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

Thursday June 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The African Union and the United Nations on Thursday demanded an immediate end to fighting in Mogadishu after government forces and opposition-aligned militias traded gunfire in civilian neighborhoods, a flare-up that has intensified concerns Somalia’s political standoff could tip into broader unrest. The African Union Commission said it was alarmed by the reported security situation in the capital, including armed clashes in residential areas. It called on all sides to stop the…

Anger over a luxury tourism scheme tied to Jared Kushner has spilled into the streets of Tirana, where thousands of Albanians have marched in recent days against a project planned for one of the Adriatic coast’s most environmentally fragile areas. The €1.4bn resort is being pursued by Mr Kushner's investment firm Affinity Partners on an island off Albania and along an undeveloped coastal strip near the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape, a wetland that shelters flamingos, seals and sea turtle nesting sites. Environmental groups…

by BRIAN ORUTAThursday June 4, 2026 Former Somalia president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo/HANDOUT Former Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has sharply criticized President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing him of fueling the latest wave of political turmoil and deadly violence in Mogadishu as the country slips deeper into a constitutional and electoral standoff. In a statement issued on Thursday, Farmaajo said the president had brushed aside repeated appeals for consensus, tampered with the electoral and constitutional…

A deadly strike on a UN peacekeeping base in southern Lebanon has left one peacekeeper dead and two others injured, underscoring the mounting danger surrounding the mission as violence intensifies across the border region. "A UNIFIL peacekeeper died early this morning from critical injuries sustained when mortar shells struck his position," the force said in a statement, adding that an investigation is now under way. Serbia's defence ministry said the peacekeeper was Serbian and stated that he died from injuries suffered in…

Amid rising political tensions, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has unveiled a new 30-member cabinet, a move that underscores the complexities within his party, Pastef. This reshuffle comes after Pastef initially threatened to withdraw from the process over disputes regarding the cabinet's composition. Led by former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, Pastef announced its intent not to engage with the government formation due to differing views on the lineup. Despite this stance, five members from the party made it onto the final…

Thursday June 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — More than 10 hours of intense fighting between Somali government forces and armed groups aligned with the opposition shook Mogadishu on Wednesday, cutting off roads, disrupting airport traffic and sending residents in parts of the capital scrambling for safety. The violence began at Dabka junction, where government forces and security guards linked to former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire each blamed the other for triggering the confrontation. Police said masked gunmen opened fire on…

Somalia: Fiqi accuses former PM, ex-president of 'coup attempt' amid Mogadishu clashes MOGADISHU, June 4, 2026 – Somalia’s government on Thursday accused a former prime minister and an ex-president of staging an armed bid to overthrow the state, after intense fighting broke out in the capital between government forces and militias aligned with the opposition. The crisis deepened after hours of heavy gunfire and…

A federal high court has handed down the death penalty to four men implicated in the harrowing 2022 assault on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, where forty-one worshippers lost their lives and over a hundred sustained injuries during a Pentecost service. This devastating attack has drawn widespread condemnation across the nation. In a ruling delivered in Abuja, Judge Emeka Nwite emphasized that the prosecution established its case with compelling evidence, including testimonies from survivors who could…

Thursday June 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Heavy gunfire that erupted in Mogadishu on Thursday drew sharp concern from the United States and the United Kingdom, both of which urged Somalia’s political leaders to step back from confrontation and settle their disputes through dialogue. In a warning that underscored the stakes for the country’s fragile security, the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu said the violence could have far-reaching consequences for Somalia’s stability. “The violence unfolding in Mogadishu is reckless,” the…

The Ebola outbreak tearing through central Africa was already well advanced by the time health officials identified it, the head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday, even as he stressed that efforts to contain the virus are beginning to gain ground. Declared on 15 May in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the outbreak has so far been confirmed in 359 people, among them 61 who have died. Health officials caution, however, that the true toll may be considerably higher, with signs the virus had been…