Vol 53 No 23 |
- SOMALIA
- ANALYSIS
After a long delay the new President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, finally appointed a prime minister and a cabinet, all of them drawn from a tight circle of family, friends and his most trusted political allies. He risked appearing elitist and non-inclusive because he wanted to be sure of his team. He is signalling that this government is here to stay and in no mood for compromise on sovereignty. Kenya and its allies in Kismayo are providing him with an early test of his resolve and credibility
In the two months that it took President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to appoint the Premier and other ministers, he has attracted growing criticism for his aloof style. The...
Kenya’s defiance of the Somali government on the ban on charcoal exports from Kismayo threatens the cohesion of the African Union Mission in Somalia. It will also test...
Vol 53 No 23 |
- MALAWI
- TANZANIA
The two sides will return to the table to settle an old dispute
Malawi and Tanzania will return to the negotiating table on 15-17 November to seek a diplomatic resolution to their dispute over the border in the lake that divides...
China has quietly joined countries implementing sanctions against Khartoum, we hear. This may not reduce Beijing’s substantial arms exports to Khartoum but it is making life difficult for...
Vol 53 No 22 |
- SUDAN
- ISRAEL
Israel’s attack on a Khartoum arms factory highlights its tougher line in Africa and Sudan’s growing ties with Iran
Taken by surprise, Khartoum officials at first offered contradictory explanations for the devastating attack on the El Yarmouk arms factory in Khartoum at around midnight on 23-24 October....
Africa Confidential has identified five operational military factories in or near the Three Towns capital of Khartoum, Omdurman and Khartoum North (Bahri).
A new UN report accuses both Uganda and Rwanda are running the M23 rebellion: foreign support for Kampala could soon be suspended
The United Nations Group of Experts on eastern Congo-Kinshasa has indicted the Ugandan government as co-sponsor of the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) rebellion in Kivu alongside Rwanda....
Disputes over politics and money, especially income from Kismayo and Mogadishu ports, threaten the new President’s new order
Political rivals, warlords and some regional officials are already testing the mettle of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, just over a month after his election. Relatively untarnished by the...
Vol 53 No 22 |
- SOUTH SUDAN
Security is still being tightened after coup rumours, along with discontent triggered by the 27 September agreements with Sudan. The arrest of a senior Sudan People’s Liberation Army...
A packed court in Addis Ababa saw 29 protestors face charges of ‘terrorist acts’ on 29 October. Ethiopian law defines ‘terrorism’ as including serious damage to property and...