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

Iran has withdrawn from a planned multilateral naval exercise in South Africa’s False Bay, officials said, after initially assembling warships in the area. South African, Russian, Chinese and United Arab Emirates vessels are still scheduled to sail this week for Exercise Will for Peace 2026, a drill organized under the BRICS+ framework. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) described the maneuvers as a joint exercise for the 10-member BRICS+ forum but said most member states will have limited or no active…

DUBAI — DP World said Tuesday its operations at the Port of Berbera in Somalia’s breakaway region of North Western State of Somalia remain unaffected and continue under existing agreements, even as Mogadishu moved to annul all deals with the United Arab Emirates amid rising regional tensions linked to Yemen. Somalia’s federal government on Monday said it was voiding its agreements with the UAE, including port contracts and defense and security cooperation, accusing Abu Dhabi of undermining the country’s sovereignty. The…

Iran acknowledges about 2,000 deaths in protests as U.S. imposes sweeping tariffs and weighs next steps DUBAI, Jan. 13 — An Iranian official said about 2,000 people, including security personnel, have been killed in two weeks of nationwide protests, the first time authorities have acknowledged a death toll from the crackdown that followed unrest over Iran’s collapsing currency and deepening economic pain. The official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, blamed “terrorists” for the deaths on both sides but did not…

Iran’s most serious street challenge in years is testing the durability of its theocratic state, as two weeks of protests have broadened from economic anger to overt calls for sweeping political change. Yet despite the scale and fury, analysts say Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s system still shows few of the internal fractures that typically precede regime collapse. Rights groups say a heavy crackdown has left hundreds dead, even as the 86-year-old Khamenei retains the backing of Iran’s core power centers and…

Atiku Abubakar Critiques Tinubu Administration's Attack on Democracy Ahead of 2027 Elections Former Nigerian Vice President and candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has leveled accusations against President Bola Tinubu's administration for allegedly constricting the nation's democratic space as the 2027 elections draw near. Atiku's comments emerged in response to the arrest of a young activist reportedly detained for criticizing the government on social media. According to Amnesty…

UN demands swift, independent probe into ICE shooting of Minnesota woman as protests, lawsuits escalate The United Nations on Monday urged a rapid, independent and transparent investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis last week, as protests spread and Minnesota filed suit against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. “Under international human rights law, the intentional use of lethal force is only permissible as a measure of…

COPENHAGEN — Denmark’s foreign minister said he and his Greenlandic counterpart will meet U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House tomorrow, a high-stakes attempt to shift escalating rhetoric over Greenland into face-to-face diplomacy as President Donald Trump presses to take control of the Arctic island. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt requested the meeting with Rubio after Trump recently intensified threats to take over…

Somalia bans UAE military and cargo aircraft from its airspace amid escalating rift MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia has barred military and cargo aircraft owned or leased by the United Arab Emirates from entering its airspace, according to media reports citing Somali security officials, in a sharp escalation that underscores deteriorating ties between Mogadishu and Abu Dhabi. The reported decision, which sources said took effect Jan. 8, follows suspicions that the UAE transported Aidarus al-Zubaidi, head of Yemen’s Southern…

COPENHAGEN — A senior European official warned that a U.S. move to seize Greenland by force would spell “the end of NATO,” as Denmark and multiple European capitals rallied behind the self-governing Arctic territory and urged Washington to abandon coercive rhetoric. European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said European Union member states would be obliged to come to Denmark’s assistance if faced with military aggression. “I agree with the Danish Prime Minister (Mette Frederiksen) that it will be the end…

Ethiopian intelligence chief makes surprise visit to Mogadishu amid regional tensions MOGADISHU, Somalia — Ethiopia’s intelligence chief arrived in the Somali capital Tuesday on an unannounced visit to deliver a message from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, officials said, in a move that underscores rising diplomatic strains across the Horn of Africa. Redwan Hussein, who heads Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service, met with Mohamud at the presidential compound, Villa…