Horn of Africa Becoming “Battleground” for Rival Gulf Monarchies
The Horn — that comprises Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea — is a highly strategic spot on one of the world’s busiest trade routes between the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean and lies just across the Red Sea from the Middle East. … The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has the most visible — and most criticised — presence in eastern Africa. Its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries in Sudan is widely documented, albeit officially denied. … The competition is forging new alliances. There are rumours of a military agreement in the works between Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Somalia in order to counter Emirati influence. Somalia already cancelled all existing agreements with the UAE last month. Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country with some 130 million people, is also being drawn into the power plays. … The mega-rich Gulf monarchies have a dangerous amount of influence over the poor, conflict-ridden countries of east Africa, said Ethiopian researcher Biraanu Gammachu. “It’s an asymmetric relation between emerging middle power countries and donor-dependent states… The Gulf countries’ influence in the Red Sea sustains the instability in the region,” he said. AFP
Turkey Deploys F-16 Fighter Jets to Support Somali Army, Defense Minister Says
Turkey has deployed F-16 fighter jets to support the Somali National Army, Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi announced Wednesday. Speaking at the defense ministry headquarters in Mogadishu during the handover ceremony of the new army chief, Fiqi said the jets are intended to strengthen Somalia’s air capabilities and provide strategic support in counterterrorism operations. “The arrival of Turkey’s F-16s marks a significant boost to the Somali National Army’s operational capacity,” Fiqi said. “This partnership will enhance our ability to protect our borders and maintain security across the country.” The deployment comes as Somali forces continue operations against al-Shabaab insurgents in southern and central Somalia, where the militant group frequently attacks military and civilian targets. Turkey has long been a key partner of Somalia, providing military training, equipment, and infrastructure support. Analysts say the addition of F-16s signals a deepening of Ankara’s military engagement in the Horn of Africa. The Somali government has not disclosed the number of jets deployed or specific operational plans. On Tuesday, Turkish F-16s were seen flying low over Mogadishu, raising questions about the scope of their deployment. Garowe Online
AFRICOM Signals Deeper US Security, Economic Engagement in East Africa
The Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R.M. Anderson said Washington is seeking to more closely align security cooperation with economic investment across Africa, citing recent engagements in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti as part of a broader strategy to address growing security threats while fostering stability and development. Speaking during a digital press briefing yesterday, General Anderson said he recently concluded a joint visit to East Africa with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, where discussions focused on counterterrorism, regional security, and the link between stability and economic growth. … Addressing regional security, Anderson said [militant threats] continue to expand across Africa, including in East Africa, where he said cooperation with Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti is focused on countering extremist networks and their cross-border linkages. … Looking ahead, Anderson said AFRICOM is working with other US agencies to integrate security, economic, and diplomatic tools, describing the approach as essential to creating “operational independence” for African partners. “Security leads to stability, stability creates opportunities for investment, and those investments lead to prosperity,” he said, adding that the command is exploring similar models across the continent, including in major infrastructure corridors. Addis Standard
South Sudan: UN Forced to Suspend Food Aid After “Unacceptable” Attacks on Convoy
South Sudan is buckling under a fresh wave of violence and displacement, after attacks and looting halted a major UN food convoy in restive Upper Nile state and clashes continue to spread in neighbouring Jonglei. As fighting intensifies there between opposition forces and national troops, there are reports of airstrikes and daily civilian casualties. … The renewed violence comes as South Sudan’s 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement continue to fall apart amid stalled reforms, rising political tensions ahead of planned elections in 2026, and mounting pressure from more than one million refugees fleeing the brutal war in neighbouring Sudan. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday suspended all activities in Baliet County, Upper Nile state, following repeated attacks on a convoy carrying humanitarian assistance down river. Between last Friday and Sunday, a 12-boat convoy transporting more than 1,500 metric tonnes of food and other relief items was attacked several times by armed youth. The cargo was later looted in multiple locations, despite receiving prior security assurances for the safe passage of aid. UN News
Sudan Army Chief Bars Ex-Premier from Return, Rejects Chemical Arms Probe
Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said on Friday that former prime minister Abdalla Hamdok and his political allies would never be allowed to return to Sudan, rejecting opposition allegations that the military used chemical weapons during the civil war. … The comments come after Somoud said it had met with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague to request a committee investigate alleged chemical weapons use by the army in combat zones against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). … Hamdok, who served as prime minister during a transitional period following the 2019 overthrow of Omar al-Bashir, has led opposition to the military from exile since the conflict began. Sudan Tribune
What to Know About the Attacks in Nigeria That Killed Over 160 People
Gunmen killed scores of people during an attack on two villages in Western Nigeria in one of the deadliest assaults in the West African country in recent months. The attack on Tuesday evening targeted the neighboring villages of Woro and Nuku, in Kwara state. A lawmaker who represents the area said that at least 162 people were killed, while Amnesty International said the gunmen killed over 170 people, razed homes and looted shops. The rights group deplored “a stunning security failure.” There has been a surge of deadly attacks and kidnappings by Islamic militants and armed gangs in Nigeria in recent months, as the country’s overstretched military has struggled to contain an array of security challenges. Nigeria is in the grip of a complex security crisis, including an insurgency by Islamic militants and a surge in kidnappings for ransom by criminal gangs. For years, so-called “bandits” have mainly been active in northwestern Nigeria, but they have recently been moving to other parts of the country including Kwara state. Islamic militants have also been increasingly active in Kwara as a decades-long insurgency, which until recently mostly affected northeastern Nigeria, has spilled over to western and central regions. AP
Nigeria: Troops Nab Suspected ISWAP Logistics Supplier, Secure Refugee Return in Borno
Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI, have arrested a suspected logistics supplier to ISWAP terrorists and facilitated the safe repatriation of 700 Nigerian refugees from Cameroon into Borno. A credible military source revealed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja. The source said the second phase of the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon was successfully conducted at the Banki border in Bama Local Government Area. He said that troops of 152 Task Force Battalion, alongside other security agencies, provided maximum security during and after the exercise to ensure the safety of the returnees. … The source further revealed that combined troops of 273 Task Force Tank Battalion and 29 Task Force Brigade apprehended a suspected ISWAP/JAS logistics supplier at Jakana village in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno on Monday. News Agency of Nigeria
How a Job Offer in Ukraine Turned Tragic for a Kenyan
Grief has engulfed the quiet village of Riateri in Bonchari, Kisii County, following the death of 29-year-old Clinton Nyapara Mogesa in Russia, a tragedy that has left his family searching for answers. … Driven by hope and the promise of a better future, Nyapara left his village in 2024. Like many young Kenyans, he travelled to Doha, Qatar, determined to improve his family’s fortunes. Instead, fate took a tragic turn. According to a report by Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, the agency tasked with safeguarding the Ukrainian state, Nyapara’s body was identified at a position held by Russian occupation forces. The report further revealed that Nyapara had been living and working in Qatar before signing a contract with the Russian armed forces, where he was assigned to one of their assault units. After a brief period of training, he was killed in what was described as a “meat assault” in the Donetsk region. Russian forces reportedly failed to evacuate his body. He was also found in possession of passports belonging to two other Kenyan citizens, believed to have been recruited under similar circumstances. Nyapara’s death comes amid growing reports of Africans, including Kenyans, being recruited to take part in the Russia-Ukraine war. Many are reportedly lured by promises of well-paying jobs, quick income or residency, only to find themselves coerced into military service. Monitor
Oil Majors Snap Up West African Blocks in Hunt for Next Brazil
Chevron and TotalEnergies are among the oil majors snapping up offshore blocks in West and Southern Africa as compelling geology, regulatory reforms, and the need to restock spur a hunt for the next Brazil. Companies are restocking their oil and gas assets given prospects for fossil fuel demand to stay higher for longer than predicted just a few years ago. … Of the oil and gas discovered since 2020, some 11%, or about 8.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe), has been found along West Africa, most of it oil, said Justin Cochrane, African upstream regional research director for S&P Global Commodity Insights. The region holds around 14% of the liquids discovered since then, or some 5.6 billion barrels, he added. … Similarities between the geology of Africa’s underexplored west coast to huge productive basins on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean hold the promise of massive new discoveries, according to oil executives. “Africa and South America are true Atlantic twins, bound by a shared geological history,” said Gil Holzman, chief executive of Canada’s Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas. Reuters
Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea Sign Agreement for Cross-Border Gas Project
The neighbouring nations want to cooperate economically by extracting LNG (liquid natural gas) from the Yoyo-Yolanda gas field, which straddles the two countries. It’s celebrated as a major step towards closer economic cooperation. On Tuesday, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon signed in an official ceremony taking place at the People’s Palace in Malabo an operating agreement for the extraction of gas from the Yoyo-Yolanda gas reserves. The field lies in the coastal waters between the two countries, with one part in Equatorial Guinea’s territorial zone, while the other lies in Cameroon’s waters. The neighbouring countries already signed a bilateral treaty for joint extraction in Mach 2023. The official signing ceremony, which Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue presided over, officialised the treaty and represented a concrete step towards extraction. Africanews with AFP
Ghana and Zambia Sign Visa-Free Travel Agreement
Ghana and Zambia have agreed to abolish visa requirements for each other’s citizens, marking a major step toward closer regional integration and easier cross-border movement. The deal was confirmed by Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, during President John Dramani Mahama’s official visit to Zambia. The three-day trip is focused on expanding diplomatic engagement, strengthening economic partnerships, and fostering stronger ties between the populations of both countries. President Mahama arrived in Lusaka on Wednesday, February 4, and was received at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. Officials say the agreement was one of the key outcomes of bilateral talks. According to Ablakwa, the new arrangement will allow nationals from both countries to enter and move between Ghana and Zambia without needing entry permits, removing administrative barriers that have long complicated travel. Africanews
Morocco Urges Residents to Leave Flood-Risk Areas as Evacuations Exceed 108,000
Morocco urged residents of flood‑prone areas in the country’s northwestern plains to leave immediately on Wednesday, amid rising threats of inundation from heavy rain, swollen rivers and the release of more water from full dams. The number evacuated by authorities reached 108,432, the Interior Ministry said. Helicopters were deployed in rescue operations as rising waters inundated fields and villages across the northwest. The army has been deployed since Friday to help with evacuations amid a red alert for more heavy rainfall this week. Northwestern Morocco, known as the Gharb region, is a key wheat-producing region made of low‑lying plains that drain poorly after weeks of heavy rain and due to lack of slope. Rainfall in Morocco is up 215% from last year and 54% above the historical average, official data showed. Evacuations were ordered in parts of the Larache province, including the city of Ksar El Kebir, Souaken, Ouled Ouchih, the Larache industrial zone and areas near the banks of the Loukous river, as a precaution against further flooding, the Interior Ministry said. Most evacuations took place in Ksar El Kebir, where authorities said 85% of the population had already left. Reuters