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

Human Rights Watch has urged authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo to safeguard free speech and ensure people can voice dissent without intimidation or harassment, following fresh accounts of journalists, activists, and opposition figures being arbitrarily detained. In a statement, the organization said the tightening grip on critics comes amid mounting political friction over a potential constitutional revision. Opponents warn that such a change could allow President Félix Tshisekedi to sidestep the country’s…

The Kremlin has poured cold water on any expectation of a breakthrough in Ukraine, saying there is still no detailed roadmap to end the war just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II might be nearing its conclusion. Overnight, Moscow and Kyiv traded fresh strikes after a three-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump expired, with both sides blaming the other for breaching the pause. Speaking at the weekend after criticizing NATO and voicing hope…

Macron unveils 23 billion-euro investment drive for Africa NAIROBI, Kenya - French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a 23 billion euro investment package set to be rolled out across African countries. The announcement came at the French Africa Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, where leaders from more than 30 African nations gathered for the event. According to details shared at the forum, the funding will be directed toward energy, artificial intelligence and digital technology, marine and logistics, and agriculture. The…

Somalia’s livestock sector has reached a defining moment. But if the country wants this hard-won success to translate into lasting wealth, it must stop letting its “gold” go to market at “silver” prices. The way forward, the article argues, is clear: Somalia must take control of the supply chain — from pasture to plate — and turn livestock from a raw export into a premium global brand. The Gap: Why Our Hard Work Earns Less At present, there is a deep mismatch between what the Somali bush produces and what international…

Israel's parliament has approved a law creating a special military tribunal to prosecute hundreds of Palestinian militants involved in the 7 October 2023 attack on ⁠Israel, a move supporters say is intended to deliver justice and help the country confront its trauma. The assault, led by fighters from the Palestinian militant group Hamas, marked Israel's deadliest single day and was the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. At least 1,200 people were killed in Israel, the majority of them civilians. Israel responded with…

CASABLANCA, Morocco — Six Moroccan men who were cleared by courts in Somalia’s Puntland State State of Somalia have returned to Morocco after spending more than two years behind bars, according to relatives and human rights advocates on Monday. The men landed at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca last week, only to be taken into custody by Moroccan authorities for questioning about how they traveled to Somalia and the events that followed, family members and campaign groups said. From the airport, they were…

Tuesday May 12, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia and the European Union opened their first-ever partnership dialogue in Mogadishu on May 10, 2026, setting the stage for talks on political stability, security cooperation, migration and investment, officials said. The discussions took place under Article 3 of the Samoa Agreement, which establishes structured engagement between the EU, its member states and partner countries. This round was held under the banner “A sustainable and mutually beneficial partnership.” Somalia’s…

Climate scientists are warning that 2026 is shaping up to be a year of punishing extremes, with a real chance it could rank as the second warmest year ever recorded — or even take the top spot. The World Weather Attribution group said sea surface temperatures are nearing their highest level on record, while wildfires have already scorched more than 150 million hectares in the first four months of the year. That figure is 50% above the recent wildfire average and twice the area burned over the same period in 2024. Researchers…

Tuesday May 12, 2026 After more than two years in detention in Somalia, six Moroccan nationals have finally made it home, their return marking the end of a long and closely watched ordeal, according to their families and the Joint Committee for the Defense of Islamist Detainees. The men arrived in Morocco last week and were then held in police custody at the headquarters of the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations in Salé for questioning over the circumstances of their detention in Somalia’s Puntland State region.…

Tragedy strikes the Lake Chad Basin as over 40 Nigerian fishers are feared dead following airstrikes launched by Chad aimed at Boko Haram positions. Abubakar Gamandi Usman, the chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Fisheries Association of Nigeria, expressed grave concerns that some fishers might have been directly struck during the assaults, while others reportedly drowned while attempting to escape in overcrowded boats. As of now, no bodies have been recovered from the water. The Chadian government described the air raids as…