Ethiopia defends Tigray ceasefire, troop pullout

Ethiopia’s leaders sought Wednesday to downplay the significance of the army’s pullback from the regional capital of war-hit Tigray, insisting they could retake the city from rebels whenever they wanted. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the city of Mekele, captured by Ethiopian forces in November but seized by rebels in a stunning turnaround this week,…

Zondo Commission: Former intelligence heads would not have succumbed to ‘illegal instruction’ – Cwele

The former state security minister told the Zondo Commission that three former intelligence heads would not have succumbed to a blatant illegal instruction. The commission previously heard claims that Siyabonga Cwele put a stop to a State Security Agency probe into the Guptas. Cwele denies the allegation. Former intelligence heads Mo Shaik, Gibson Njenje, and…

Somalia to hold presidential vote in October

Somalia’s political leaders have agreed to hold a long-delayed presidential election on October 10, the prime minister’s office said Tuesday, following months of deadlock that turned violent at times. The office of Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble unveiled the timetable for indirect parliamentary and presidential elections in a statement on Twitter, saying stakeholders had agreed…