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

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…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has unveiled plans to send envoys across Africa and to other regions of the world, signalling a stepped-up diplomatic push as South Africa grapples with mounting migration pressures. Ramaphosa said the initiative is aimed at widening international cooperation on migration, arguing that countries must work in concert to confront the underlying drivers of population movement. He also rejected the characterisation of South Africa’s approach as xenophobic, framing the outreach as an effort to build…

Europe has thrown its weight behind Volodymyr Zelensky’s dramatic appeal to Vladimir Putin, with EU officials endorsing the Ukrainian president’s push for face-to-face talks as a possible way to halt a war now grinding through its fifth year. Mr Zelensky set out that offer in an open letter to the Russian leader, proposing a direct meeting to negotiate an end to the conflict while making clear that, failing that, Kyiv was prepared to continue the fight. "We welcome President Zelensky's call for direct negotiations and also…

Friday June 5, 2026 This handout photograph taken on January 30, 2024 and released by the Indian Navy shows an Iranian fishing vessel after it has been freed by the Indian Navy from Somali pirates, off the Somali coast, some 850 nautical miles (1,574 kilometres) west of the Indian city of Kochi. (AFP/ file) ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday that efforts were still under way to win the release of ten Pakistani sailors held by Somali pirates since April, while warning that the vessel’s highly explosive cargo had narrowed…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOFriday June 5, 2026 Garissa Governor Nathif Jama chairing the high-level security meeting./STEPHEN ASTARIKO Garissa’s standing as one of Kenya’s safest towns is facing a serious test after a wave of killings, muggings and violent break-ins jolted leaders into urgent action. Governor Nathif Jama said the county can no longer ignore the escalating insecurity that has left many residents afraid to move about freely. Shaken by the rise in crime, senior government officials, security agencies, religious…

In a fresh push to tighten their ties, South Africa and Kenya have signed six new Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) designed to broaden cooperation across key sectors, from trade and maritime transport to skills development, gender equality, arts and culture, and sport. The agreements were concluded during Kenyan President William Ruto's State Visit to South Africa, marking another step in what both governments describe as a deepening strategic partnership. The latest set of MoUs brings the total number of bilateral pacts…