… These included Ghana’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and United Nations Special Representative for Somalia. …
… or 17 years over the visa issues, posting on social media: “A Fifa World Cup host country must guarantee two fundamental principles: the safety of the country – and the unrestricted entry of all qualified teams, officials and referees. “The case of referee Omar Artan from Somalia …
… e eve of the tournament opener between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, Infantino addressed concerns surrounding Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was barred from entering the U.S. despite having a valid visa. “It is unfortunate what happened to the referee from Somalia …
… The August 12 match in Salzburg pits Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain against Europa League holders Aston Villa. “Omar Artan has made Somalia and the entire people of the African Continent extremely proud. …
… Artan, 34, has returned to Somalia after being denied entry to the U.S. when he landed in Miami this week to join up with the World Cup match officials based in the Florida city. …
The World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the US arrived on Wednesday in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, where he was received by a crowd of supporters and officials. …
Former Ghana Football Association vice-president George Afriyie says the Black Stars have "no business" failing to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Ghana faces Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, and Somalia in Group C, with the top two teams advancing; Afriyie also called for a fully operational Black Stars management structure ahead of the qualifiers.
Former Ghana Football Association vice-president George Afriyie says the Black Stars have "no business" failing to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Ghana faces Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, and Somalia in Group C, with the top two teams advancing; Afriyie also called for a fully operational Black Stars management structure ahead of the qualifiers.
George Afriyie, former GFA vice-president, says Ghana has no excuse for failing to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, as the Black Stars are drawn with Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, and Somalia in Group C with top two advancing. Afriyie's comments follow Ghana's failure to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
The Ghana Football Association has confirmed that the Accra Sports Stadium is currently the only approved venue in the country for the Black Stars' 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The stadium is undergoing rehabilitation to meet CAF standards and is expected to be ready for Ghana's second Group C qualifier against The Gambia on September 27.
Ghana Football Association says Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz will "soon submit" his squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with Ghana's opening match against Côte d'Ivoire on September 24. Queiroz, who was given a contract extension after guiding Ghana to the World Cup Round of 32, has been working on selections since the World Cup ended.
The Accra Sports Stadium will not host competitive football matches until Ghana's 2027 AFCON qualifier against The Gambia on September 27, 2026, according to the National Sports Authority Director General. The closure allows renovation and maintenance works to meet Confederation of African Football standards, affecting clubs including Hearts of Oak who planned to use it as their home ground for the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season.
The Accra Sports Stadium will remain closed for competitive football until Ghana's 2027 AFCON qualifier against The Gambia, the National Sports Authority director general has confirmed. Ghana Premier League clubs will need to find alternative venues for the upcoming 2026/27 season as the NSA works to ensure the facility meets CAF standards.
Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku says the Black Stars will have a new head coach before the 2027 AFCON Qualifiers in September 2027, following Carlos Queiroz's departure. Okraku stated the replacement coach is "99% in place" and the parties are finalizing paperwork.
UNICEF says severe acute malnutrition admissions in Somalia jumped 32 percent in the first six months of 2026 as more than 200 health and nutrition facilities closed due to international aid cuts, with nearly 1.9 million children projected to be malnourished this year.
A federal judge allowed the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for more than 5,000 Ethiopians, lifting the last judicial block on the termination. An advocacy group expressed concern that the decision puts thousands of Ethiopians living in the U.S. at severe risk amid the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia.
Policymakers misdiagnose so-called "ungoverned spaces" in Africa—territories where formal state authority appears absent—as institutional voids prone to violence and extremism. In reality, these areas are governed differently through alternative authorities and institutional arrangements; the question is not whether governance exists, but who governs and for whose interests.
Dr. Thomas Oertle has been appointed Ambassador of Switzerland to Ghana, Benin and Togo. He previously served as Switzerland's Head of Mission in Muscat and held senior roles in African cooperation and Middle Eastern diplomacy.
India and Africa share a historic relationship rooted in advocacy during decolonization and through the Non-Aligned Movement, with India recently securing African Union permanent membership in the G20. However, India's traditional capacity-building and educational engagement with Africa has diminished and requires revival.
A U.S. federal judge cleared the way for the Trump administration to strip nearly 1,100 Somalis of Temporary Protected Status, allowing their deportation. The ruling follows a Supreme Court decision in June that curtailed judicial review of similar Department of Homeland Security efforts.
A former Indian ambassador argues that while India and Africa share historic ties and India has supported African interests in international forums, including making the African Union a permanent G20 member in 2023, the effective mode of engagement through capacity-building and educational exchange has declined and needs revival.
Black Stars forward Kamaldeen Sulemana suffered a second-degree tear to the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during Atalanta's pre-season friendly and is expected to miss the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers beginning in September.
Somali referee Omar Artan will become the first non-European to referee the UEFA Super Cup tomorrow in Salzburg. The 34-year-old has been a leading African referee, including being named CAF Men's Referee of the Year, though he was barred from entering the United States for the World Cup despite having a valid visa.
Seven members of South Africa's special forces and one military police officer have been charged with murdering Lt Col Frans Mathipa, a senior police detective, in August 2023. The men deny the charges; three have refused to comply with a court order and remain working for the army, with one promoted, and no trial date has been scheduled.
An analysis challenges Professor Bokpin's characterisation of Ghana as approaching a "failed state," arguing that Ghana's declining inflation, fiscal consolidation, and democratic stability distinguish it from actual state failure; the piece also contends that while macroeconomic stability alone does not drive transformation, it remains a necessary precondition for it.
Uganda's parliament approved a defense minister motion to deploy troops to Gaza as part of an international stabilization force proposed by U.S. President Trump's Board of Peace, following the Israel-Hamas war. Morocco has also pledged troops for the 20,000-strong force, though some opposition lawmakers questioned Uganda's motives given its membership in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang led a state funeral at the Forecourt of the State House in Accra on Friday for James Victor Gbeho, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs who died at age 91 on June 13, 2026. The ceremony brought together prominent figures including MPs, ministers, government officials, and representatives from the diplomatic community, ECOWAS, and the United Nations.
President John Mahama has paid tribute to the late Ambassador James Victor Gbeho at his state funeral on July 31, describing him as a distinguished diplomat who served Ghana with integrity and professionalism throughout more than five decades in public service. Mahama highlighted Gbeho's tenure as Ghana's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 1980 and 1990 as one of the longest and most distinguished diplomatic postings in the country's history.
Ghana will hold a state funeral for late former Foreign Affairs Minister James Victor Gbeho on July 31, 2026, at the State House in Accra. The diplomat served as Chief Director and Deputy Minister in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, UN Special Representative for Somalia, and President of the ECOWAS Commission.
Government has announced a state funeral for the late Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, to be held at the forecourt of Jubilee House on Friday, July 31, 2026, in recognition of his decades of service as a distinguished diplomat including roles as Ghana's Foreign Minister, UN Special Representative for Somalia, and President of the ECOWAS Commission.
Ghana will host the 28th Annual Scientific Conference of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa from August 24 to 27, 2026, bringing together more than 300 health regulators, policymakers and medical professionals from across Africa to discuss responsive regulation for safer communities and better health outcomes.
Somalia's government told the BBC it is concerned about WhatsApp's planned username feature, saying it could make it harder to trace criminals and counter al-Shabab militants, and could enable financial fraud in a country reliant on mobile money. WhatsApp responded that the feature is not yet live, users still need a phone number to use the app, and it includes safeguards against scams.
Sports Minister Kofi Adams has confirmed that Black Starshead coach Carlos Queiroz earns $80,000 per month, contradicting earlier reports of a $100,000 monthly salary. Queiroz was appointed after Otto Addo's dismissal in March and led Ghana to the Round of 32 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers before a knockout-stage loss to Colombia.
Black Stars goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi expressed confidence that Ghana will secure qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, saying the squad has the quality and hunger needed. Ghana has been drawn in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, Gambia, and Somalia, with qualifiers scheduled to begin in September.
The International Rescue Committee warns that millions of people across East Africa and Asia face severe flooding, drought, disease outbreaks and heatwaves as El Niño strengthens, with Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan among the most at-risk. The IRC estimates 4.8 million people in Somalia already require urgent humanitarian assistance, a figure expected to rise if heavy rains trigger widespread flooding.