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

West African shipping companies are revising routes and business plans as the escalating crisis in the Middle East disrupts global maritime corridors, industry officials and analysts say. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and heightened insecurity in the Red Sea and Suez Canal have pushed up operational costs — most notably insurance premiums — and prompted firms to consider rerouting, suspending services or passing fees on to importers and exporters. Boma Alabi, chairperson of the Shipping Association of Nigeria, said…

You are an elite, award-winning international journalist and a meticulous senior editor. Your job is to transform raw source material into a publish-ready article that meets the highest AP-standard editorial and technical requirements. PHASE 1 — ANALYSIS AND FORMAT DECISION Read the source text thoroughly. Identify the core themes, dominant purpose, crucial facts, data points, and human or structural angles. Based solely on this analysis, select exactly one article format from the list below. Always choose Football…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s opposition-aligned Somali Future Council on Wednesday condemned what it described as the use of force against Bajaj drivers protesting soaring fuel prices in the capital, as well as the arrest of some drivers and journalists covering the demonstration. In a statement, the council said the drivers had been peacefully expressing grievances over sharp increases in fuel costs and should not have faced intimidation or detention. “It is unacceptable that young people who are creating jobs and contributing to…

Gulf crisis deepens as UN warns of mass displacement in Iran and tankers burn off Iraq The United Nations’ refugee agency warned that as many as 3.2 million people in Iran have been displaced since the war began almost two weeks ago, as fresh maritime attacks sent oil prices surging back above $100 a barrel and widened fears of a prolonged global energy shock. “This figure is likely to continue rising as hostilities persist, marking a worrying escalation in humanitarian needs,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said,…

Farmaajo condemns arrests of Bajaj drivers as Mogadishu fuel price spike sparks protests Thursday March 12, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on Wednesday condemned the arrest and alleged mistreatment of Bajaj drivers who staged protests in Mogadishu over soaring fuel prices and rising living costs. In a statement, Farmaajo criticized authorities for detaining drivers he said were demonstrating peacefully to express concerns about inflation and worsening economic conditions. He urged…

Senegal Doubles Prison Sentence for Same-Sex Relations Amid Growing Anti-LGBTQI+ Sentiment The Senegalese parliament has approved a controversial bill that significantly increases the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations, doubling it to a decade. This government-backed legislation passed with overwhelming support, tallying 135 votes in favor and three abstentions, marking a shift in the country's legal stance on LGBTQI+ rights. The new law, a pivotal campaign promise from President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and…

Russia says ‘productive’ Florida talks with U.S. envoys as oil sanctions ease; Ukraine reports teen killed in strike Florida — A top envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin said he took part in a “productive meeting” with U.S. negotiators in Florida, in what he described as the first talks between Moscow and Washington since the start of the Iran war. The engagement comes days after the United States lifted some sanctions on Russian oil imposed after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, a move framed as an effort to ease…

South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said U.S. Ambassador Brent Bozell III expressed regret for comments he made about a South African court’s ruling on the controversial “Kill the Boer” chant. DIRCO confirmed the South African government summoned Bozell III, who took over the ambassadorial post last month, after he publicly criticized a court decision that found the chant did not amount to hate speech. The summons was intended to register the government’s concern over the ambassador…

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone call Tuesday with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, to discuss bilateral relations and the latest security developments in Sudan, according to Ankara’s communications directorate. In a statement posted on X, Turkey’s Directorate of Communications said the two leaders exchanged views on the situation in Sudan as well as broader issues shaping ties between the countries. The readout did not specify the duration of the…

Thursday March 12, 2026 HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia (AX) — Israel is weighing the establishment of a strategic base in North Western State of Somalia to help counter Yemen’s Houthi movement, according to a Bloomberg report published Wednesday that cites unnamed North Western State of Somalia officials and people familiar with the talks. The exploratory assessments have focused on sites along North Western State of Somalia’s northern coastline, including elevated terrain west of the port city of Berbera — about…