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

Vast stretches of Mozambique’s farmland remain untouched, and a new Agriculture and Livestock census is putting hard numbers on just how much potential lies idle. According to the survey, only 18% of the country’s 36 million hectares of arable land is currently under cultivation, underscoring both the scale of opportunity and the obstacles farming families face in boosting crop production. Speaking at the launch of the report, Minister of Planning and Development Salim Vala said the findings point to a central reality for…

A dangerous chemical scare that forced tens of thousands from their homes in southern California eased on Sunday, with officials saying conditions had improved enough for many residents to return. Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra said authorities were able to shrink the evacuation area after reviewing fresh data and consulting subject matter experts. "For those that remain impacted, I know this may be frustrating. That number is approximately 16,000 of you. Please understand that we are doing this for your safety, and…

Tuesday May 26, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s attorney general said Monday that detained bajaj driver and activist Sadia Moallim Ali Hassan will soon appear in court, declaring that her case has now moved into the final phase of investigation and prosecution. Attorney General Suleyman Mohamed Mahmoud said the proceedings have followed legal procedures and dismissed criticism of the justice system as misinformation. He said Ali was taken into custody on April 21 and presented before a court within 48 hours, in line with…

In a surprising turn of events, Senegal's Parliament has appointed Ousmane Sonko as Speaker, just a few days following his dismissal from the government by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. This decision marks a significant escalation in the ongoing political rift between the two former allies and comes after months of escalating tensions within the administration.

A Spanish national evacuated from a cruise ship earlier this month and now quarantined at a military hospital in Madrid has tested positive for hantavirus, Spain's Health Ministry said, sharpening concern around an outbreak that began at sea. The case is the second positive result among 14 Spanish nationals flown to the Spanish island of Tenerife from the luxury liner MV Hondius. The ship was carrying about 150 passengers and crew from 23 countries when a cluster of severe respiratory illnesses was first reported to the…

Tuesday May 26, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia has stepped up its public health defenses and finalized a national Ebola prevention plan as reports of the virus emerge in parts of Africa, officials said Monday. The Ministry of Health said Somalia has not confirmed a single Ebola case. Still, authorities have tightened readiness, citing the steady flow of travelers and flights from nearby countries, particularly Uganda and Kenya. “The Ministry of Health confirms that no case of Ebola has been registered in the country so far.…

Windhoek residents who turned on their taps to find brownish water are seeing the effects of a sudden strain on the city’s supply system, officials say. The city has linked the discolouration to an interruption in water supply from the Namibia Water Corporation following damage to the pipeline that feeds water from the Von Bach Water Treatment Plant to Windhoek. The disruption has led reservoir levels across Windhoek to drop significantly, and the city says the lower levels allowed residue that had settled at the bottom of…

Alarm is spreading beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo as the Ebola outbreak gathers pace, with the head of the World Health Organization warning that neighbouring states face grave danger unless they move swiftly to contain the virus. "Countries bordering DRC are at especially high risk and should take immediate action," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who said he would travel to the DRC tomorrow, heading to the vast central African nation at the heart of the current outbreak. "The outbreak is…

Tuesday May 26, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Mogadishu Mayor Hassan Mohamed Hussein Muungaab on Monday accused Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni of stoking unrest and political violence in the capital, saying authorities would not allow any attempt to undermine security, traffic, or everyday life in the city. Addressing a public event in Mogadishu, Muungaab said residents are entitled to their political views under the constitution, but stressed that demonstrations and political activity must not put public safety…

Any hopes of a swift breakthrough with Iran dimmed on Tuesday after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a deal could still "take a few days," a day after US forces launched what Washington described as defensive strikes in ⁠southern Iran. Rubio, outlining the operation against targets that included boats allegedly trying to lay mines and missile launch sites, made clear the US position on the vital shipping lane. The Strait of Hormuz, he said, must remain open "one way or the other". "The straits have to be open, they're…