Global cost of Somali piracy down as higher security deters attacks
Listen The cost of Somali piracy to the global economy has declined by 12.5 percent since 2011 as attacks fell sharply, a survey showed on Tuesday, but the cost of armed guards to protect ships soared. The annual report by the Oceans Beyond Piracy advocacy group estimated the cost of piracy at $5.7-6.1 billion in [...]
Why Eritrea Is Not the North Korea of Africa, and What We Should Be Noticing Instead
Listen Analysis By Jason Mosley With a series of events in the past year suggesting change could be afoot, the time is ripe for renewed attention on Ethiopia-Eritrea relations. Eritrea is with some frequency referred to as “The North Korea of Africa”. However, this analogy is not helpful for understanding Eritrea. Moreover, and worse, it [...]
Uhuru Kenyatta inauguration and the inconvenient ICC truth
Listen “Africa is on the rise,” proclaimed Uhuru Kenyatta, taking the oath of office on a bible used by his father Jomo, Kenya’s first president after independence from Britain half a century ago. A man accused of crimes against humanity is now the most powerful person in east Africa. The president will be standing in [...]
Kenyatta sworn in as Kenya’s new president
Listen Tens of thousands of Kenyans gather for inauguration of Uhuru Kenyatta, who has been indicted by the ICC in The Hague. Kenya’s new president, Uhuru Kenyatta, who faces international charges of crimes against humanity, has been sworn in to office at a ceremony in a stadium packed with supporters and foreign dignitaries. Kenyatta took [...]
15 Heads of state attend Uhuru inauguration
Listen Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony of Uhuru Kenyatta as the fourth president of Kenya will be graced by a number of dignitaries among them Heads of state from Africa and special envoys from around the world. By Monday evening, 15 Heads of state and 20 envoys had confirmed their attendance, according to Standard online. Heads of [...]
Obama approves sending U.S. military aid to Somalia
Listen President Barack Obama determined on Monday that Somalia may receive U.S. military assistance, a step seen as a sign of improving relations with a country grappling to contain militants linked to al Qaeda. Obama issued a memo to Secretary of State John Kerry that said Somalia is eligible for “defence articles and defence services” [...]
Ethiopia to continue support for Somalia till sustainable peace ensured in that country
Listen Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn says Ethiopia will continue to strengthen its support for Somalia until sustainable peace is ensured in that neighbouring Horn of Africa nation. He added during talks here Monday with a high-level delegation led by Somalia’s Prime Minister, Abdi Farah Shirdon, that ensuring peace and stability in Somalia significantly contributed to [...]
Somali govt. launches universal healthcare plan
Listen Somalia says every Somali citizens will have access to basic healthcare by 2016 under a new government-led strategic plan. The four-year plan will be a test for the new Somali government’s ability to provide services to its people suffering from two decade of civil war and recurrent famine. The plan is expected to cost [...]
New Somali counter-piracy force flagship on station
Listen The Portuguese Frigate ‘NRP Álvares Cabral’ joins the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta – as flagship. During her participation in Operation Atalanta, for the next 4 months, Álvares Cabral will be the EU Naval Force flagship, hosting the Force Commander and his multinational staff on board. NRP Álvares Cabral is [...]
IGAD foreign ministers’ meeting on Somalia postponed
Listen Addis Ababa (Alshahid)-The intergovernmental authority on development (IGAD) has postponed foreign ministers’ meeting on Somalia which was originally scheduled to be held in Addis Ababa. Reports say that the IGAD meeting has been postponed because of the fact that Kenya felt that they were not ready for it as preparations for President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta’s [...]