Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A suspected pirate team seized a St. Kitts and Nevis-flagged general cargo ship off Somalia’s coast Monday and was steering it toward shore, maritime security firms said, underscoring a fresh uptick in pirate activity in the area. British security companies Vanguard and Ambrey said the vessel, identified as Sward, is believed to have come under pirate control after being boarded near Godobjiran in central Somalia. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the attack occurred about 6…

by Maxwell Amunga Monday April 27, 2026 Emergency responders at the aircraft accident scene on March 5, 2024 (left) and parts of the plane after the accident. Photo Aviation News Kenya has launched a formal inquiry into a string of aircraft accidents involving its planes in Somalia and South Sudan, with Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir appointing a special investigation team to dig into the incidents. CS Chirchir gazetted the Aircraft Accident Investigation Team in a notice dated April 24, relying on the…

By  ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL BALSAMOMonday April 27, 2026 Minutes before gunfire erupted outside the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, the man accused in the attack sent family members a message that read less like a note and more like a manifesto — one that blasted Trump administration policies, called himself a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and now stands out as a possible clue to a politically charged motive, according to a message reviewed by The Associated Press. The writings, sent…

Hi, I’m Steve Clemens, and two questions are driving the conversation: can the United States and Iran turn renewed talks into a meaningful agreement, or is the conflict settling into a tense, frozen standoff? Here’s where things stand. Diplomatic contact between Washington and Tehran has resumed following President Donald Trump’s declaration of an open-ended ceasefire. Both governments insist time favors their position, not the other’s. Despite sharp rhetoric and military posturing, each side—for now—appears to prefer an…

Fifteen Latin American migrants have become the first group deported by the United States to the Democratic Republic of Congo, landing in Kinshasa under a contentious third-country removal program. On arrival, they described feeling fearful and uncertain about what awaits them. The group—nationals of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru—is being accommodated at Venus Village, a dilapidated hotel complex on the outskirts of the capital. They received one-week entry visas at the airport and now face a stark choice: arrange travel back…

Humanitarian operations in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado are being stretched thin as communities contend with both militant violence and extreme weather, the National Disaster Management Institute (INGD) has warned. Marques Naba, the INGC Cabo Delgado delegate, said aid efforts must be reshaped to meet “a complex and simultaneous scenario'. He noted that in the current rainy season alone, 4,570 houses were affected, including 1,316 that were destroyed. Conflict continues to uproot civilians: at least 434,000 people…

Mali’s ruling junta came under intense strain after Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an attack on his home, while army forces battled for a second straight day against jihadist fighters and separatist rebels near Bamako and in other parts of the country. Camara, his second wife and two of his grandchildren were killed in a car bomb attack on his residence in the junta bastion of Kita, outside the capital, according to his family and an official. The coordinated assaults were carried out by Tuareg rebels from the…

What began as a black-tie evening of celebration turned into a scene of panic, according to Caitríona Perry, the BBC News Chief Anchor in Washington and former RTÉ journalist, who witnessed the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner firsthand. Ms Perry was seated in the middle of the room when US President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet were hurried out before the suspect was ⁠taken into custody. In an interview with RTÉ's Brendan O'Connor, she recalled hearing a "commotion" outside before…

Mali's Defense Minister Sadio Camara was reportedly killed in an attack on his residence at the Kati military base near Bamako, carried out by the al-Qaida-affiliated group, JNIM. This incident, reported by Radio France Internationale, underscores the escalating threats in the region. Gunfire erupted again on Sunday, a day after one of Mali's most significant attacks in recent years. An al-Qaida affiliate and Tuareg rebels orchestrated a large-scale offensive, targeting areas around the capital and crucial gold-producing…

Chaos erupted at a Washington DC media gala over the weekend, and the man arrested after the shooting is expected to appear in court later today. The acting US Attorney General said investigators believe US President Donald Trump and members of his administration were the "likely" targets of the suspected gunman who tried to force his way into the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Late on Saturday, a person carrying a shotgun, a handgun and knives ran through a hotel security checkpoint toward the ballroom hosting the…