Africa

A senior leader of the al-Shabab armed jihadist group in Somalia surrendered to government forces amid an ongoing military offensive against the group in the country’s southwest region. Somali National Army (SNA) officials told the state-owned Radio Mogadishu that the senior commander, who has been coordinating attacks in Baidoa town …

The European Union’s top diplomat said Monday that he has ordered the suspension of combat training for soldiers in Mali until he receives guarantees from the government there that the trainees will not be working with Russian mercenaries. Rebel Malian troops have launched two military coups in recent years. The …

Political analysts say South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has undercut his own utility as a potential mediator of the war in Ukraine with a controversial suggestion that NATO’s own actions are to blame for Russia’s invasion of its western neighbor. Ramaphosa has said he prefers negotiations over weapons or economic …

Sudan’s foreign ministry on Tuesday denied the presence of Russian private military contractor Wagner Group in the country, in response to a statement by Western diplomats. Representatives of the United States, United Kingdom and Norway wrote in a piece published in a Sudanese newspaper on Monday that the mercenary group …

Madrid endorsed a plan for limited autonomy for the territory in northwestern Africa, but the change in policy was denounced by independence groups and could aggravate relations with Algeria. In a bid to ease tensions with Morocco, Spain has recognized for the first time a plan drawn up by the …

Authorities in Mali have taken Radio France Internationale and France 24 television off the air, accusing the media outlets of broadcasting false allegations against the Malian army. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says the suspension, which followed months of rising tensions between Mali and France, has serious implications for …

Tunisia says it has dismantled a terrorist cell linked to the ISIS group, according to an official statement from the country’s interior ministry. Units from the Anti-Terrorism department at Tunisia’s National Guard said they had been able to uncover a cell called “Al Muwahhidun” linked to an extremist group that …

The Islamic State group is moving to solidify support for its new leader, sharing photos on social media showing fighters uniting behind his rule. One set of photos obtained by JihadoScope, a company that monitors online activity by Islamist extremists, and shared with VOA on Friday, shows a small group …

Violent extremism is escalating in West Africa’s coastal states. This is terrifying for citizens but is just the tip of the insurgency iceberg. Under the surface lies a covert network that ensures terrorism continues in the region. Evidence is emerging that jihadists’ activities within and through coastal states are enabling …

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi stressed dialogue and diplomatic efforts to solve the Russia-Ukraine crisis in a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement. Sisi emphasized the importance of “prioritizing dialogue and diplomatic endeavors for swiftly settling the crisis politically to curb …