Monday 23,June 2025 {HMC} Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the “biggest obstacle to regional peace” and that Israeli attacks on Iran right before a new round of nuclear talks with the United States aimed to sabotage the negotiations.

Addressing Arab League diplomats during a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Saturday, Erdogan urged countries with influence over Israel not to listen to its “poison” and to seek a solution to the fighting via dialogue without allowing a wider conflict.

Israeli attacks on Iran show that Netanyahu “and his government … do not want any issues or any matters to be solved diplomatically,” said Erdogan.

“Netanyahu’s Zionist ambitions have no other purpose than to drag our region and … the whole world into a big disaster,” he added.

Erdogan accused the Western leaders of providing “unconditional support” to Israel. He said Turkiye would not allow borders in the Middle East to be redrawn “in blood”.

“It is vital for us to show more solidarity to end Israel’s banditry – not only in Palestine but also in Syria, in Lebanon and in Iran,” he told the OIC gathering.

The 57-member OIC, founded in 1969, says its mission is to “safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony”.

Speaking before Erdogan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel of leading the Middle East towards “total disaster” by attacking Iran.

“Israel is now leading the region to the brink of total disaster by attacking Iran, our neighbour,” he said. “There is no Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian, Yemeni or Iranian problem but there is clearly an Israeli problem.”

Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Istanbul, said Turkiye as the current OIC chair sees itself well-placed in helping to find a resolution to the Israel-Iran conflict.

“It is a NATO member country placed between the Western and Muslim worlds, and has strong bilateral relations with Iran, the Western world and the United States. And until a few years ago, it had strong relations with Israel,” she said.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country was only prepared to engage with the US if Israel stops its attacks on Iran.

“Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again and once the aggression is stopped and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes committed,” said Araghchi.

“We support the continuation of discussion with [Britain, France, Germany and the EU] and express our readiness to meet again in the near future.”

Source: News Agencies

Monday 23,June 2025 {HMC} President Donald Trump’s top diplomat is expected to visit Kenya amid growing concerns in Washington that President William Ruto is gravitating towards China.

Diplomatic sources have told the Star that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Kenya after the initial trip in April was cancelled.

When reached for comment, the Foreign Affairs ministry confirmed there have been plans but said the date is not confirmed.

The trip comes at time the US and China are jostling for Kenya, a key anchor state in the region and the continent.

Rubio was initially scheduled to visit Kenya — and Ethiopia — when Ruto departed for Beijing for a state visit at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

Since then, Nairobi has continued to intensify its ties with Beijing.

Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi, who had accompanied Ruto for the state visit, was back in Beijing on June 11 for the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of Follow-Up Actions from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac).

Mudavadi, who is also responsible for the Foreign Affairs docket, held talks with Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi.

During the meeting, China elevated its bilateral ties with Kenya to an “All-Weather Kenya-China Community with a Shared Future for the New Era”.

Mudavadi said the elevation was a landmark development that speaks to the strength, trust and shared vision underpinning the two states’ partnership.

He added that Kenya had entrenched the One-China policy — the number 1 foreign policy agenda for Beijing — in the revised Kenya Foreign Policy document.

Mudavadi also attended the opening of the Fourth Session of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (Caete) in Changsha, Hunan Province.

While there, he said Kenya is well-positioned at the heart of the evolving economic relationship between China and Africa.

The ties present a critical chance to recalibrate bilateral trade relations, with an eye on balance, value addition and long-term sustainability, he said.

Mudavadi’s visit to Beijing followed a sustained push by ranking US legislators, who called for a review of the diplomatic relations with Nairobi over the close Kenya-China ties.

Twice, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jim Risch questioned the close China-Kenya ties, particularly with its US Major Non-NATO Ally designation.

“Kenya plays a vital role in regional counterterrorism and stability. But as our newest Major Non-NATO Ally, Kenya’s ties with China are troubling,” Senator Risch said.

“Widened diplomacy with America’s greatest competitor is not an alliance, it’s a risk for the US to assess”.

In the midst of the push and pull, Kenya co-hosted the 2025 African Chiefs of Defence Conference (ACHOD25) with the US, a meeting that had undertones of US-China rivalry on the continent.

Commander of the US Africa Command and Marine Corps General Michael Langley told a media briefing that his second charge from Defence Secretary Hegseth is to confront the military ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party on the Africa continent.

“So while the US works to build transparency and respectful partnerships, China continues to pursue access to Africa’s resources, often ignoring long-term sustainability,” Gen Langley said.

Foreign policy analysts say Ruto is under pressure to deliver on his campaign promises as domestic pressure mounts on his administration at a time the country is facing cash constraints.

Subsequently, the President has been forced to look East despite his anti-China and loans rhetoric in the 2022 election campaigns.

China-Africa expert Dr Adhere Cavince says Beijing remains the most promising development partner for Kenya, especially in putting together infrastructure that can reboot economic activities in Kenya.

“China has demonstrated willingness to put capital and technology in partner countries like Kenya,” he said.

“The rapid infrastructure modernisation under President Uhuru Kenyatta led to Kenya emerging as one of the most successful countries in BRI implementation.

“Extension of the SGR and the Mau summit road will dramatically enhance access to western Kenya, foster sustainability of the railway and mobility of people and goods.”

Notably, during the recent visit to Beijing, Mudavadi underscored the importance of concluding discussions on financial cooperation before the end of this month as a critical step forward.

Dr Cavince added that it makes economic sense to work with Chinese partners given their “incredible” edge in both hard and soft infrastructure construction.

Source

Monday 23,June 2025 {HMC}  Somali National Armed Forces (SNA), supported by local militias known as Macawisley, killed at least 20 al-Shabab militants during a military operation Sunday in the Hirshabelle State of central Somalia, according to military officials.

The joint offensive targeted militant positions in the Mabaah and Gayacad areas of the Hiiraan region, long considered a stronghold of the al-Qaida-linked group.

Government sources said operations are ongoing as troops continue to pursue fleeing fighters and work to fully dismantle al-Shabab’s presence in the area.
In a statement, the Federal Government of Somalia reaffirmed its determination to protect citizens, uphold national unity, and eliminate the threat posed by al-Shabab, which continues to launch deadly attacks against civilians and government forces.

The militant group has waged a violent insurgency in Somalia for over a decade, aiming to overthrow the internationally backed government and impose its own strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Source Hiiraan online

Monday 23,June 2025 {HMC} Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has firmly ruled out a return to Somalia’s previous system of indirect elections, emphasizing that political power must lie with the people.

Speaking at a dinner event in Mogadishu on Sunday night honoring delegates of the recently concluded National Dialogue Conference, Barre reaffirmed his government’s commitment to democratic reform and endorsed recommendations put forward during the consultative forum.

“The DanQaran government is committed to supporting proposals related to elections and recognizes the critical role national stakeholders are playing in shaping a democratic process that reflects the will of the people,” the prime minister said.
Barre stressed the need for unity to address the country’s ongoing challenges, including insecurity, economic instability, and political divisions.

“We must move toward a unified system that brings all Somalis together,” he said. “By moving away from indirect governance, we can overcome the disunity and conflict that have long obstructed national progress.”

The National Dialogue Conference convened a range of high-profile figures, including former presidents, federal and state officials, and influential Somali leaders. However, key opposition parties and the Puntland administration boycotted the forum, citing concerns over procedural flaws and what they described as exclusionary practices by the federal government.

Source Hiiraan online