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

DJIBOUTI — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Djibouti on Wednesday for talks with President Ismail Omar Guelleh, a visit framed by rising tensions across the Horn of Africa and the wider Middle East and coming as the United States warns of heightened security risks in the region. Villa Somalia said the trip reflects the longstanding ties between the two neighbors and a shared vision for regional cooperation, solidarity and stability. The two leaders are expected to hold discussions aimed at reinforcing…

Ethiopia Targets $2.4 Billion in New Investments at Annual Investment Forum Ethiopia is positioning itself as a prime destination for foreign investors by targeting $2.4 billion in new investments. Despite ongoing internal challenges, the Ethiopian Investment Commission is promoting robust measures to maintain foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, particularly during the upcoming Investment Forum on March 26 and 27 in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia ranks second in Africa for foreign direct investment inflows. The forum…

Mogadishu Bajaj drivers block key corridor as fuel prices more than double MOGADISHU — Auto rickshaw drivers blocked sections of a major artery in Somalia’s capital on Wednesday, parking their Bajaj three-wheelers between the Taleh and KM4 junctions to protest a sharp jump in fuel prices they say is crushing their earnings and pushing up transport fares. The roadside demonstration, which drew dozens of operators, disrupted traffic along one of Mogadishu’s busiest corridors as drivers demanded swift government action to…

Police in Dresden said a 250-kilogram World War II bomb was safely defused Friday after authorities evacuated about 18,000 people from the city center, capping one of the largest operations of its kind in the eastern German city. The unexploded British device was uncovered during clearance and construction work to rebuild a bridge over the Elbe River that partially collapsed in 2024. Emergency services ordered an evacuation within a 1-kilometer radius, calling it the city’s largest such operation in recent years. More than…

Somali army seizes Hawaadley hideout in Middle Shabelle as new offensive targets Al Shabab Somalia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday the national army has taken control of Hawaadley in the Middle Shabelle region, describing the area as a long-used hideout for the Al-Qaeda-linked Al Shabab. The advance is part of a newly launched push under Operation Badr to dismantle the group’s “safe havens.” The ministry said troops are conducting clearance operations to secure recently captured zones, pursuing remaining fighters and…

LONDON — Kneecap rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, will not face a new terror trial after the High Court in London rejected a Crown Prosecution Service appeal seeking to revive a case thrown out last year. Ó hAnnaidh was accused of displaying a flag in support of proscribed terror organization Hezbollah during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, on Nov. 21, 2024. The case was dismissed in September, when Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring ruled the proceedings were “instituted unlawfully.”…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that U.S. forces destroyed 10 Iranian mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz within minutes of his warning that Tehran would face unprecedented military consequences if it did not remove mines from the strategic waterway. “We have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. Central Command had been eliminating the vessels “with ruthless…

DRESDEN, Germany — Authorities evacuated about 18,000 people from central Dresden after an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered near the Carola Bridge reconstruction site, in what emergency services described as the city’s largest operation of its kind to date. Bomb disposal specialists prepared to defuse the 250-kilogram British bomb, which was uncovered during work to rebuild the Elbe River crossing that partially collapsed in September 2024. The find triggered a security cordon with a 1-kilometer radius, sweeping…

AFRICOM targets ISIS-Somalia hideouts in Puntland State airstrike near Bosaso MOGADISHU — U.S. Africa Command said Tuesday it carried out an airstrike against ISIS-Somalia fighters in northeastern Somalia, striking mountain hideouts in Puntland State’s Bari region as joint counterterrorism operations continue. In a statement, AFRICOM said the strike took place about 70 kilometers (43 miles) southeast of the port city of Bosaso, in areas identified as Togga Baallade and along the Al-Miskaad mountain range. The command said…

U.K. to release first tranche of Mandelson appointment files amid Epstein-linked probe The U.K. government will publish the first batch of documents today relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the United States, as police continue investigating allegations he passed sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary. Mandelson was arrested on Feb. 23 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was bailed and later released from his bail conditions, but remains under…