Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Three federal member states — South West, Jubaland and Galmudug — have withdrawn from Somalia’s Federal Member States football tournament, accusing the Somali Football Federation of mismanagement, a lack of accountability and failing to provide basic technical support for a credible national competition. The coordinated boycott threatens Somalia’s flagship domestic showcase and lays bare a deeper governance crisis at the heart of the game. Tuesday December 16, 2025 FILE — Spectators fill the stands…

At least 37 people were killed after flash floods struck Morocco’s coastal Safi region following hours of torrential rain that swept cars and debris through the port city, local authorities said Monday. Dozens of people were treated in hospitals, and emergency services reported at least 70 homes flooded in the old city centre. Some roads into and out of Safi were blocked by water, mud and wreckage, hampering relief efforts and isolating neighbourhoods. “It is a dark day for the city,” residents told local media, urging the…

‘Ground zero’ for aid cuts: Rohingya children in Cox’s Bazar face hunger, lost schooling as funding collapses At a nutrition center in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, a seven-month-old girl named Ahshiya clings to life. She weighs just 4.7 kilograms—little more than an average one-month-old. Her mother, 21-year-old Sajida Begum, fled Myanmar after soldiers attacked her village and burned their home. Now, inside the world’s largest refugee camp, she is battling HIV, diabetes and dengue fever while trying to keep her daughter fed.…

A Surge of Coups in Africa: Understanding the "Coup Belt" Eight African countries are currently under military rule, an alarming situation that has intensified recently. Within just eight weeks, two successful coups and one foiled attempt have unfolded, raising concerns that a new dimension of instability is emerging in Africa’s political landscape. This phenomenon has led to the emergence of a "coup belt" stretching across the continent, particularly concentrated in the predominantly French-speaking Sahel region. Jakkie…

Somalia faces budget pressure as Turkish support stalls Delay of $30 million in Turkish budget support adds strain as Mogadishu readies a spending plan of more than $1 billion. MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government has confirmed a delay in budgetary support it typically receives from Turkey, with Finance Minister Bihi Iman Igeh saying the funds have not arrived this year as the calendar nears its end. “In previous years, Turkey consistently provided budget support,” Igeh told reporters. “This year’s support,…

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 KISMAYO, Somalia — Somalia’s opposition leaders began arriving in Kismayo on Tuesday ahead of a four-day Somali Opposition Conference set to open Wednesday, with organizers saying the gathering will finalize the structure of a new Somali Future Council and assess the country’s political transition. The first delegation was led by Mohamed Aden Koofi, secretary-general of the Somali Salvation Forum. The group landed at Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan Airport and was received by Jubbaland’s Minister of…

The M23 armed group said it will withdraw from the strategic eastern Congolese city of Uvira at the request of U.S. mediators, a move that could ease immediate tensions after its rapid advance last week cast doubt on a newly signed peace deal between the governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. The Rwanda-backed militia announced it “will unilaterally withdraw its forces from the city of Uvira, as requested by the U.S. mediators,” according to a statement signed by its coordinator, Corneil Nangaa. The…

The M23 armed group has announced its agreement to withdraw from the city of Uvira in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo following a request from the United States. This decision marks a significant moment in a region long troubled by conflict and political instability. Recently, the Rwanda-backed M23 militias seized control of Uvira, a strategic city located near the Burundian border. This takeover occurred just days after the Congolese and Rwandan governments signed a road map towards peace in Washington, D.C. The…

Devastating Flash Flood Strikes Safi, Morocco A sudden and deadly flash flood has claimed 37 lives in Safi, Morocco, as the nation grapples with its worst flood disaster in a decade. The town, still battling drought, is now trapped in tragedy. At least 37 fatalities confirmed by local officials. The coastal town of Safi, 300 km from Rabat, was overwhelmed by floods on Sunday. Fourteen survivors are hospitalized, with two in critical condition. Impact on the Community The floodwaters swept through the streets,…

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya has signed a $311 million agreement with pan-African infrastructure fund Africa50 and PowerGrid Corporation of India to design, finance, build and operate two high-voltage electricity transmission lines under a public-private partnership, the finance ministry said Monday. The deal marks one of the East African nation’s largest power-grid concessions to date and is intended to ease chronic constraints on the network as demand grows. The project company will manage the full life cycle of the assets —…