Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

Monday April 27, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — Israel has named its first ambassador to North Western State of Somalia, moving ahead with diplomatic ties months after becoming the first country to recognize the self-declared republic, the foreign ministry said Sunday. Michael Lotem, who currently serves as Israel’s roaming economic ambassador to Africa, will take up the post in North Western State of Somalia. He has previously represented Israel in Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Israel formally recognized North Western State of…

A landmark Vatican meeting brought together Pope Leo and Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally for the first time, as the heads of the Catholic Church and the Church of England exchanged gifts and prayed side by side in a powerful gesture of unity. At the Vatican’s ornate apostolic palace, Pope Leo — the first US leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics — received Archbishop Mullally, the first woman to become spiritual leader of the world’s 85 million Anglicans, in his formal office. The pair, whose churches split…

Monday April 27, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has renewed calls for political talks in Somalia, urging the country’s traditional elders to step into the center of efforts to ease the worsening standoff. In a statement released Saturday, Farmaajo said the elders could help narrow the rift and reduce the risk of further turmoil, joining similar appeals made by former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. “The presidents’ call highlights the important role that…

Nedra Talley Ross, the final surviving member of 1960s pop trailblazers The Ronettes, has died aged 80. Talley Ross sang in The Ronettes with her cousins Ronnie Spector and Estelle Bennett, helping drive the group to major success with hits such as Be My Baby, Walking in the Rain, Baby, I Love You and (The Best Part of) Breakin' Up. News of the singer’s death was announced on the group’s Instagram account, which said: "It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Nedra Talley Ross’ passing. She was a light to those who…

Monday April 27, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A family in Indonesia is pressing its government to step in after Somali pirates seized an oil tanker off the country’s coast last week and took an Indonesian captain hostage. Ashari Samadikun, 33, is among 17 crew members captured when armed men hijacked the UAE-flagged tanker Honour 25 about 30 nautical miles offshore, security officials in Puntland State said. The vessel was traveling from Oman to Mogadishu when it came under attack. Speaking from their home in Gowa regency,…

In Somalia, trees are most often invoked as evidence of loss: absent canopy, failing rains, charcoal pits, and spreading wasteland. That portrayal is accurate — large swaths of the country endure repeated droughts, creeping desertification, and shrinking biomass — but it narrows the conversation to decline rather than possibility. Estimates suggest more than 60 per cent of Somalia’s land shows signs of degradation and tree cover is among the lowest in the Horn of Africa. The causes are familiar: prolonged conflict, weak land…

Against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical strain, Britain’s King Charles arrives in the United States today for a state visit overshadowed by the Iran war and by a shooting at a dinner attended by US President Donald Trump just two days ago. The four-day journey by Charles and Queen Camilla is meant to celebrate the long-standing relationship between Britain and the United States as America commemorates its 250th anniversary, the British government said. During the visit, Charles is set to become the first British monarch…

Airlines are sounding the alarm over a relentless shortage of jet fuel that is leading to significant travel disruptions, with an alarming number of delays and cancellations. The situation has escalated in recent days, leaving hundreds of travelers stranded and prompting many to reconsider their upcoming journeys. Key travel hubs, particularly in Lagos and Abuja, are experiencing severe impacts, as passengers face extended wait times on well-traveled domestic routes. In a notable operational adjustment, Air Peace has…

Monday April 27, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — As Somalia grapples with a widening political standoff, civil society groups are urging that traditional elders be brought to the forefront of efforts to bridge the divide between the federal government and opposition leaders. At a press conference in Mogadishu on Sunday, Osman Moalim Shatax, chairman of a coalition of non-state actors, said civil society supports recent appeals from both government and opposition figures for elders to take part in mediation. Shatax said the country’s…

Amid the wreckage of Gaza, Palestinians are turning the debris of war into the groundwork for recovery, crushing shattered concrete and twisted metal to repave streets destroyed during Israel's ⁠two-year assault in what they hope will be the first visible step toward restoring their battered cities. The effort, led by the United Nations Development Programme, comes as momentum fades behind US President Donald Trump's Gaza plan, which was intended to build on an October Israel-Hamas ceasefire by ramping up aid and launching a…