Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

A deadly outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the southern Atlantic has cast a spotlight on hantavirus, a rodent-borne disease that can prove fatal when it infects humans. Dutch cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said it was handling "a serious medical situation" on board the MV Hondius, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde. Hantaviruses belong to a group of pathogens capable of triggering respiratory and cardiac complications, along with haemorrhagic fevers. No vaccine or targeted treatment exists for hantaviruses,…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOMonday May 4, 2026 Alex Njiru, their chairperson Christian community in Garissa./STEPHEN ASTARIKO Non-local community leaders in Garissa have sharply criticised politicians they accuse of stoking tensions and turning recent killings into ammunition for tribal blame games. The leaders spoke after the death of a taxi driver in Garissa and a bandit attack in Tseikuru, Mwingi, which left eight people dead. At a press briefing in Garissa on Sunday, they said politicians have direct access to top government…

Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate who represented the Labour Party, has officially parted ways with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a political organization he joined in December 2025. He cites a deteriorating political landscape characterized by both external meddling and internal discord, emphasizing that his departure is not due to any personal conflicts with ADC leaders. Obi characterized the current national political environment as "increasingly toxic," highlighting a pervasive atmosphere of…

A stark warning from the International Monetary Fund says sweeping global aid cutbacks have pushed Malawi onto a financial knife-edge, exposing deep-seated frailties in the country’s economic management. For years, the nation has leaned heavily on donor support to finance vital development programs and routine government operations. The IMF’s latest report on Sub-Saharan Africa notes that assistance to the region fell by 16 to 28 percent in 2025. This funding gap lands as Malawi contends with a debt-to-GDP ratio above 90…

A shooting at a party near Oklahoma City left at least 10 people wounded, authorities said, as investigators warned the toll could climb further. Police said they expect the number of injured to increase as additional victims seek medical care on their own. No arrests had been made after the gunfire erupted shortly after 9pm local time at a gathering at Arcadia Lake, according to a statement posted on X by the police department in Edmond, a city northeast of Oklahoma City. Officials did not immediately release additional…

Somali opposition leaders meet in Mogadishu to discuss alternative electoral model MOGADISHU — Somali opposition leaders have convened in Mogadishu to weigh a proposed indirect voting system, a move that would steer the country away from both the 2022 electoral arrangement and the “one person, one vote” model championed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. People familiar with the talks said the opposition is working to shape a compromise electoral formula that could later be put before international mediators involved in…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOMonday May 4, 2026 Health CS Aden Duale speaking at the event./STEPHEN ASTARIKO Health CS Aden Duale has stepped up pressure for the reopening of the Kenya–Somalia border, saying the decades-old closure is largely a formality that deprives the government of revenue and weakens oversight. Addressing guests at a graduation ceremony at Madarasa Manar in Waberi Ward, Garissa Township, Duale said people continue to move across the frontier even though the crossing points remain officially shut. “The border…

In a bold move to enhance the nation’s energy infrastructure, President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled plans for a significant expansion of Ghana's energy capacity through the development of a new 1,200-megawatt gas-fired power plant. This initiative aims to preempt potential energy shortages that have plagued the country with recent power supply disruptions. During the announcement, Mahama emphasized the pressing need for increased investment in the energy sector, highlighting that when his administration took office in…

Europe’s leaders have received Donald Trump’s warning over the Iran war — and are now moving to answer it, NATO chief Mark Rutte said after Washington announced it would pull 5,000 troops out of Germany. "European leaders have gotten the message. They heard the message loud and clear," Mr Rutte said ahead of talks with European leaders in Armenia, as he pointed to what he described as frustration in Washington over European allies' reluctance to enter the war. "Europeans are stepping up," Mr Rutte insisted. "We have seen all…

By  JAMES ROBSONMonday May 4, 2026 Manchester United is back among Europe’s elite. Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Liverpool ensured United’s return to the Champions League after a two-year wait, sealing the club’s place in next season’s top-tier continental competition in dramatic fashion. Kobbie Mainoo delivered the decisive blow in a tense Premier League showdown at Old Trafford, firing first time from the edge of the area after defending champion Liverpool had clawed its way back from two goals down. The result also brought…