Foreign Policy published on 15 September 2026 an article titled "How Al-Shabaab Beat the Peacekeepers" by Mohamed Gabode.
The author argues that after two decades of military intervention, largely financed by the United States, the al-Qaeda-affiliated organization al-Shabaab is arguably stronger than ever. As a result, the United States has announced it is ending financial support for the African Union peacekeeping mission.
Business Elites Africa published on 15 September 2026 an article titled "Rwanda Secures 25% Stake in Almonty Tungsten Venture Amid US Defense Shift" by Ikeh Ifeanyichukwu James.
China accounts for over 80 percent of world tungsten production. The United States is trying to diversify its tungsten supply chain by financing a deal with a Canadian tungsten company and a new mining venture in Rwanda, which will hold a 25 percent stake in the operation.
Kairos: A Journal of Critical Symposium devoted its volume 11 (2) 2026 issue to Eastern Africa-China relations. The open access articles are:
--The Dynamics of Eastern Africa-China Transoceanic and Digital Connections Across Centuries by Oduor Obura and James Odhiambo Ogone.
--Enduring Entanglements between Eastern Africa and China: Conversation with Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor by James Odhiambo Ogone and Oduor Ogone.
--Digital Culture and Popular Diplomacy: Bridging the Eastern African China Divide through Cultural Exchanges on Social Media by James Odhiambo Ogone.
--Eating Frogs with Your Online Friends: Cultural Mobility and Soft Cosmopolitanism between Eastern Africa and China by Oduor Obura.
--'Welcome to Milele'--Chinese TV Goes to Tanzania by Anke Bartels.
--Ecocide and Sino-East African Relations in Yvonne Owuor's The Dragonfly Sea by Edgar Fred Nabutanyi.
--Framing the Dragon: Popular Local Tales about Chinese at Ahero Highway Interchange Site in Kenya by George Otieno Odhaimbo.
--Intercultural Communication Strategies: Between Kenyan Kiswahili-Speaking Workers and Chinese Construction Workers by John Obiero Ogone.
The Atlantic Council published on 11 September 2026 a commentary titled "The US Must Become Africa's Partner on Technology and AI. It Can Do So with Soft Power" by Troy Fitrell and Kathryn Fitrell.
China has a digital strategy for Africa, but the United States does not. It recently cancelled a useful component for such a strategy, but it is not too late to revive it.
The ChinaMed Project published on 14 September 2026 an article titled "Egyptian Experts React to Xi Jinping's Egypt Visit" by Francesco Scala.
The author concluded that Xi Jinping's visit underscores Egypt's evolving role as an adept practitioner of strategic hedging rather than a pawn in a rigid bipolar rivalry.
Moving forward, Egypt's primary challenge will be to ensure that its technological pluralism does not trigger retaliatory diplomatic friction, transforming its digital sovereignty from a strategic asset into a vulnerability.
Forbes published on 14 September 2026 a commentary titled "Why Egypt Has Taken an Eastward Turn" by Ilan Berman.
President Xi Jinping's recent state visit to Egypt signals the extent to which Egypt has drifted decisively into the Chinese orbit in recent years. Cairo's geopolitical orientation toward Washington is no longer a given.
Time published on 11 September 2026 an article titled "The Power to Unite Africa" by Josh Wilson.
This is a highly positive article on the recently completed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the largest hydropower project in Africa. Constructed on the Blue Nile, which provides more than half of the fresh water reaching the Aswan Dam, Egypt has been highly critical of the project.
The author emphasizes that the GERD should be looked at in terms of the additional electricity the project brings to the wider region.
CNN published on 12 September 2026 an article titled "'A F***-up of Epic Proportions': Blame Game Begins after Iran-backed Houthis' Lightning Advance Down Red Sea Coast" by Nic Robertson and Lauren Kent.
The quick seizure of strategic Red Sea coastline by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen has led to recriminations as to how it happened. There were no airstrikes by Saudi Arabia or the United States in support of Yemeni government forces to halt the Houthi advance. Yemen and the Red Sea now have the potential to become the second front in the Iran war.
The New York Times published on 11 September 2026 an article titled "Why the Houthis' Lightning Advance Threatens Global Shipping" by Sergio Pecanha, Lazaro Gamio, and Weiyi Cai.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen now have firm control of the Bab el Mandeb choke point at the south end of the Red Sea, having captured Perim Island. A distance of only 12.5 miles now separates Perim Island from Djibouti across the Red Sea in Africa. Shipping lanes through the Bab el Mandeb Strait run less than 3 miles from Perim Island, within easy range of Houthi drones.
The Diplomat published on 10 September 2026 a commentary titled "Why Is China Less Active in the 2026 Ebola Epidemic?" by Zhida Shang and Joanne Liu.
The 2026 Ebola outbreak in the DRC may result in more cases and deaths than the 2014-2016 West African outbreak, which China responded to quickly and in a major way. Although China is better positioned to respond today, its assistance so far has been modest.
One explanation is that China faces less pressure to prove itself. Second, scientific incentives for China's research have decreased. Third, the Chinese public may want to see resources devoted to China and not foreign countries.
Radar Africa published on 10 September 2026 an article titled "Russia to Open Eight New Cultural Centres across Africa."
Russia plans to open new cultural centers in the DRC, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. This will add to the 16 it already has in Africa.
Semafor recently published a chart titled "Chinese versus US Foreign Direct Investment Flows into Africa."
The chart covers eleven years from 2014 through 2024. China had larger investment flows to Africa every year except for 2022 and 2023. The US actually had negative investment flows for four of the eleven years.
Comment: This is one more indication that the Trump administration's "trade not aid" (and FDI) approach to Africa has severe limitations. Not only has US trade with Africa dropped sharply this century, but FDI flows have also been on a downward trend. Both are determined primarily by private sector engagement. It will take a herculean effort to increase significantly both US trade and FDI.
Time published on 11 September 2026 an article titled "Yemen's Houthis Capture Red Sea Port City, Threatening New Front in War" by Miranda Jeyaretnam.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the port of Mokha on the Red Sea, giving the Houthis greater ability to control the Bab el Mandeb choke point. The Houthis reportedly received weapons and instructions from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to escalate their attacks on Saudi Arabia. The Houthis say they will continue to confine their attacks on international shipping to Saudi vessels.
Firstpost posted on 10 September 2026 a 15-minute podcast titled "'Abiy Ahmed Unlocks the Sea': How BRICS Is Ending Ethiopia's Landlocked Curse" with Alyson Le Grange.
A BRICS' summit will take place in New Delhi 12-13 September. As a recent member, Ethiopia hopes to use the occasion to advance its arguments for obtaining access to the Red Sea. This may not, however, be an ideal time or place to move this goal forward. Most BRICS' members will be reluctant to get in the middle of this controversial issue and Egypt, a member of BRICS, will oppose it.
AEIs Critical Threats Africa File posted on 10 September 2026 an article titled "Somali Pirates Sustain Hijackings" by Michael DeAngelo and Liam Karr.
Somali pirates have hijacked at least 6 vessels off the coast of Somalia's Puntland State and off the coast of Yemen since April. Suspected Somali pirates have attempted at least 4 additional hijackings since May.
The war with Iran may be contributing to the increase in pirate attacks. Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen may be collaborating with al-Shabaab in Somalia in support of the pirates. One of the pirated vessels contained Turkish military equipment destined for the Somali National Army.
Fana Media Corporation, an Ethiopian government affiliated company, posted on 4 September 2026 an article titled "Ethiopia Places Red Sea Access at the Heart of National Security and Regional Stability."
Ethiopia plans to use its BRICS' membership to press its case for peaceful access to the Red Sea at the BRICS' summit in New Delhi on 12-13 September. Ethiopia's charge d'affaires in New Delhi recently underscored the importance Ethiopia attaches to this issue.
The Diplomat published on 8 September 2026 a commentary titled "The Strategic Calculus of Xi Jinping's Egypt Visit" by Ayesha Sikandar, National Defense University.
Xi Jinping's 1-2 September state visit to Egypt symbolized a broader shift among Middle Eastern states toward diversifying their foreign policy partnerships.
For Egypt, the visit signals not a pivot away from the United States, but rather a realignment to achieve more strategic autonomy amidst volatility in the Middle East.
Doctors Without Borders posted on 8 September 2026 an article titled "Aid Cuts Leave Millions Without Health Care Across Sudan."
The dismantling of USAID in 2025 resulted in the end of funding for many organizations working in Sudan. Although the United States continues to be the single largest donor to Sudan, many of the health care providers have been unable to find alternative funding and, as a result, health facilities are shutting down. The few remaining hospitals are reaching the breaking point, and local clinics are going unfunded. An estimated 37 percent of Sudan's health facilities are out of service.
The Kenya Times published on 8 September 2026 an article titled "Businesses in Kenya Where Foreigners Dominate" by Morgan Wanyonyi.
Foreign nationals are engaged throughout Kenya as roadside vendors, owners of small and large retail shops, and in the import and construction business. Chinese nationals are prominent among them, especially regarding the sale of goods manufactured in China. These foreign entrepreneurs are experiencing growing criticism from Kenyan competitors.
Beirut Wire, an independent news and media company in Beirut, posted on 8 September 2026 an article titled "Yemen's Frozen War Is Thawing, and the Red Sea Is Becoming the Next Major Front."
Yemen's civil war has recently seen some of its heaviest fighting in years. The Houthis have launched a major offensive toward western Taiz and the Red Sea coast while government forces have responded with airstrikes against the Houthis. The conflict is increasingly becoming intertwined with the US-Iran war and focusing on control of the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint at the south end of the Red Sea.
Beirut Wire, an independent news and media company in Beirut, posted on 7 September 2026 an article titled "Somaliland's President Visits Washington in a Historic Push for U.S. Recognition."
Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro is visiting Washington with a high-level delegation to strengthen relations with the United States, expand security cooperation, attract American investment, and advance US recognition of Somaliland. Somalia has sent its own delegation to Washington to counter Somaliland's effort to obtain diplomatic recognition.
The Economist posted on 3 September 2026 an article titled "Ethiopia's Undeclared Drone War."
Beginning in late August, the federal government of Ethiopia launched an air war using drones and aircraft against the Tigray People's Liberation Front in Tigray Region. Neither side seems interested in peace talks, although a ground war appears unlikely.
The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 7 September 2026 a news release concerning the detention of another Somaliland journalist.
Another Somaliland journalist has been detained and is being held under dubious circumstances. After ten days, authorities have not yet formally presented charges in court.
Business Insider Africa published on 7 September 2026 an article titled "China Lines Up $15 Billion Capital Boost for Biggest Shareholder in Africa's Largest Bank" by Ayodeji Adegboyega.
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) plans to raise as much as $15 billion. ICBC holds about 20 percent of the shares of South Africa's Standard Bank, which operates in 20 African countries. The new ICBC capital is intended for its balance sheet and has not been earmarked for Standard Bank or African projects.
Aljazeera published on 8 September 2026 an article titled "Saudi-Houthi Fighting in Yemen Escalates: What Happened, and What's Next?" by Usaid Siddiqui.
Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen targeted Saudi oil facilities belonging to Aramco, wounding at least 73 people. The Saudis responded with air and cruise missile attacks on Houth-controlled territory in Yemen.
At the same time, the Houthis are trying to increase their control over Yemeni territory near the Bab el Mandeb Strait at the south end of the Red Sea in an effort to implement more effectively their blockade of Saudi shipping through the chokepoint. Yemeni government forces are responding with attacks on the Houthis.
