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

A Russian oil tanker nearing Cuba has opened a narrow lifeline for the island as US President Donald Trump insisted the shipment would do little to change the trajectory of Havana's communist government. Even as the expected delivery promised some badly needed relief, Mr Trump sharpened his warnings toward Cuba's leadership, saying the government would collapse "within a short period of time." The Anatoly Kolodkin, carrying 730,000 barrels of crude, was positioned off Cuba's northeastern coast yesterday evening and was due…

President Donald Trump struck an upbeat note on the standoff with Iran, saying the two sides have been in contact "directly and indirectly" and describing Tehran's new leadership as "very reasonable", even as additional US troops arrived in the region and Iranian officials vowed they would not submit to humiliation. The comments, made last night, followed word from Pakistan — acting as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington — that it was preparing to host "meaningful talks" in the coming days in an effort to bring the…

With the snowy owl — famously associated with the Harry Potter saga — now under new international safeguards, the United Nations has expanded protection for 40 additional migratory species in a move conservationists hope will slow mounting wildlife losses. The decision was finalized at the close of the COP15 summit on migratory species in Campo Verde, Brazil, where delegates from 132 countries and the European Union gathered for talks. The conference ranks among the most significant global forums devoted to wildlife…

DJIBOUTI – Somalia’s latest political showdown drew a warning from the Horn of Africa’s regional bloc on Sunday, as IGAD urged "restraint" and "inclusive dialogue" amid escalating tensions between Mogadishu and the semi-autonomous SouthWest State. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the eight-member regional grouping based in Djibouti, said it was "closely monitoring developments" in the state as a widening dispute raises the risk of armed confrontation. "IGAD expresses concern over rising tensions and calls on…

"Not at all. Not once. Not for a single second." Kimberly Prost, a Canadian judge placed under US sanctions, says she has never wavered in her decision to serve at the International Criminal Court (ICC), despite finding herself effectively cut off from much of the global banking network. Washington argues the ICC has overstepped by intruding on US sovereignty. The United States does not accept the court's jurisdiction, yet the ICC moved ahead with an investigation into possible war crimes in Afghanistan, including…

BAIDOA, Somalia - SouthWest State on Sunday voiced alarm over reports that Somali federal troops and Turkish-supplied military hardware were being used in operations against civilians in the region. In a statement, the regional administration said forces trained by Turkey, together with armored vehicles originally provided for counterterrorism work, had been redirected toward actions against local communities. It also alleged that Turkish drones were tracking the movements of federal troops as they advanced toward the town…

After days of uncertainty at sea, two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba arrived in Havana yesterday, ending an overdue voyage from Mexico that had prompted a search-and-rescue operation. The nine crew members — among them American, French and German citizens, as well as a four-year-old boy — appeared healthy and upbeat as they docked in the capital beneath clear skies, smiling and flashing thumbs-up signs. The vessels delivered the last shipments of the Our America Convoy, an international aid campaign aimed at…

North Korea has taken another step in its weapons buildup, with state media reporting that leader Kim Jong-un personally oversaw a ground test of an upgraded solid-fuel rocket engine, underscoring Pyongyang’s drive to sharpen its strategic arsenal. The launch test points to what appears to be Mr Kim’s continuing effort to expand and modernise a stockpile of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) designed to reach the United States mainland. The announcement came just days after Mr Kim used a speech to North Korea’s…

Sunday March 29, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday cut the ribbon on a newly rebuilt stretch of road connecting Mogadishu’s Dabka and Bakaara intersections, a flagship project carried out by the Benadir Regional Administration. Speaking at the ceremony, Mohamud cast the project as a visible sign of the capital’s recovery and of broader gains in security, governance, and economic life. “The reconstruction of this road reflects the revival and visible progress of the capital,…

Somalia: Southwest Presidency Rejects Claims of Dialogue Request with FGS After Laftagareen’s Re-election BAIDOA, Somalia — Southwest State’s presidency on Sunday moved quickly to quash reports that newly re-elected regional leader Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, widely known as Laftagareen, had sought formal talks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The denial from Baidoa came only hours after social media posts claimed Laftagareen had contacted…