By Rédaction Africanews with AFP Somalia has passed a new constitution that will see lawmakers directly elected by the public for the first time. In recent years, MPs voted for the president, while clan heads and elders elected lawmakers in both the federal government and regional states. Described as “an historic victory” by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, the move was passed on Wednesday despite a boycott by an opposition alliance. “This becomes the first official constitution Somalia has had since the civil war, after the federal parliament decided to vote and approve it,” said MP Mohamed Hassan Bulale. President…
Author: Montage Africa
Rebels in Ethiopia’s restive Tigray region say they believe the federal authorities are preparing to “wage war” again the northern regional state. There have been reports that the Ethiopian National Defence Force has massed troops and equipment at multiple locations along the regional border. Tigray emerged from a two-year civil war in 2022 that saw federal forces, backed by militias and the Eritrean army, clash with rebels from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). It’s estimated that at least 600,000 people were killed in the conflict. A ceasefire held for more than two years, but there have been sporadic clashes…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP A torpedo fired by a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, whose navy said Wednesday it recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 people. The Iranian vessel sunk in the Indian Ocean was the Islamic Republic’s “prize ship,” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. It was one of the few instances of a submarine sinking a ship since World War II. The sinking of the IRIS Dena illustrates a US-Israeli military operation against Iran that is stretching beyond its borders. US President Donald Trump has said one of the key…
By Rédaction Africanews South Africa is seeking to produce a key HIV prevention drug locally as part of a broader effort to improve access to treatment and strengthen the country’s pharmaceutical industry. The government is working with international partners, including Unitaid and United States Pharmacopeia, to identify a domestic manufacturer capable of producing the long-acting HIV prevention medicine lenacapavir. The drug, developed by Gilead Sciences, is administered as an injection twice a year and has been seen as a promising tool in the fight against HIV. Officials say local production could make the medication more affordable and widely available in…
Computer tablet screens glow inside a row of partitioned booths at a new-style Ethiopian police station. There is no commotion. There is no front desk, no bench of anxiously waiting civilians, no officer calling out names. It is a pilot project of what is being called a “smart” – or unmanned – police station in the Bole district of the capital, Addis Ababa, is the latest chapter in Ethiopia’s bid to catch up with the digital revolution. A large monitor on the wall cycles through welcome messages as well as images of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. But at the moment…
A newly disclosed U.S. State Department document reveals plans to process up to 4,500 refugee applications per month from white South Africans — a figure that would significantly exceed President Donald Trump’s publicly stated global refugee cap for fiscal year 2026. The January 27 contracting document also details preparations underway at the U.S. embassy in Pretoria, including the installation of temporary processing facilities, signaling an accelerated effort to expand admissions from South Africa even as refugee entries from other regions remain sharply restricted. This story is written and edited by Global South World The U.S. aims to process 4,500 refugee…
By Rédaction Africanews Nigeria’s medical regulator has taken disciplinary action against three doctors in connection with the death of the young son of celebrated Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) announced the provisional suspension of the medical director of a Lagos-based private hospital along with two other physicians while investigations into the case continue. The decision follows the death of 21-month-old Nkanu Adichie-Esege, one of Adichie’s twins, who died on 7 January after complications reportedly developed during preliminary medical procedures at Euracare Hospital in Lagos. According to findings from the MDCN investigative panel,…
Conservative Anglican leaders from Africa, Asia, and Latin America gathered in Nigeria on Wednesday as part of a four-day meeting that could reshape the future of one of the world’s largest Christian communions over the recent appointment of the first female leader of the Anglican Church. The conference, organized by the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GAFCON), will debate proposals that could formalize a rift with parts of the Anglican world over same-sex marriage and the role of LGBTQ+ clergy. The meeting comes shortly after the Church of England installed Archbishop Sarah Mullally as the first woman to be archbishop…
On Sunday 1 February, a yellow, blue and white Sudan Airways jet landed on the runway at Khartoum International Airport. As 160 passengers stepped off the aircraft, they cheered, hugged each other and took selfies. This was only the second commercial flight to arrive in the city since 2023 – a significant milestone given the continued threat of drone attacks in a country riven by civil war. Weeks earlier, Sudan’s prime minister had declared 2026 would be “the year of peace”. Kamil Idris spoke in January as the military-led government announced its ministries would return to the country’s shattered capital.…
By Agencies U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the war with Iran could last longer than initially projected, saying Washington has the capability to continue military operations well beyond the four-to-five-week timeframe first outlined. The conflict, which began Saturday with a strike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has rapidly expanded across the region. The United States and Israel say their objectives include destroying Iran’s missile systems, naval forces and nuclear program, as well as halting its support for armed groups. Trump said the campaign was progressing “ahead of schedule” but stressed it would not become an endless…