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

By Idrees Ali and Phil StewartFriday April 3, 2026 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday ousted U.S. Army Chief of Staff Randy George, three U.S. defense officials told Reuters, marking the latest shake-up in a Pentagon purge that has reached the military’s highest ranks. Hegseth, the former Fox News host moving rapidly to remake the department, has been cutting through senior leadership with unusual speed. Removing a four-star general in wartime, however, is almost unheard of. The Pentagon later confirmed that George,…

A recent report by Human Rights Watch has uncovered a harrowing reality in Burkina Faso, revealing that over 1,800 civilians have lost their lives in the turmoil following Ibrahim Traoré's ascent to power three years ago. The document outlines incidents that constitute both war crimes and crimes against humanity, with 1,837 civilians—including many children—reported killed across 57 events from January 2023 to August 2025. The majority of these killings have been linked to the military and its allied militias, while a…

A widening investigation into alleged abuse of EU farm subsidies is drawing in more politicians from Greece’s ruling party, deepening a scandal that has burdened the government for nearly a year. The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) first set out the alleged scheme last May, saying subsidy recipients filed claims for land they did not own and overstated livestock numbers. In some cases, those collecting payments had no connection to farming at all. The claims triggered a series of raids and arrests last October and…

Facing a restless public and roiled markets, US President Donald Trump used a prime-time address to mount a forceful defense of the month-old US-Israeli war on Iran, insisting the military was close to finishing its task even as he renewed threats to bomb the Islamic Republic back to the Stone Age. He spoke for 19 minutes with global oil prices elevated and his own approval ratings sliding. Here are some key takeaways. 1. Searching for a way out - but not yet Even as he argued the US military was moving toward its goals…

With a green light from mission controllers, NASA’s four Artemis astronauts are now cleared to leave Earth orbit and begin a long-awaited return to the Moon, setting up the first crewed lunar flyby in more than half a century. NASA Flight Director Jeff Radigan informed the crew that the mission management team had approved the engine burn aboard their Orion capsule, a critical step that will place the spacecraft on course for the Moon. The five minute and 49 second burn is set for 7:49pm Eastern Time (00:49am), a maneuver…

After months of grinding advances, Russia’s offensive in Ukraine stalled in March, with Moscow’s forces failing to make any territorial gains along the front for the first time in two-and-a-half years, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Over the same period, Ukrainian troops retook nine square kilometres, the analysis found, as Russian momentum slowed across the length of the front line. The total does not include infiltration missions carried out by Russian forces beyond the…

Thursday April 2, 2026 Oil markets jolted sharply higher on Thursday, with prices surging more than $5 after President Donald Trump said the United States would keep striking Iran, while stopping short of giving any clear deadline for how the war might end. The lack of a firm end point deepened investor concern that disruptions to energy supplies could stretch on. Brent crude futures LCOc1 climbed $6.33, or 6.3 percent, to $107.49 a barrel in early trading, while US West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 rose $5.28, or 5.3…

In a tragic assault underscoring the persistent instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, at least 43 civilians lost their lives in a heinous attack perpetrated by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militants, linked to Daesh. Authorities confirmed the grim toll on Thursday, as armed groups continue to plague the region. The onslaught occurred in Bafwakoa, a village near the Ugandan border. The ADF, a notorious Ugandan militant group with Daesh affiliations, has been operating across this permeable…

by Frankline OduorThursday April 2, 2026 Flood-hit streets in Nairobi’s CBD and waterlogged grounds in Parklands are a stark preview of what could lie ahead as Kenya’s long rains gather pace. Kenyans.co.ke Ma3Route Kenya’s ongoing long rains are forecast to persist across most parts of the country through April, with rainfall expected to start off slightly lighter before strengthening later in the month and raising the risk of flooding, the latest Kenya Met outlook shows. People living in Rift Valley counties, the Lake…

Washington’s case for the US operation in Iran remains as murky as ever, with shifting explanations about its purpose and endgame leaving Americans and allied governments struggling to pin down exactly what the mission is meant to achieve. The Trump administration’s public message has repeatedly shifted, as the president and his top officials offer conflicting accounts of why the campaign began, what success looks like and when it is supposed to conclude. Since the start of March, President Donald Trump has said more than a…