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

Monday June 8, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali Danab commandos launched coordinated operations across parts of Lower Shabelle on Sunday, striking al-Shabab positions that military officials say were being used to squeeze money from motorists and residents. The 161st Battalion of the 16th Brigade led the raids in Warmaxan, Tasxiille, Shareey, 10-Buundo, Tabeellaha and surrounding areas near Donka. Military commanders said the targeted sites included checkpoints and concealed bases the group relied on to collect illegal taxes…

Zimbabwe is once again in the spotlight over workers’ rights after the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) added the country to its watch list in the 13th edition of the Global Rights Index, a report that documents labour-rights violations around the world. In its assessment, the ITUC groups Zimbabwe among countries where labour conditions are deteriorating, pointing to what it describes as a rollback of workers’ rights fuelled by state harassment, arbitrary arrests of trade unionists, and limits on collective…

On the war’s 100th day, the United States said it had shot down two Iranian drones posing a threat to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring how the conflict continues to widen with no clear end in sight. The symbolic marker came as Pakistan, acting as a mediator, delivered a message to Iran’s supreme leader after weeks of indirect talks marked by reciprocal threats and intermittent bursts of fighting. Attempts to transform a ceasefire into a durable political settlement have repeatedly faltered, even as the…

In a significant counteroffensive, the Nigerian military announced the rescue of 360 individuals from the clutches of Boko Haram in the Mandara Mountains of Borno State. This operation marks a critical blow to the militant organization, which has been infamous for its abductions. The rescued individuals were reportedly held under dire conditions, having been seized from various communities in the area. Tragically, two infants lost their lives due to exhaustion, a grim reminder of the challenges faced by those enduring…

Turkish intelligence steps in as Somalia’s election standoff deepens MOGADISHU, June 8, 2026 – Turkish intelligence officials in Mogadishu are set to open another round of talks with Somali opposition figures on Monday, sources said, as a behind-the-scenes diplomatic effort intensifies to break the country’s political impasse. The delegation has spent the past several days in the Somali capital meeting separately with opposition leaders and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, using shuttle diplomacy to try to narrow the gap…

Monday June 8, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A national peace conference led by women on Sunday urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to immediately open an inclusive national dialogue aimed at easing Somalia’s worsening political crisis. In its statement, the gathering said any talks must bring in civil society, with Somali women in particular, to help shape a durable political settlement rooted in consultation and consensus. “We expressed strong concern about the political situation in the country, following the recent violence…

With pressure mounting on the streets and online, President Cyril Ramaphosa has gone on national address to unveil a sweeping set of steps aimed at tightening South Africa’s grip on illegal migration, as anti-foreigner marches grow and anger over stubbornly high unemployment boils over. Ramaphosa said the package will target multiple pressure points in the system: tougher enforcement against employers who hire undocumented migrants; dedicated immigration courts designed to accelerate deportation processes; reinforced border…

Two months after a ceasefire appeared to quiet the Middle East war, Israel and Iran traded attacks once more, shattering the pause despite a public appeal for restraint from US President Donald Trump. Israel launched its strikes after Iran fired at Israel in retaliation for an airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold backed by the Islamic republic. The renewed exchange came after weeks of stalled negotiations aimed at securing a lasting end to the regional conflict ignited by US and Israeli strikes on…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOMonday June 8, 2026 East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Falhada Iman Dekow speaking to the press in Garissa town on Sunday. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO A video of Garissa Governor Nathif Jama speaking with a patient at Garissa County Referral Hospital has thrust the Social Health Authority (SHA) programme back into the spotlight, prompting fresh questions over whether the government's health push is delivering on its promise. The clip, recorded on Friday and circulated widely on social media over the…

Mohamed Gabobe, MogadishuSunday June 7, 2026 Fighters from the Union of Islamic Courts took control of Mogadishu in June 2006 For Yusuf Ali, the sounds of Mogadishu’s past have never really gone away. The 34-year-old shopkeeper still lives with the memories of being drawn into Somalia’s insurgency as a child soldier, fighting in the streets of the capital while the city around him descended into ruin. As Mogadishu gradually rebuilds, the psychological wounds left by years of war remain largely untreated. Few services are…