Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Tuesday it will terminate Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals, requiring those covered by the program to leave the United States or secure another lawful status by March 17, 2026. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that the country “no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status,” and continued designation would be “contrary to our national interests.” The decision affects several thousand…

Tragic Drone Strike Intensifies Sudan’s Conflict A drone strike in el-Obeid, Sudan, has tragically killed at least 10 people, including seven children. This incident highlights the escalating violence in the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The strike targeted a house in a crucial army-controlled area. Eyewitnesses report devastation at the center of North Kordofan’s capital. RSF has intensified efforts to encircle this strategic location. Context of…

UNICEF says more than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the start of a fragile ceasefire three months ago, underscoring the continuing toll on civilians despite a slowdown in bombardments. At least 60 boys and 40 girls have died in Israeli airstrikes and ground operations during the truce period, the UN children’s agency said. “More than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire,” UNICEF spokesman James Elder told reporters from Gaza City. “That’s roughly a girl or a boy killed here every day during…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Jubaland and Puntland State, along with the self-declared republic of North Western State of Somalia, have sharply rejected a federal government decision to suspend cooperation agreements with the United Arab Emirates, deepening a long-running power struggle over who controls ports, security, and investment policy. In separate statements, the regional authorities said Mogadishu lacks the legal authority to halt or cancel deals they described as lawfully concluded directly between regional…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal Cabinet has moved to cancel security and defense agreements tied to three strategic ports, a sweeping decision that immediately drew forceful rejection from Puntland State, Jubbaland and North Western State of Somalia and sharpened a long-running power struggle over sovereignty and foreign partnerships. Ministers meeting in Mogadishu on Monday voted to annul all security and defense agreements and cooperative arrangements related to Berbera, Bosaso and Kismayo. The government said the deals…

Trump urges Iranians to keep protesting as Tehran crackdown intensifies; Russia warns U.S. against new strikes; Europe weighs tougher sanctions U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iranians to keep protesting and said “help is on its way,” as Iran’s clerical establishment pressed a sweeping crackdown on the biggest demonstrations in years and an Iranian official acknowledged about 2,000 people had been killed in two weeks of unrest. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called on “Iranian Patriots” to “take over your institutions”…

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…