Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

Historic Peace Deal: Congo and Rwanda Sign Agreement A peace agreement mediated by the U.S. aims to resolve the longstanding conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern region. This historic pact could have significant geopolitical and economic implications. The deal was brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. It involves critical mineral access for the U.S. and American companies. Continued tensions highlight the fragile nature of the accord. Background of the Conflict The conflict in eastern…

US Government Unveils Visa Ban for Those Targeting Nigerian Christians The US government has introduced a new policy allowing it to impose visa bans on individuals allegedly responsible for attacks on Nigerian Christians. This significant decision reflects a growing urgency in addressing religious persecution globally. The US State Department's policy change enables the denial of visas to anyone who has directed, authorized, supported, participated in, or carried out abuses targeting individuals based on their faith. This…

In a historic move towards peace, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi signed a pivotal peace accord at the White House on Thursday. The ceremony, hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, signals a significant step in addressing the long-standing conflict between the two neighboring countries. The peace accord underscores a commitment to ending hostilities and building a foundation for stability in the region. Both leaders, flanked by their foreign ministers, expressed optimism about the…

President Donald Trump on Monday granted a full and unconditional pardon to Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who had been facing federal charges in a bribery and conspiracy case, saying on his Truth Social platform that the justice system had been "weaponised" by his predecessor. "I am hereby announcing my full and unconditional PARDON of beloved Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar ... I don't know you, but you can sleep well tonight - Your nightmare is finally over!" Trump wrote. The move ends a high-profile prosecution in which…

Outrage in North Western State of Somalia after ex-president Muse Bihi barred at Hargeisa airport; protests erupt, rebel group announced HARGEISA, Somalia — Outrage swept through North Western State of Somalia after former leader Muse Bihi Abdi was blocked from accessing Hargeisa’s main airport in an incident supporters and analysts described as a deliberate humiliation under the administration of President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Irro. Bihi, who was scheduled to fly to the United Arab Emirates, was prevented…

Somalia, Yemen hold high-level defense talks in Cairo to bolster Red Sea, Gulf of Aden security Mogadishu (AX) — Somali Minister of Defence Ahmed Moallim Fiqi met his Yemeni counterpart, Lieutenant General Mohsen Mohammed Ahmed Al-Daari, in Cairo on Thursday for high-level talks aimed at strengthening defense cooperation and tightening maritime security across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s most vital shipping corridors. The talks, attended by the Commander of the Somali National Armed Forces, Major General…

Violence in northern Mozambique Spills into Previously Safe Districts, UNHCR Says Attacks in northern Mozambique have spread into districts once considered safe, displacing nearly 100,000 people in the past two weeks alone, the U.N. refugee agency said Thursday. "These simultaneous attacks in several districts are generating a huge challenge for humanitarian actors who have to multiply emergency response in different zones of the country," Xavier Creach, UNHCR's representative in Mozambique, said in a statement. He added…

PARIS — French health authorities have isolated two people infected with the virus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) after they returned from a joint tour of the Arabian Peninsula, the health ministry said late Tuesday. Both patients are in a “stable” condition in a French hospital, the ministry said in a statement, and all measures have been put in place to limit the risk of transmission to their entourage and to health-care staff. The ministry said those measures include contact tracing, “barrier…

“Japa” is Yoruba slang for “to leave” — a word that has become shorthand across Nigeria for a mass movement of people seeking lives abroad. The exodus is not only a migration trend; it is a cultural phenomenon, a catchall for frustration and hope in a nation where a booming headline economy sits uneasily beside entrenched poverty and insecurity. Nigeria is young and vast: more than 230 million people, a median age of about 18, and roughly two‑thirds under 30. Economists predict growth this year and next, yet everyday…

Ireland is weighing whether to bar children and young people from social media — a so-called "digital age of majority" — as governments worldwide watch Australia’s landmark under-16 ban for lessons on enforcement, rights and technical feasibility. Officials in Dublin told reporters the country prefers a coordinated European Union approach, noting the issue should be considered “by the EU and EU member states together” and that any move must respect the rights of children and young people. The European Commission has…