Axadle - Get real-time breaking headlines from the Horn of Africa, covering politics, culture, and more. Axadle keeps you informed with up-to-the-minute news

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Kenyan doctor who says he was working on a United Nations medical evacuation team in Somalia has appeared in a video appealing to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Kenyan President William Ruto, saying he and colleagues have been held by al-Shabab for more than a year and a half following a helicopter crash. The man, identifying himself as Dr. Ambrose Kimiti, says the aircraft carrying the medical team crash-landed on Jan. 10, 2024, in territory controlled by al-Shabab while on an official…

Trump names Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry special envoy to Greenland, draws rebuke from Denmark and Greenland; suspends offshore wind leases; unveils new “Trump-class” battleships U.S. President Donald Trump reasserted that the United States “has to have” Greenland for national security and named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry on Sunday as his special envoy to the Arctic island, triggering swift criticism from Danish and Greenlandic leaders. The moves came alongside a separate push to expand U.S. naval power with a new class of…

Somalia Among Countries Affected as Trump Administration Recalls Nearly 50 U.S. Ambassadors WASHINGTON — Nearly 50 U.S. ambassadors and senior diplomatic officials are being recalled worldwide under President Donald Trump’s administration, leaving key posts vacant in countries including Somalia, according to officials familiar with the move. The changes, expected to take effect by January, are part of Trump’s effort to reshape U.S. foreign service leadership and align diplomatic posts with his “America First” agenda. The…

MOGADISHU — Somali police arrested 11 soldiers on Tuesday for illegally carrying weapons in central Mogadishu, part of a citywide security sweep aimed at enforcing a ban on off-duty personnel moving around armed ahead of this week’s local council elections. The Banadir Regional Police Command said the detentions followed coordinated operations across several districts of the capital to curb unauthorized weapons in public spaces and reinforce directives intended to protect civilians. 11 soldiers detained for illegally…

Kyiv, Ukraine — At least three people, including a four-year-old child, were killed Friday as Russia launched a “massive” missile and drone barrage across Ukraine, striking power facilities and triggering emergency outages in multiple regions amid freezing temperatures, Ukrainian officials said. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the assault “an extremely clear signal about Russia’s priorities,” noting the barrage landed “in the midst of negotiations aimed at ending this war.” He urged Ukraine’s Western partners to increase…

Turkey’s Expanding Influence in Somalia Draws Sharp Criticism AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State’s State Minister of Information, Mohamud Aided Dirir, has sharply criticized Turkey’s growing footprint in Somalia, alleging the engagement is driven by self-interest, corruption and exploitation rather than the country’s long-term stability, security or good governance. Dirir said Ankara’s presence undermines Somalia’s sovereignty and misappropriates local resources, arguing that foreign assistance should reinforce Somali…

EU backs Denmark after Trump appoints Greenland envoy, reigniting sovereignty dispute The European Union declared “full solidarity” with Denmark after President Donald Trump named Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as his special envoy to Greenland, a move that rekindled tensions over U.S. ambitions for the vast Arctic territory that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. “Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council…

MOGADISHU — The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts worldwide in a sweeping reshuffle aimed at aligning U.S. diplomacy with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, according to two State Department officials. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters, said chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were notified last week that their tenures will end in January. All of the recalled diplomats were…

Trump warns release of Epstein files could ‘ruin’ reputations as bipartisan pressure mounts on Justice Department WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, speaking at Mar-a-Lago in his first public comments since the Justice Department began releasing investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein last Friday, cautioned that people who “innocently met” the convicted sex offender could see their reputations damaged as photos and documents surface. “This whole thing with Epstein is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success…

Sudan’s prime minister urges U.N. Security Council to back monitored cease-fire plan NEW YORK — Sudan’s prime minister called on the U.N. Security Council to stand “on the right side of history” by endorsing a peace plan for his war-torn country that would impose a nationwide cease-fire and bring international monitoring to the conflict. Since April 2023, Sudan’s army has been locked in a brutal fight with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which controls the west and parts of the south. The war has killed tens of…