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

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Thursday its forces killed a senior al-Shabab operative who ran the militant group’s financial extortion network in the Banadir region, which includes the capital, Mogadishu. The operative, identified as Ahmed Dhubad Xidig, also known as “Sheikh Aadan Dheere,” was killed in a targeted raid by NISA’s elite Gaashaan special forces in the Daniga Baaloow area of Lower Shabelle on Jan. 27, the agency said in a statement. According to NISA, the operation…

GENEVA — U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk warned that his office is in “survival mode” amid deepening funding shortfalls, launching a $400 million appeal to sustain global monitoring and accountability work as rights abuses surge worldwide. Addressing diplomats at the U.N. rights office in Geneva, Türk said chronic underfunding is hampering life-saving operations “at a time when truth is being eroded by disinformation and censorship.” He called the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) “a lifeline for…

Japan will switch the world’s largest nuclear power plant back on next week, after an alarm-setting glitch forced a halt to its first restart attempt since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, the operator said. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, known as TEPCO, said it plans to resume the start-up of a reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa station in Niigata prefecture on Feb. 9. A previous bid to relaunch the unit last month was suspended just hours into the process. “We plan to start up the reactor on February 9,” Takeyuki…

Morgan McSweeney, the strategist who engineered Labour’s turn from activism to authority and shepherded Keir Starmer to Downing Street, is facing the most bruising test of his quiet power. The prime minister’s chief of staff has been pulled into the fallout from the appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to the United States, a decision now tainted by Mandelson’s continued association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Starmer has apologized to Epstein’s victims and for “believing lies,” while insisting…

Trump links Rep. Ilhan Omar to ISIS in Somalia without evidence, escalating feud WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump on Thursday escalated his long-running attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar, suggesting without evidence in a social media post that the Minnesota Democrat is aligned with ISIS leaders in Somalia. On Truth Social, Trump shared a report about recent U.S. strikes on ISIS-Somalia positions in remote mountain caves and appended a caption questioning whether Omar was present “to protect her corrupt ‘homeland.’” U.S.…

Overview of the Woro Attack The Woro village in Kwara State witnessed one of Nigeria's deadliest attacks in recent months, leading to a significant military response. This section provides an overview of the incident and its implications. Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deployed the military following the attack. The attack left up to 162 people dead, with conflicting death toll reports. Authorities suspect the involvement of terrorist elements in the region. The Attack Details The gunmen attacked Woro…

Suffering and Survival in Eastern Chad: A Refugee Crisis Unfolds Authorities and aid organizations in eastern Chad are grappling with a surge of Sudanese refugees fleeing a brutal conflict. The humanitarian emergency is highlighted by severe shortages in medical and mental health support. Wounded refugees suffer from both physical and psychological trauma. The conflict involves drone attacks and ground combat, creating casualties. Chad's medical facilities are overstretched, struggling to cope with the influx.…

WASHINGTON — Ireland’s foreign minister defended the European Union’s Digital Services Act during a visit to the U.S. capital, arguing the online safety law protects consumers and children without undermining free speech, even as a House Judiciary Committee hearing questioned whether the framework infringes on Americans’ First Amendment rights. Helen McEntee, Ireland’s minister for foreign affairs, trade and defense, met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington as part of advance preparations for Ireland…

Egypt and Turkey seal strategic reset in Cairo, set $15B trade target and align on Gaza cease-fire CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks in Cairo on Wednesday, co-chairing a high-level council that produced new cooperation agreements and a shared call to advance a Gaza cease-fire and reconstruction effort. Following their meeting, the leaders convened the second session of the Egypt–Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and oversaw the signing of…

WFP Condemns Attacks on Humanitarian Convoy in South Sudan The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has expressed strong condemnation regarding the recent attacks on its river convoy in Upper Nile State. The organization has suspended all operations in Baliet County until safety measures for its staff and partners are assured. The convoy, comprising 12 boats, was transporting over 1,500 metric tons of food assistance. WFP's actions are a direct response to a critical security breach leading to significant…