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

MOGADISHU – Somalia’s government said on Friday that security forces had re-established control in two districts of the capital following a day of gunfire between state troops and militias aligned with opposition politicians, clashes that sent some residents fleeing. The unrest erupted this week as tensions rose over planned demonstrations against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s decision to stay in office after his term expired last month. Those protests never materialized. In March, parliament approved constitutional…

Andy Burnham has opened the door to a fresh Labour leadership battle, saying he would take on Prime Minister Keir Starmer if he secures victory in the Makerfield bye-election later this month. The Greater Manchester mayor said Labour, despite being in government, requires a fundamental reset as it struggles in the opinion polls. Burnham made the remarks during a BBC debate alongside other candidates contesting the parliamentary seat in northern England. Starmer, whose approval ratings rank among the weakest for a British…

By Hussein Mohamed and Matthew Mpoke BiggHussein Mohamed reported from Mogadishu, Somalia, and Matthew Mpoke Bigg from Nairobi, Kenya.Friday June 5, 2026 Smoke drifted above Mogadishu on Thursday as heavy fighting engulfed parts of the Somali capital, where residents said the violence was the most intense in years. The U.S. Embassy called the clashes reckless and appealed for calm. Credit...Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Gunfire and explosions shook Somalia’s capital on Thursday, with residents describing the clashes as…

A deadly New Year’s fire that tore through a Swiss ski-resort bar and left 41 people dead is back at the center of the investigation, with the venue’s owners set to face another round of questioning. French owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti were due to be cross-examined by public prosecutors and lawyers representing civil parties over the blaze that swept through Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana in the early hours of 1 January. The disaster claimed 41 lives, most of them teenagers, and left 115 others injured. "The…

Friday June 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a move that could ease rising political friction in Somalia’s capital, former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire on Friday left the temporary homes they had taken up in two Mogadishu neighborhoods, according to sources familiar with the situation. Sharif had recently relocated to Mirinaayo in Abdiaziz district, while Khaire had been staying in the Bermudo area. Opposition figures said the relocations were tied to efforts to mobilize supporters…

A transatlantic political row has erupted over the killing of a student in England, after the US State Department stepped into the debate and denounced what it described as “ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing” as evidence of a broader civilisational decline. The controversy centres on the death of Henry Nowak, who was 18 when he was fatally stabbed last year. As he lay wounded, police handcuffed the white teenager after his attacker falsely claimed he had carried out a racist assault. On Monday, his killer,…

The U.S. government's recent decision to slash the number of embassies offering visa services in Africa from 50 to 20 has sparked concerns among Malawians, particularly regarding their nation’s exclusion from this select group. Reports from the Nyasa Times indicate that many citizens are left questioning whether they are "paying the price for failures at home." As the changes take effect, Malawians will find themselves needing to journey to regional hubs beyond their borders to apply for visas, attend necessary interviews,…

Mogadishu — Former president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Friday agreed to vacate the compound where he had been staying in the Mirinaayo area of Abdiaziz district, a move that came as international actors urged calm and a return to talks. The convoy escorting the former president included the Commander of the Somali National Army, the Chief of the Somali Military Court and several traditional elders. At one point, officers from the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) set up a roadblock and demanded the…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOFriday June 5, 2026 Muktar Dahir, Garissa County Human Rights Defenders Network, speaking to the press at a Garissa hotel./STEPHEN ASTARIKO Human rights organisations in Garissa are pressing President William Ruto to turn his words on Northern Kenya into measurable action. They want the newly created National Infrastructure Fund to be fully rolled out and say the region should be the first to benefit from it. Speaking to reporters in Garissa town on the sidelines of a training forum, the activists said…

The United Nations says weapons looted during Libya’s 2011 conflict are now stoking violence across West Africa, turning up in the arsenals of extremist groups in Nigeria and throughout the Sahel. Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, told delegates at the UN headquarters in New York that the illicit arms trade fueled by that looting is amplifying insecurity in the region. Speaking on the proliferation of illicit arms, Nakamitsu warned that weapons diverted or…