Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The Somali Future Council has cast doubt on a consultation meeting proposed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, saying it has not yet settled on whether to attend. Speaking for the opposition bloc, former MP Abdirahman Dheere said the group is still weighing the invitation and has yet to arrive at a final stance. “Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sent an invitation, and we are still considering how to respond. We believe he is not sincere and may have other intentions, but we have not yet made a…

Mali's military leader, Assimi Goïta, has stepped into the role of defense minister following the death of Sadio Camara, who was killed in a suspected suicide bombing amidst a spate of coordinated assaults. Goïta is poised to take over the defense portfolio in the wake of this tragic event. The nation is grappling with a severe security crisis, more than a week after a coalition of jihadists and separatist insurgents launched extensive attacks across the country. This operation, spearheaded by the Azawad Liberation Front…

By Margaret KalekyeTuesday May 5, 2026 Investigators are following fresh leads after security officers intercepted a bus carrying a concealed stockpile of ammunition and military-style items along the Thika–Garissa Highway in Kanyonyoo. The vehicle, registration number KCW 208A, operated by Buscar Sacco, had left Lamu for Nairobi when a multi-agency security team stopped it on Sunday for what was meant to be a routine inspection, instead uncovering what could have developed into a major security breach. A search of…

Khartoum International Airport became the focal point of conflict on Monday as Sudanese air defenses intercepted drones, according to reports from military and local sources. This incident marks an escalation in the ongoing clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A military source told AFP, "Our air defenses successfully downed drones that were targeting Khartoum airport," asserting that the situation remained under control. Loud explosions and anti-aircraft fire were reported…

A confirmed case of hantavirus on board a cruise ship anchored off Cape Verde has prompted heightened precautions as authorities monitor passengers and crew. Two Irish citizens are among the 149 people aboard MV Hondius. Oceanwide Expeditions, which operates the vessel, said strict safeguards have been introduced on board, including isolation procedures and enhanced hygiene measures. Here is a brief chronology of developments: 24 April: The body of a passenger was taken from the ship, with his wife accompanying it. 27…

Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who became the face of the city’s response to the September 11 attacks, remained in critical condition as he recovered from pneumonia, according to a spokesman. Giuliani, 81, a one-time close ally of US President Donald Trump, has been removed from a mechanical ventilator and is now breathing on his own, spokesman Ted Goodman said on X. Goodman did not say where the former mayor — once dubbed “America’s mayor” after the September 11 attacks — is being treated or when he was admitted…

A shooting involving law enforcement near the heart of Washington prompted a rapid response Sunday, with the US Secret Service confirming that one person was shot. "Us Secret Service personnel are on the ‌scene of an officer-involved shooting ⁠at ‌15th Street and Independence Avenue in Washington, ⁠DC. "One individual was shot by law ⁠enforcement; their condition is currently ⁠unknown," the Secret Service said in a statement on X. The ‌White House went into a brief lockdown this afternoon. "The scene is ⁠secure. ‌Avoid the…

By Pranav Baskar and Matthew Mpoke BiggMonday May 4, 2026 A brazen seizure off Yemen has renewed fears that Somali pirates are regaining their footing — and raised fresh suspicions that they may be operating alongside Iran-backed Houthi rebels amid upheaval across the Middle East. Maritime police forces from the Puntland State region of Somalia patrolling the Gulf of Aden last year.Credit...Feisal Omar/Reuters Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker off Yemen’s coast on Saturday and steered it into Somali waters, authorities…

The fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States was on the brink on Monday as both sides exchanged fire around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, while the United Arab Emirates said it had come under attack for the first time since the truce was declared nearly a month ago. One day after US President Donald Trump announced an operation to escort stranded vessels through the vital waterway, Fox News reported that he warned Iran would be "blown off the face of the earth" if it attacked US ships. Iran, however, gave no…

By Khadar M LeyliMonday May 4, 2026 Symbiotic Antagonists  A familiar political pattern is unfolding around Somali Regional State President Mustafa Omer: longtime rivals are setting aside their own enmities for one purpose only — to attack him. What brings together this uneasy alliance is not a common blueprint for Ethiopia or for the Somali Region, but a shared determination to tarnish a leader they regard as an obstacle to their ambitions.  This coalition of symbiotic antagonists — TPLF loyalists still bitter over their…