Sheikh-Ali said Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya will be...
Without giving actual numbers, new UN report says violence in South Sudan is up 87 per cent
Violence against South Sudanese civilians increased sharply at the end of last year according to the United Nations (UN) mission in the world’s youngest country. The latest quarterly brief compiled by UNMISS shows the number of civilians “harmed” was up 87 per cent – without giving actual numbers – for...
Ukraine reporter’s diary: When I visited Lidiia last she refused to move and vowed ‘I want to die in my bed’
The last time I visited Lidiia – an 85-year-old woman who lived alone in Mariinka, a town along the ‘line of contact’ that has been largely reduced to rubble – was in early February 2022, a couple of weeks before the full-scale invasion. The fighting around Mariinka was already intensifying,...
