Axadle - Breaking news and analysis from Somalia, the Horn of Africa, and across Africa.

Monday May 18, 2026 Borama (AX) — Police in Borama opened fire Sunday to break up young demonstrators who burned tires in parts of the city during a protest against North Western State of Somalia’s May 18 independence celebrations, according to residents and officials. No casualties were immediately reported. The unrest unfolded in Borama, the capital of Awdal region, one of several places where tensions have been building ahead of North Western State of Somalia’s annual May 18 commemoration. The day marks North Western…

In a harrowing incident, over 50 children—primarily aged between two and five—were taken by armed assailants from three schools in Mussa, Borno State. Witnesses to the attack recounted that the kidnappers employed the young victims as human shields while making their escape on motorbikes, complicating efforts by security forces to engage. The abductions occurred at the Government Day Secondary School, Mussa Central Primary School, and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Secondary School. As of now, no group…

Botswana has scrapped the sections of its penal code that outlawed same-sex relations, a decisive move that cements one of the continent’s most significant advances for LGBTQ rights. The change formalises a 2019 High Court judgment that struck down the provisions as unconstitutional. Activists from Legabibo say the amendment underscores the government’s commitment to human rights, even as momentum elsewhere on the continent moves in the opposite direction. Several nations, including Senegal, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali,…

A dramatic collision between two military jets during an Idaho air show ended without loss of life after all four crew members ejected safely outside Mountain Home Air Force Base, according to the US Navy. The aircraft, two E/A-18G Growler jets, collided mid-air about 3km from the base during the two-day Gunfighter Skies Air Show, Commander Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, US Pacific Fleet, said. Ms Umayam said the two jets, carrying four air crew, struck each other "while performing an ‌aerial…

Monday May 18, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State security forces detained suspected pirates on Sunday in a sweep across Somalia’s Bari region, stepping up pressure on groups accused of trying to revive maritime crime along the coast. According to Puntland State security officials, the suspects are thought to have ties to pirate networks linked to attacks, kidnappings and attempted hijackings of commercial ships in Somali waters and along nearby Red Sea shipping lanes. The operations form part of a wider effort to block…

A fresh row over Brexit has flared as Keir Starmer’s government prepares to return to Westminster, exposing divisions among the contenders positioning themselves to replace him. Wes Streeting, who stepped down as health secretary last week, indicated he wants Britain to rejoin the EU as he declared he would enter any Labour leadership race. Allies of Andy Burnham are said to be enraged by Mr Streeting’s move, with the Times reporting they see it as a calculated effort to thrust Brexit back to the forefront in the…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOMonday May 18, 2026 Garissa governorship aspirant Abdulkadir Haji with Sultan Hamud Sheikh of the Awliyahan clan./STEPHEN ASTARIKO The contest for Garissa governor in 2027 is already gathering momentum, with Senator Abdul Haji making a direct appeal to the influential Awliyahan community in a development that could alter the county’s political arithmetic. At a symbolic ceremony held on Saturday at a Garissa hotel, the two-term senator, who comes from the Samawadhal community, officially presented his…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda as a "public health emergency of international concern," highlighting the potential threat to neighboring regions. Although this outbreak has not escalated to a pandemic level, countries bordering the DRC are alerted to a heightened risk of the virus spreading. According to the WHO, as of Saturday, the Ituri province in the DRC reported 80 suspected deaths, eight confirmed laboratory cases, and 246…

A holiday in Thailand ended in tragedy when a young Irish man and a Czech woman were killed in a road crash. The Irish victim has been identified locally as Max Hendrickson, from Cabra in Dublin. Mr Hendrickson, 20, was named Ireland's Young Filmmaker of the Year 2023 at the Fresh International Film Festival and was widely known in his local community. He was in his second year as a student at Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. Labour TD Marie Sherlock said the news has left neighbours and friends…

Fresh Israeli strikes shook eastern and southern Lebanon, state media said, underscoring the strain on a ceasefire that remains in place only tenuously, while a Hezbollah official dismissed Lebanon’s talks with Israel as a “dead-end”. According to the state-run National News Agency (NNA), two Israeli strikes struck the town of Sohmor in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, while additional attacks were reported across the south of the country. Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks since the war began have killed more than…