News|Sudan war

Sudan medics accuse RSF of burning, burying bodies to conceal ‘genocide’

Source: Aljazera, Published On 9 Nov 20259 Nov 2025: People fleeing el-Fasher for Al Dabbah tell Al Jazeera many died on the way from wounds or lack of food.

By Al Jazeera Staff

Published On 9 Nov 20259 Nov 2025

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A Sudanese medical organisation has accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of engaging in a “desperate attempt” to conceal evidence of mass killings in Darfur by burning bodies or burying them in mass graves.

The Sudan Doctors Network said on Sunday that paramilitaries are collecting “hundreds of bodies” from the streets of el-Fasher, in Sudan’s western Darfur region, after their bloody takeover of the city on October 26, saying the group’s crimes could not be “erased through concealment or burning”.

European Union vessel reaches ship raided by pirates off Somalia; all 24 crew on board safe

Source: AP, By  JON GAMBRELL
Saturday November 8, 2025

 
The Hellas Aphrodite was seized by pirates on Thursday

A European Union naval force on Friday reached a Malta-flagged tanker earlier attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, finding all its 24 mariners safe after an assault that raised renewed fears about piracy in the region.

The seizure of the Hellas Aphrodite, carrying a load of gasoline from India to South Africa, ended as the ESPS Victoria came alongside the vessel.

Special forces from the Spanish frigate boarded the tanker and released the 24 crew members who had locked themselves inside the ship’s citadel when the attack began Thursday, said the EU’s Operation Atalanta, an anti-piracy coalition.

Operation Atalanta said “an early show of force” by the Victoria encouraged the pirates to flee the vessel, without elaborating. The operation included a helicopter, a drone and another aircraft alongside the frigate.

“The threat assessment in the area surrounding the incident remains critical,” Operation Atalanta warned. “The mother ship and the pirates remain in the area. A coordinated joint operation is ongoing to intercept the dhow used in this attack.”

The private security firm Diaplous Group said the Victoria would remain alongside the Hellas Aphrodite until it could restart its engines and sail away.

The pirates fired machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades in their assault Thursday. Tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed the tanker over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off the Somali coast Friday.

As the vessel rushed to the scene, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center warned of another incident in the same area on Friday. The UKMTO said a small vessel carrying three people, believed to be part of the same pirate group responsible for the seizure of the Hellas Aphrodite, tried to get close to another ship, but the ship outran the pirate vessel.

The attack on the Hellas Aphrodite comes after another vessel, the Cayman Islands-flagged Stolt Sagaland, was targeted Monday in a suspected pirate attack that saw its armed security force and the attackers shooting at each other, the EU force said. Other incidents also have been linked to the same pirate gang, believed to be operating from an Iranian fishing boat it earlier seized.

Piracy off the Somali coast peaked in 2011, when 237 attacks were reported. Somali piracy in the region in 2011 cost the world’s economy some $7 billion, with $160 million paid out in ransoms, according to the Oceans Beyond Piracy monitoring group.

The threat was diminished by increased international naval patrols, a strengthening central government in Somalia, and other efforts.

However, Somali pirate attacks have resumed at a greater pace over the last year, in part due to the insecurity caused by Yemen’s Houthi rebels launching attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

In 2024, there were seven reported incidents off Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau. So far this year, multiple fishing boats have been seized by Somali pirates. The Hellas Aphrodite represents the first commercial ship seized by pirates off Somalia since May 2024.

Local fisherman Osman Abdi, who lives in Mogadishu, said pirate attacks fueled fear and caused stigma for his nation.

“Since the pirates have committed hijackings today, it creates a problem for us,” Abdi said. “Their actions could be held against us, as many will consider us fishers to be pirates as well, and that instills fear in us.”

Source: Hiiraan Online, Sweden oo ciidamo kooban usoo dirtay Soomaaliya si ay u caawiyaan ciidanka xoogga dalka

Axad, November 9, 2025 (HOL) – Dowladda Sweden ayaa dhowaan koox yar oo ciidan ah u dirtay Soomaaliya si ay u taageeraan Ciidanka Xoogga Dalka Soomaaliyeed dagaalka ay kula jiraan kooxaha argagixisada.

Joogitaanka ciidanka Sweden wuxuu ku saleysan yahay martiqaad rasmi ah oo ka yimid dowladda Soomaaliya, waxayna iskaashi la leeyihiin Taliska Ciidamada Maraykanka ee Afrika (US AFRICOM).

Hawlgalka oo lagu magacaabo Operation Thunderbird ayaa lagu fulinayaa wada shaqeyn u dhexeysa Iswiidhan, Maraykanka, iyo ciidamada Soomaaliya.

“Cutubka Iswiidhan wuxuu diiradda saarayaa taageerada ciidamada Soomaaliyeed iyo kuwa Maraykanka iyada oo loo marayo tababar, la-talin, iyo helidda xog muhiim ah,” ayay tiri Rear Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum, Madaxa Hawlgallada Wadajirka ee Iswiidhan.

Gen. John W. Brennan, ku-xigeenka taliyaha US AFRICOM, ayaa sheegay in Sweden ay tahay lamaane aad muhiim u ah dagaalka ka dhanka ah kooxaha argagixisada ee Soomaaliya, isagoo ammaanay khibraddooda gaar ah ee dhinaca baaritaanka iyo sirdoonka.

In kasta oo xaaladda amniga ee Soomaaliya ay weli adag tahay, haddana natiijooyinka hore ee iskaashiga ayaa lagu tilmaamay kuwo wanaagsan.

Sweden sidoo kale waxay ka qayb qaadataa hawlgallo kale oo caalami ah oo gobolka ka socda, sida EU Training Mission (EUTM Somalia), Operation Atalanta, iyo Operation Aspides.

US AFRICOM waa hay’adda maamusha hawlgallada ciidamada Maraykanka ee Afrika, oo diiradda saarta la dagaallanka kooxaha xagjirka ah iyo xoojinta ciidamada dalalka saaxiibka ah. Xarunteedu waxay ku taallaa Stuttgart, Jarmalka.

Somali parliament unanimously passes revised anti-piracy law to strengthen maritime security

Source: Hiiraan Online, Monday November 10, 2025

Mogadishu (HOL) – Somalia’s Parliament has unanimously approved a revised anti-piracy and anti-kidnapping law, marking a major step toward strengthening the country’s maritime security and modernizing legislation first enacted on April 30, 1975.

All 140 members present voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition or abstentions, reflecting a unified stance by lawmakers on the critical importance of addressing piracy, which has seen a resurgence along Somalia’s coastline.“This is a historic day for Somalia,” he said. “The unanimous support reflects our shared commitment to ending piracy and ensuring our waters remain safe for all,” the Second Deputy Speaker Abdullahi Omar Abshirow said.

The approval comes in the wake of several recent pirate attacks, including a case involving a Malta-flagged vessel en route to South Africa, which was later rescued by an EU Naval Forces ship.

The revised law is expected to strengthen Somalia’s ability to combat maritime crimes and enhance cooperation with international partners and organizations working to ensure security and safety in global waterways.

Officials say the new framework will help safeguard Somalia’s coastal communities and protect one of the world’s most strategic maritime corridors a vital route for global trade connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

UN Secretary General Says War in Sudan Spiraling Out of Control

 Source: The Associated Press published on 4 November 2025 an article titled “UN Secretary General Says Sudan’s War Is “Spiraling Out of Control’” by Jan Gambrell.

Just since the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, last week, an additional 71,000 Sudanese have been displaced and hundreds of civilians killed.  UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres decried the worsening situation and said external powers must stop sending arms into Sudan.  

Comment:  For more than two years, the United Nations has been unable to impose any kind of meaningful response in Sudan because the UN Security Council is unable to agree on a course of action. 

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Thursday, November 6, 2025

Source: David Shinn blog, Sudan: Journalists Go Missing in Darfur

 The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 6 November 2025 a news release titled “As Sudan’s El Fasher Falls, the World Loses Sight of Its Journalists.”

Since the Rapid Support Forces captured El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, from the Sudan Armed Forces, 13 journalists and media workers have gone missing.

EU naval force secures tanker after pirate attack off coast of Somalia

Source: Aljazeera, 2025-11-07, Operation Atalanta says it will take ‘appropriate action’ to help the Malta-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite.

By News Agencies

Published On 7 Nov 20257 Nov 2025

A European Union anti-piracy force has reached the Maltese-flagged merchant tanker Hellas Aphrodite, which pirates had boarded off Somalia on Thursday, the EU naval mission Operation Atalanta said.

The entire crew of 24 people was safe and no injuries have been reported, Operation Atalanta said in a statement on Friday.

Somalia digitizes legal archives to rebuild rule of law after decades of conflict

Source: Hiiraan Online, Thursday October 30, 2025

Somalia’s Deputy Minister of Justice Ahmed Abdirahman Hassan is seen in this undated file image shared on X (formerly Twitter

Mogadishu (HOL) — After more than two decades without an official gazette, Somalia is digitizing its legal archives to restore public access to the law — a landmark step by the Ministry of Justice aimed at rebuilding state institutions, strengthening transparency, and renewing trust in the rule of law.

Speaking at the African Gazettes Forum in Djibouti, Deputy Minister of Justice Ahmed Abdirahman Hassan said the absence of an official gazette since the civil war left Somalia without a way to record or verify new legislation. “During the war, our laws existed, but no one could consult them,” he said. “Decrees circulated by hand, without any framework, in an atmosphere of legal uncertainty.”

That began to change in the early 2010s as the government rebuilt its institutions. The traditional process of drafting, reviewing, and publishing legislation—standard since independence in the 1960s—was revived. “Each law is prepared by a ministry, reviewed by the Ministry of Justice, approved by Parliament, and published in the Official Gazette,” Hassan said. Publication resumed in the mid-2010s in Somali, English, and Arabic.

The ministry is now completing the digitization of its legislative archive. “The process is almost complete,” Hassan noted. “We want every citizen to have direct access to the law, without an intermediary.”

The project forms part of a modernization program supported by the World Bank and regional partners to improve transparency, ensure accountability, and bring justice closer to citizens. Somalia has also backed a proposed African Gazettes Charter, which seeks to promote open governance and regional cooperation across the continent.

Hassan praised Djibouti for its “brotherhood and courage” in supporting Somalia’s state-building process, noting that cultural and linguistic ties between the two nations have deepened cooperation in the Horn of Africa.

The REPULIC OF SUDAN IN THE HORN OF AFRICA

Ongoing Destructive, ugly Civil War in Sudan, Mass Killings of Innocent Sudanese Civilians, and destruction of Sudanese state, Just Watching by Arab League, IGAD, African Union, UN, EU, USA, China, Russia, and International Community in general must be stopped immediately this war!!! Immediately!!!

The Criminals or Countries who have started this destructive war must be taken to International Criminal Court soon without hesitation.

Abdillahi Jama, Lund, Sweden

www.sirclund.se

Source: Aljazeera, Published On 30 Oct 202530 Oct 2025 war

Survivors fleeing Sudan’s el-Fasher recount terror, bodies in streets

Aid organisations fear that far fewer people than hoped have been able to leave the besieged Darfur city.

By Al Jazeera Staff and News Agencies

Published On 30 Oct 202530 Oct 2025

People who have fled the western city of el-Fasher in wartorn Sudan are recounting scenes of horrific violence at the hands of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as aid workers say they fear only a fraction of the besieged city’s residents have managed to escape.

The RSF has killed at least 1,500 people in el-Fasher, capital of North Darfur state, since seizing it Sunday, according to the Sudan Doctors Network, including at least 460 at a hospital in a widely-condemned massacre.

Source: Source Aljazeera, 28 October 2025: We look at the deals between some African nations and the Trump administration to accept deportees from the US.

Several African nations, including Uganda, Rwanda, Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, and South Sudan, have agreed to accept US-deported migrants, many with no ties to Africa. As rights groups sound the alarm, we examine what these deals mean for deportees, governments, and global migration politics.

Is Africa the West’s ‘Human Dumping Ground’?

We look at the deals between some African nations and the Trump administration to accept deportees from the US.

Several African nations, including Uganda, Rwanda, Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, and South Sudan, have agreed to accept US-deported migrants, many with no ties to Africa. As rights groups sound the alarm, we examine what these deals mean for deportees, governments, and global migration politics.

UKMTO warns ships after suspicious activity off Somali coast

Source: Hiiraan Online, Thursday October 30, 2025

Mogadishu (HOL) — The United Kingdom’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued an advisory warning commercial ships to exercise caution when sailing near Somali waters after reports of suspicious activity involving two vessels off the coast of Gara’ad in Puntland.

In its Advisory 037/25, dated October 28, 2025, UKMTO said:

“UKMTO has received a report of suspicious activity in the region of Gara’ad, 106 nautical miles south of Eyl, Somalia. Local authorities report engaging with two dhows acting suspiciously. One dhow has been seized by the authorities. The second dhow has evaded capture and remains unlocated at this time. Authorities will continue to investigate. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO or MSCIO.”

The advisory followed reports from military sources indicating that the dhows were operating under suspicious circumstances in a known smuggling corridor along Somalia’s northern coast. Local Puntland authorities confirmed that one vessel was detained for investigation, while the other remains at sea.

Security officials believe the seized dhow may be linked to an Iran-supported network trafficking weapons and narcotics to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The warning follows a recent statement by Yemen’s Interior Minister, Major General Ibrahim Haydan, who revealed that some Houthi cells arrested by Yemeni security forces had direct ties to Somalia’s al-Shabab, al-Qaida’s East African affiliate.

Speaking to Al Hadath TV earlier this week, Haydan said, “Some of the Houthi cells we’ve dismantled were not operating alone; they were linked to Al-Shabaab networks, which pose a serious threat to Yemen’s internal security and regional stability.” He confirmed that investigations are ongoing and that intelligence reports suggest logistical and operational coordination between the Houthis and al-Shabab, including weapons transfers, training exchanges, and maritime intelligence sharing.

Some security analysts say the Houthis’ growing collaboration with al-Shabab reflects a strategic shift following tighter naval patrols between Iran and Yemen. Smuggling networks have increasingly turned to Somalia’s and Sudan’s coastlines to move weapons and contraband across the Red Sea.

Maritime experts warn that this trend marks an emerging security threat to one of the world’s busiest sea lanes, where commercial shipping already faces risks from piracy, extremist activity, and geopolitical instability.

Ten Hungarian and German tourists killed with pilot in Kenya plane crash

Source: Reuters, Thursday October 30, 2025

 
Security officials secure the wreckage of the aircraft 5Y-CCA operated by Mombasa Air Services, which crashed with 12 passengers onboard on its way from Diani to Kichwa Tembo, at the Tsimba Golini area in Kwale County, Kenya, October 28, 2025. REUTERS/Laban Walloga Purchase Licensing Rights

Ten Hungarian and German tourists were killed along with a Kenyan pilot when a light aircraft crashed in Kenya on Tuesday.

The plane was travelling from the resort town of Diani on the Indian Ocean coast to Kenya’s Maasai Mara reserve when it crashed at about 0830 local time (0530 GMT), the aviation authority said.

Smoke rose from the wreckage of the plane, which came down in a forested area in Kwale County in Kenya’s southeast. The holidaymakers’ clothes were scattered on the ground and in nearby trees.

Kenya’s government said investigators had been sent to find out what had happened, and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban sent condolences.

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the eight Hungarians killed included two families, an acquaintance of theirs and two minors. Two Germans were also killed.

“Once we receive the official information on the identities of the victims, the next of kin will be notified,” Szijjarto said in a live broadcast on YouTube.
The airline, Mombasa Air Safari, said it was cooperating with the investigations.

Reporting by Laban Walloga in Kwale County, Vincent Mumo and Humphrey Malalo in Nairobi, Anita Komuves in Budapest and David Lewis in London Editing by Alexander Winning, William Maclean and Peter Graff

Somalia and Djibouti commemorate 25 years since Arta talks that revived Somali government

Source: Hiiraan Online, Thursday October 30, 2025

ARTA, Djibouti (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Djiboutian President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh on Thursday laid a wreath in Arta to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the peace conference that restored Somalia’s government after nearly a decade of civil war and political collapse.

The ceremony, attended by former Somali leaders, presidential hopefuls, and regional diplomats, honored the 2000 Arta Peace Conference, a Somali-led reconciliation initiative hosted by Djibouti that produced the Transitional National Government (TNG) and symbolized the rebirth of Somali statehood after nine years without a functioning central authority.

Opening the commemoration, President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh described the 2000 Arta talks as “a historic milestone that demonstrated Djibouti’s enduring commitment to peace, unity, and the rebuilding of Somali governance.”

He said the spirit of Arta continues to embody “hope, collaboration, and Somali ownership of reconciliation,” reaffirming Djibouti’s role as a consistent mediator in the Horn of Africa.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud thanked Djibouti for its sustained partnership over the past 25 years, calling the country “a steadfast ally that stood with Somalia during its most fragile years.” He urged regional governments to strengthen cooperation to safeguard stability in the Horn of Africa.

Djibouti’s Foreign Minister said Somalia’s ongoing peace efforts reflect the same Somali-led principles that guided Arta in 2000.

The Arta Conference was convened in May 2000 after years of failed reconciliation attempts in Ethiopia, Egypt, and Kenya that had empowered warlords but excluded civil society. Determined to pursue a more inclusive approach, Djibouti invited clan elders, intellectuals, women’s representatives, and religious leaders to deliberate on Somalia’s future.

Supported by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the conference brought together more than 2,000 delegates from across Somalia. It introduced the 4.5 clan power-sharing formula, granting equal representation to the Darod, Dir, Hawiye, and Rahanweyn clans and a half share to minority groups. Women’s organizations, collectively known as the “Sixth Clan”, also secured formal representation for the first time in a Somali peace process.

After four months of negotiations, delegates adopted the Transitional National Charter, paving the way for Somalia’s first post-war government. On August 26, 2000, former Interior Minister Abdiqasim Salad Hassan was elected president, marking Somalia’s first internationally recognized administration since 1991.

The TNG, headquartered in Mogadishu, quickly gained recognition from the United Nations, the Arab League, and the African Union, reestablishing Somalia’s diplomatic presence on the global stage. The UN Security Council described the Arta process as “the most viable basis for peace and national reconciliation in Somalia.”

Though the Transitional National Government’s reach was limited and short-lived, the Arta framework laid the groundwork for later peace initiatives, including the 2004 Nairobi Conference, which established the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), and the 2012 Provisional Federal Constitution, which underpins Somalia’s current political system.

The conference remains one of the most consequential reconciliation efforts in Somalia’s modern history. It demonstrated that durable peace could emerge through Somali dialogue and inclusivity, not external imposition.

At Thursday’s commemoration, President Guelleh stressed the lasting significance of that legacy. “The spirit and vision of Arta live on,” he said. “They remind us that peace in Somalia and across our region must always be built through dialogue, not division.”

In Arta, Hassan Sheikh calls for end to Somalia’s 4.5 clan system

Source: Hiiraan Online, Thursday October 30, 2025

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud delivers a speech in Arta, Djibouti, on Thursday, October 30, 2025, calling for Somalia to move beyond the decades-old 4.5 clan-based power-sharing system. The president described the formula as outdated and an obstacle to building a fair and modern state.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has urged the nation to move beyond the decades-old 4.5 clan-based power-sharing formula, calling it a relic of post-war politics that now hinders the country’s pursuit of democratic governance.

Speaking Thursday in Arta, Djibouti, where the system was first introduced 25 years ago, President Mohamud said the arrangement had stabilized Somalia in a time of collapse but no longer aligns with the country’s vision for fairness and modern statehood.

“The 4.5 system was introduced when Somalia had nothing. It was a temporary measure meant to help us through a difficult time,” Mohamud said. “But it has stayed with us far too long.”

The president urged Somali leaders to replace clan-driven politics with institutions rooted in competence and justice. “To move beyond 4.5, we must end personality politics,” he added. “Somalia is now on the right path by aligning itself with modern governance systems across the world.”

The 4.5 system was born out of the Arta Peace Conference of 2000, convened in Djibouti at a time when Somalia had no central authority. More than 2,500 delegates, including elders, scholars, women, and business leaders, gathered under the auspices of IGAD and the Djibouti government to rebuild governance after a decade of civil war.

The conference produced the Arta Declaration, affirming Somalia’s unity and sovereignty while creating the Transitional National Government (TNG) under President Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, the first internationally recognized Somali government since 1991. The TNG restored Somalia’s membership in the United Nations, African Union, and other global bodies, marking the country’s diplomatic return after years of isolation.

Under the 4.5 framework, the 275-member parliament was divided along clan lines: each of the four major clans received 61 seats, while minority and marginalized communities shared 31.

Initially credited with bringing balance and stability, the system has since been blamed for entrenching clan identity in politics and discouraging merit-based leadership. Critics say it institutionalized inequality, weakened public trust, and reduced the role of women and youth in governance.

While Somali leaders have repeatedly pledged reform, political consensus has remained elusive, partly because power-sharing under 4.5 has become the foundation for government formation, resource allocation, and representation across the federal system.

The legacy of Arta influenced later reconciliation talks in Eldoret (2002) and Mbagathi (2004) in Kenya, which produced the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), a successor to the TNG. Both the United Nations and IGAD continue to recognize the Arta process as the cornerstone of Somalia’s post-conflict reconstruction.

Arta’s delegates also urged strict enforcement of the UN arms embargo and stronger regional cooperation.

Now, as the country prepares for its first direct national elections in 2026, the debate over 4.5 has regained momentum. Reformists argue that maintaining clan quotas is incompatible with a one-person, one-vote democracy, while others caution that abandoning the formula too quickly could risk political instability.

President Mohamud’s speech in Arta was as symbolic as it was strategic. By returning to the birthplace of the 4.5 system, he highlighted Somalia’s progress from state collapse toward institutional renewal.

“We must create a system that unites Somalis — one that is built on justice, equality, and good governance,” he said.

• With files from the BBC Somali Service

News|Sudan war

Source: Aljazeera news, 2025-10-29, ‘A true genocide’: RSF kills ‘at least 1,500 people’ in Sudan’s el-Fasher

Regional countries express alarm as more evidence emerges of mass killings by paramilitary forces in el-Fasher.

07:50

Yale report finds evidence of RSF mass killings in Sudan’s el-Fasher

By Al Jazeera Staff and News Agencies

Published On 29 Oct 202529 Oct 2025

Scores of people have been killed in attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during their recent capture of the city of el-Fasher in Sudan’s western Darfur region, according to a medical group and researchers.

The RSF, which has been fighting Sudan’s military for control of the country, killed at least 1,500 people over the past three days as civilians tried to flee the besieged city, the Sudan Doctors Network said on Wednesday. The group, which tracks the country’s civil war, described the situation as “a true genocide”.

Djibouti-Canadian diplomat’s ordeal exposes systemic racism inside Global Affairs Canada

Source: Hiiraan Online, Tuesday October 28, 2025

Madina Iltireh, a Djibouti-Canadian former diplomat, stands in an Ottawa conference room after speaking publicly about the discrimination she says she endured while serving at Canada’s embassy in Kuwait. Iltireh took her case to the Federal Court, which ordered Global Affairs Canada to investigate her claims — a ruling that has intensified scrutiny of systemic racism within the department. (Photo/CBC News)

OTTAWA, Canada (HOL) — Madina Iltireh, a Djibouti-Canadian diplomat who served at Canada’s embassy in Kuwait, says she was forced to turn to the Federal Court after Global Affairs Canada repeatedly dismissed her complaints of discrimination and harassment — a case that has reignited debate over systemic racism within the country’s diplomatic corps.

Iltireh, who worked for more than two decades in the administration of Canada’s foreign aid programs, says her three-year posting in Kuwait between 2018 and 2021 left her traumatized and isolated. “I was representing Canada, but Canada did not represent me,” she said in an interview, describing how repeated pleas for help went unanswered. “I went through hell.”

Her case began when she filed eight discrimination complaints against Canada’s then-ambassador to Kuwait, alleging racial harassment, intimidation, and exclusion from official workspaces. An internal review initially dismissed her claims, forcing Iltireh to seek judicial intervention.

In 2024, the Federal Court ordered Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to reopen the investigation. The subsequent report obtained by Radio-Canada found four of the eight allegations to be founded, concluding that the ambassador “failed to ensure that Madina Iltireh worked in a healthy work environment” and had “encouraged and tolerated” bullying in the workplace.

Despite the findings, Iltireh says she received neither an apology nor compensation. “I need the department to show me change and to prove that what I went through will never happen again,” she said.

The report cited testimony suggesting that Iltireh faced sustained hostility from embassy staff, who criticized her tone, questioned her competence, and excluded her from meetings. It also found that her living conditions in Kuwait were substandard: a failing air conditioner, power outages, and delayed maintenance requests that went unaddressed for years.

“The place I was for three years was toxic, and it was suffocating,” she said. “I developed anxiety, I lost memory, and I’m still trying to rebuild what I lost.”

Federal Court intervention

After years of procedural hurdles, Iltireh’s case illustrates what advocates call a “broken” system for addressing discrimination inside Global Affairs Canada. Nicholas Marcus Thompson, executive director of the Black Class Action Secretariat, said Iltireh’s experience mirrors dozens of cases from Black and racialized public servants across federal departments.

“The system is dysfunctional,” Thompson said. “Workers are silenced, complaints are blocked, and while those who speak up suffer, the leadership advances.” His organization, which represents over 45,000 current and former federal employees, is pressing Ottawa to create an independent investigative body to handle discrimination claims and implement overdue reforms to the Employment Equity Act.

‘Not an isolated case’

Career diplomat Tariq Gordon, who co-founded a peer support group within Global Affairs Canada, said Iltireh’s ordeal spotlights deep-rooted cultural problems within the foreign service. “She’s not an isolated case,” he said. “There are so many stories of people suffering quietly, afraid to jeopardize their careers by speaking up.”

GAC, in a written statement, said it enforces a “zero-tolerance policy toward misconduct or wrongdoing” and that its internal investigators are trained to act “professionally and impartially.” It added that the department is studying the creation of a standardized complaint intake model to improve transparency and recourse for staff.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations, saying discrimination in any form is “unacceptable.”

“We need a public service where inclusivity and diversity are stronger because that makes our organizations and our country stronger,” she said. “It’s a priority for me as a minister and as a racialized woman.”

For Iltireh, the case is about personal vindication and ensuring others don’t endure the same ordeal. “Hopefully, the ministry will change so the people coming after me don’t have to go through what I did,” she said.

Somalia and Germany sign €75 million development cooperation agreement in Mogadishu

Source: Hiiraan Online, Wednesday October 29, 2025

Mogadishu (HOL) – The Somali government and the Federal Republic of Germany signed a €75 million development cooperation agreement in Mogadishu on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development, Mahmud A. Sheikh Farah (Beenebeene), and Ms. Julia Hanning, Head of the East Africa Department at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).The new cooperation framework, which aligns with Somalia’s National Transformation Plan (NTP 2025–2029), focuses on key priority areas including agriculture and food systems, education, employment, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), water and irrigation management, and climate change resilience.

The signing followed two days of high-level discussions in Mogadishu between Somali and German officials, building on the strong development collaboration established through an earlier accord signed in 2023.

“This partnership reinforces the priorities of the NTP, especially job creation, basic services, and climate resilience,” Minister Beenebeene said.

Ms. Julia Hanning reaffirmed Germany’s dedication to supporting Somalia’s progress, emphasizing Berlin’s commitment to promoting impactful programs that enhance service delivery, employment, and inclusive economic growth. She noted that Somalia and Germany share over 60 years of multifaceted and friendly relations, rooted in mutual respect and cooperation.

The agreement represents a renewed commitment to Somalia’s development agenda, advancing shared goals of economic growth, institutional resilience, and sustainable national transformation.

Germany is one of the key European Union member states supporting Somalia in the areas of governance, economic reform, and climate adaptation.

Civilians in Sudan “suffering” without aid

“It’s the people of the Sudan who are suffering the consequences of this war.” Denise Brown, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, explains what’s needed to end the suffering in Sudan.

“It’s the people of the Sudan who are suffering the consequences of this war.”

Denise Brown, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, explains what’s needed to end the suffering in Sudan.Read less

Source: Aljazeera, Published On 28 Oct 202528 Oct 2025

US Vice President Vance plans Kenya visit, source says

By Ammu Kannampilly
Source: Reuters, Tuesday October 28, 2025

 
U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks to members of the media in Kiryat Gat, Israel, October 21, 2025. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Purchase Licensing Rights

U.S. Vice President JD Vance plans to visit Kenya next month after going to a summit in South Africa, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday.

There were no immediate details on what Vance might discuss in the East African country, which is one of Washington’s closest allies on the continent, and has said it wants to reach a trade deal with the U.S. by the end of this year.

The U.S. designated Kenya a major non-NATO ally in 2024, but Nairobi has also had to fend off criticism from U.S. officials over its forging of deeper ties with China.

“The visit to Kenya will run from November 24 to November 27,” the source said, without giving further details.

Vance’s office and Kenya’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

U.S. President Donald Trump is sending Vance in his place to attend the summit of the Group of 20 world leaders in Johannesburg from November 22 to 23.
South Africa, which holds the rotating G20 presidency, will hand over the presidency to the U.S. after the meeting.

Reporting by Ammu Kannampilly in Nairobi and Jarrett Renshaw in Washington; Editing by Alexander Winning and Andrew Heavens