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Axadle Editorial Desk

Axadle Editorial Desk is the newsroom team behind Axadle coverage of Somalia, the Horn of Africa, and wider African affairs. Stories are edited for accuracy, sourcing, and clarity before publication.

22,519 Articles

18 countries condemn North Western State of Somalia’s plan to open embassy in Jerusalem

Sunday May 24, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A plan by North Western State of Somalia to establish an embassy in Jerusalem has drawn sharp condemnation from 18 countries, whose foreign ministers denounced the move as illegal, unacceptable and contrary to international law. The joint statement came from the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Algeria, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. “The ministers condemn in the strongest…

Somalia Suspends Egypt Travel Clearance System After Passenger Complaints

MOGADISHU, May 24, 2026 — Somalia has moved to halt the “OK-to-Board” travel clearance system for citizens heading to Egypt, a step officials said was prompted by a wave of passenger complaints and recent travel disruptions. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Immigration and Citizenship Agency said Somali nationals traveling to Egypt will, effective May 24, 2026, need to obtain a formal visa from the Egyptian consulate before departing. The agency said the decision came after multiple complaints and a string of problems…

Garissa patrol foils suspected attack, arrests suspect, recovers IED on Dadaab Road

by FELIX KIPKEMOISunday May 24, 2026 FILE PHOTO Security officers in Garissa County thwarted what is believed to have been a terror plot after arresting a man and recovering an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Garissa–Dadaab Road. ‎A multi-agency patrol intercepted the suspect at the Haji Aden area during a routine sweep, just as he appeared poised to disappear into nearby bushes. ‎Police said the man drew attention when officers noticed him behaving suspiciously by the roadside. He then bolted into a thicket in…

Muslim nations condemn reported North Western State of Somalia plan for embassy in occupied Jerusalem

NEW YORK — A reported North Western State of Somalia bid to establish an embassy in occupied Jerusalem has drawn sharp condemnation from foreign ministers across the Muslim world, who said the move would defy international law and violate U.N. resolutions. In a joint statement released Sunday, the ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Türkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia, Djibouti, Somalia, Palestine, Oman, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon, and Mauritania called the reported plan “illegal and unacceptable.” They reiterated that…

Somalia to hold Banadir district commissioner elections after Eid al-Adha

Sunday May 24, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Ministry of Interior said on Saturday that Banadir district commissioner elections will be held after the Eid al-Adha holiday, with newly chosen local council members set to vote for district leaders and their deputies. Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh unveiled the plan in Mogadishu during a training session for newly elected local council members. He described the vote as part of a broader effort to complete a democratic and accountable…

Police arrest man with knives in pockets outside Lakeville mosque after disturbance

By Ray Campos, Nick LentzSunday May 24, 2026 Huzaifa Ahmed, Imam of Lakeville Masjid, speaks after Friday’s disturbance. ISAIAH MN Police say a man is in custody after a disturbance Friday outside a mosque in Lakeville, Minnesota, where officers found two knives in his pockets during the arrest. Authorities were called to Lakeville Masjid at 8670 210th St. W. shortly before noon after a person at the scene reported that the man, whose age has not been released, was behaving erratically and asking unusual questions, police…

Minnesota Muslim group urges vigilance after knife suspect arrested near mosque

Sunday May 24, 2026 Lakeville, Minn (AX) — A Minnesota civil rights group is applauding the arrest of a man accused of wandering outside a Lakeville mosque with a knife and pretending to be a federal official, an episode it described as alarming and one that underscores persistent concerns about safety at houses of worship. The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Saturday that officers moved quickly after the man allegedly showed up near the mosque, acted strangely and claimed he was involved…

Funding cuts close Baidoa IDP schools, leaving teachers jobless

Saturday May 23, 2026 Maths teacher Hassan Mohamed Ibrahim lost his job in one of eight IDP schools in Baidoa closed by funding cuts/Abdullahi Mohamed/Ergo More than 120 teachers in Baidoa’s displacement camps have been left without work after aid cuts shut down eight schools, pushing hundreds of families deeper into hardship in one of Somalia’s busiest hubs for the displaced. The schools, located in the Bookay area north of Baidoa, had been educating about 1,500 children from internally displaced families. With the…

Mogadishu police arrest youths over checkpoint disruptions as opposition rejects accusations

Saturday May 23, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Police in Mogadishu have detained several young people accused of interfering with security checkpoints and taking part in violent incidents, authorities said Friday, even as opposition leaders denounced the arrests as a political crackdown. The Banadir Regional Police Command said the suspects were taken into custody in security zones after allegedly engaging in conduct that could endanger public safety, disrupt stability and restrict movement in the capital. Police said initial…

Tanker near Somalia fires warning shots at suspicious approach

Saturday May 23, 2026 A tanker in the Gulf of Aden came under a suspicious approach on May 22, prompting its armed security team to fire warning shots in a bid to turn away a small boat — the latest in a string of incidents tied to active Somali pirate groups. The reported encounter was passed to UK Maritime Trade Operations by the tanker’s company security officer. The vessel was underway when it was approached about 98 nautical miles from Socotra, the Yemeni-controlled island off the Horn of Africa. A small craft carrying…