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

JERUSALEM, May 13 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret trip to the United Arab Emirates and met Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed during the war with Iran, Netanyahu's office said on Wednesday, confirming for the first time that the two leaders had met. The Prime Minister's Office said the encounter produced a "historic breakthrough" in ties between Israel and the UAE. A source familiar with the matter said Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, widely known as MBZ, met in Al-Ain,…

Alastair McKeeWednesday May 13, 2026 Councillor Yassin Mohamud has represented Lawrence Hill in Bristol since 2021 Bristol is preparing to welcome a Lord Mayor who says his first priority will be bringing people together. Yassin Mohamud, the Green councillor for Lawrence Hill, will be sworn in at City Hall later. Born in Somalia, he came to the UK as a refugee and has spent the past 15 years living in St Jude's, while serving his ward since 2021. Mohamud said he entered public life "to listen, to serve, and to work with the…

By Abdiaziz Ali Mohamed Wednesday May 13, 2026 Somali identity has never been fixed, singular or simple. It has taken shape over centuries through three powerful currents: a deeply rooted Islamic worldview, a durable clan-based social order, and newer influences born of diaspora life, state-building projects and global modernity. These forces do not replace one another. They overlap, collide and reinforce each other, creating an identity system that remains central to Somalia’s political and social future. The real question…

In a significant declaration, Dansa Kourouma, the Speaker of Guinea's National Transitional Council (NTC), affirmed the nation's commitment to safeguarding the contested Solumba border region. This area is at the heart of a territorial disagreement, with Liberia asserting that it lies within its own boundaries. Kourouma's remarks emerged during a discussion at the ECOWAS Parliament, as reported by Senator Edwin Snowe, who leads the Liberian delegation. According to Snowe, Kourouma conveyed to the regional assembly that,…

A grim wave of vigilante killings has left at least 60 people dead, driven by panic over rumours that men’s genitals were being “shrunk” or “stolen.” Eyewitnesses said accusations alone were enough to spark instant fury, with crowds rapidly coalescing into mobs that beat or killed the alleged culprits. The unrest erupted in mid-April in Cabo Delgado province and has since spilled into other parts of the country. Authorities have responded with hundreds of arrests. People who claimed to be victims of the purported attacks…

With three deaths already linked to a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that efforts to contain the virus were still unfinished as authorities carried out evacuations from the stricken cruise ship. The vessel has triggered international concern after the rare virus killed three passengers and left a French woman in critical condition. There is no vaccine against hantavirus and no specific treatment, raising the stakes as health officials race to…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The families of crew members aboard the hijacked commercial vessel “MT Eureka” say Somali pirates have raised their ransom demand to $10 million, deepening fears for the sailors being held off the Somali coast. Amiira Mohamed, the wife of Egyptian engineer Mohamed Radi, who is among eight Egyptian sailors on the ship, said her husband was briefly allowed to call her by phone. “He told me the situation is very difficult and pleaded for anyone who can help to intervene for their release,” she said.…

Wednesday May 13, 2026 Teargas billowed through Nairobi’s city centre on Tuesday as Kenyan police moved to break up dozens of anti-France protesters who tried to push toward the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), the venue for the Africa Forward Summit. Police in Kenya fired teargas to stop surging protesters from reaching a conference centre in Nairobi, where France summit was being held on May 12. / Reuters Teargas billowed through Nairobi’s city centre on Tuesday as Kenyan police moved to break up dozens of…

French authorities have placed more than 1,700 passengers and crew under confinement on a cruise ship in Bordeaux after an elderly traveler died, officials said, while stressing the incident was not tied to the hantavirus alarm. Dozens of people aboard the Ambition also reported stomach troubles. The vessel, carrying 1,233 passengers — most of them from Ireland and Britain — arrived in the western French port of Bordeaux yesterday with 514 Indian crew members on board. Health officials said the situation bore no link to the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A tense round of talks between Somalia’s Federal Government and the opposition “Council of the Future” ended in deadlock on Wednesday, with the country’s long-running electoral dispute once again exposing a widening political rift, sources familiar with the negotiations said. Held behind tight security at the heavily fortified Halane base, the meeting broke up without a breakthrough after hours of sharp exchanges over the stalled voting process. The two sides remained far apart on the central issues and…