Somalia, Tanzania, Brazil.

Today's three stories you should know.

Jan 22, 2023

Somalia

Members of the al-Shabab armed group today stormed a government office in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, setting off a bomb and then charging into the building and engaging in a firefight with security forces. At least five civilians and six members of Shabab were killed in the attack on the building, which houses the mayor’s office, officials said. It is the latest in a string of high-profile attacks launched by the group in response to a massive and sustained assault on its territory by the military.

Tanzania

The Tanzanian opposition has staged its first rally since a ban that had been in place since 2016 was lifted this month. Thousands of supporters of the Chadema party gathered at a playing field in the city of Mwanza decked out in the party’s blue, red and white colors. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the country’s first female president, looks to be breaking with some of the policies of her hardline successor John Magufuli, raising hopes of more political freedoms in the East African country.

Brazil

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has sacked the country’s army chief, two weeks after supporters of his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, overran government buildings in the capital Brasília. Lula has accused members of the military of colluding with protesters and dismissed dozens of other officers this week. General Julio Cesar de Arruda, who had only been in the role since December 30th, is to be replaced by General Tomás Ribeiro Paiva, a commander who is close to Lula.