Tuesday May 20, 2025 {HMC} Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu has broken her silence after the recent detention and subsequent deportation of several high-profile Kenyans from the East African neighbour on Sunday and Monday.

Speaking during a public forum on Monday, May 19, a defiant Suluhu faulted Kenyan activists for what she termed as attempts to disrupt the peace in Tanzania.

The Tanzanian Head of State, known for her firm stance, took a swipe at Kenya’s political climate, suggesting that some activists who had failed to effect change in their own country were now attempting to interfere in Tanzania’s affairs.

“We’ve started seeing a trend where some activists from our neighbouring countries are trying to meddle in our business,” Suluhu said.

“If they have been contained in their own country, let them not try to come to ruin our peace.”

While claiming that Tanzania was one of the few countries in the East African region to have a high degree of political stability, Suluhu, who became Tanzania’s first female president after being sworn in on March 19, 2021, warned that attempts to disrupt the peace would not be tolerated.

Her remarks came just as another contingent of Kenyans, including former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, activist journalist Hanifa Adan and VOCAL Africa CEO Hussein Khalid, were detained on Monday morning as they attempted to enter Tanzania in solidarity with detained opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

The trio, like Martha Karua and other activists, on Sunday, were also deported to Kenya hours after their passports were confiscated at the Julius Nyerere International Airport.

Lissu, a politician, anti-graft activist and former Member of Parliament for the Singida East constituency, has gained attention in recent days, particularly from Kenya, amid his court appearance where he is set to answer treason charges. He is set to remain in custody untill June 2025.

Being the current chairman of CHADEMA, Tanzania’s leading opposition political party, Lissu has inevitably gained sympathy from sections of Kenyan leaders and activists who are also vocal against the Kenya Kwanza government, including People’s Liberation Party leader Karua.

Lissu’s detention has attracted criticism towards Suluhu, with activists from Tanzania and the neighbouring Kenya accusing the head of state of suppressing dissent from opposing factions.

But in a rejoinder, Suluhu insisted she was simply trying to maintain order and peace in Tanzania.

She added, “I’ve seen some clips of people saying I am biased. All I am doing is protecting my country, as that is my mandate as president. That said, we will not allow anyone to come and disrupt the peace, whether a local or a foreigner.”

Among leaders who have criticised the Tanzanian president is former Chief Justice David Maraga, who termed the current situation as a shrinking ‘civic and democratic space in East Africa’.

Tuesday May 20, 2025 {HMC} Ethiopia’s Somali State President, Mustafa Mohammed Omar ‘Cagjar’, has urged Somalis living abroad to return home and help rebuild the region, calling on professionals and entrepreneurs in Kenya to invest in local development as the state embraces newfound autonomy and peace.

Speaking to hundreds of diaspora members at a reception in Nairobi on Sunday, Mustafa emphasized that the Somali State has entered a new chapter, citing improved stability and expanded self-governance as key achievements under his leadership.

“Our region is finally at peace. There is real development happening on the ground,” Mustafa said. “We are no longer facing politically motivated arrests like in the past. I encourage those living abroad to come back and contribute—invest in your people and your future.”

The event, hosted by Somali State residents in Nairobi, was part of Mustafa’s Kenya tour. He was initially invited by Garissa Governor Nathif Jama to attend Saturday’s Garissa Cultural Day celebrations. His visit marked a rare moment of high-level public diplomacy between Somali communities in Kenya and Ethiopia, who share deep linguistic and familial ties across the border.

Kenyan Governors Ahmed Abdullahi of Wajir, Mohamed Adan Khalif of Mandera, and Nathif Jama of Garissa attended the event, along with Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Kenya, General Bacha Debele. Several members of parliament, ministers from the Somali State, and local officials also joined the gathering.

Mustafa claimed that recent reforms under Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have allowed regional states more autonomy, arguing that this has enabled the Somali State to address local needs and attract investment.

“We are in an era of accountability and visibility,” he said. “Thanks to digital tools and social media, people can now see what is happening in our region in real time.”

Kenyan leaders commended Mustafa’s leadership and echoed his call for stronger cross-border cooperation. They praised the progress made in the Somali State and emphasized the importance of leveraging cultural ties to deepen economic collaboration.

Home to over six million people, Ethiopia’s Somali State borders both Somalia and Kenya and has long faced challenges related to conflict, marginalization, and underdevelopment.

Tuesday May 20, 2025 {HMC} The United Kingdom’s newly appointed ambassador to Somalia, Charles Nicholas King, arrived in Mogadishu on Monday, officially assuming his role as the UK’s top envoy to the Horn of Africa nation.

King, who was named ambassador in February 2025, succeeds Michael Nithavrianakis, who had served in the position since May 2023.

“Wheels down in Mogadishu. Honoured to begin my role as the UK’s Ambassador to Somalia. I look forward to working with Somali partners and learning more about this incredible country,” King wrote on X (formerly Twitter) upon his arrival.

A career diplomat, King has served in the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) since 2004, holding key positions across multiple regions. Most recently, he was the Joint Head of the Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) Gaza Taskforce (2023–2024), overseeing diplomatic responses to regional instability. From 2020 to 2023, he served as Head of the Levant and North Africa Department and the UK Special Representative for Syria, shaping British policy in the Middle East.

King has also held diplomatic postings as Counsellor for Foreign Policy and Strategic Affairs in Paris (2017–2020), Deputy Head of the Political Section in Baghdad (2009–2010), Head of the Syria Office in Istanbul (2012–2015), and Second Secretary for Political and Economic Affairs in Damascus (2008–2009). He also served as Chief of Staff to Jonathan Powell, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Libya (2015–2016).

Tuesday May 20, 2025 {HMC} Somalia launched a nationwide vaccination campaign on Monday to combat measles, polio and pneumonia, targeting more than 3 million children in the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO), which launched the week-long campaign in collaboration with Somali federal and regional governments, said in a statement that the campaign’s goal is “to protect children and vulnerable communities from deadly preventable diseases” in the Horn of Africa.

The Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) is supporting the campaign, which aims to vaccinate 3.1 million Somali children under the age of five against measles, polio and pneumonia, the statement said.

Somalia continues to face long-standing security challenges, making it difficult to provide vaccines to vulnerable children, according to the WHO.

Polio outbreaks

Since 2014, no poliovirus has been detected in Somalia, and the African continent was declared poliovirus-free in 2020.

However, the WHO reports that the country’s health infrastructure has been devastated by conflict, poverty, and climate crises, and polio strains continue to threaten children.

Part of Somalia, identified by the Global Polio Eradication Programme as one of seven “consequential geographies,” continues to face difficulties in controlling polio outbreaks due to overpopulation, fragile health systems, and ongoing conflict.

In April, Somalia introduced two lifesaving vaccines into its national immunisation programme: pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and rotavirus vaccine, both of which aim to prevent pneumonia and diarrhoea in children.

It said the coordinated effort is a significant step forward in the country’s efforts to reduce the prevalence of measles, pneumonia, and rotavirus-related diarrhoea, which are three of the leading causes of disease and death among Somali children.