Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

In a move aimed at bolstering security and diplomatic efforts in a volatile corridor of global trade, the African Union has named Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete as its High Representative for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, the AU said in a statement. The appointment was announced by Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who emphasized the need for seasoned leadership to navigate the area's tangled political landscape. Kikwete, a former president of Tanzania, is credited with a measured diplomatic style and a reputation for steady governance.…

By Abubakr Al-ShamahiWednesday March 25, 2026 As fighting grinds toward its first month, United States President Donald Trump is pressing a claim that “productive” talks with Iran are already paving the way to end the war he launched alongside Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — even as Iran’s senior leadership continues to flatly reject that account. With wartime messaging and competing propaganda clouding the picture, it remains difficult to determine what is happening behind the scenes. One way to cut through…

Airstrikes flew between Israel and Iran as Tehran’s unified military command dismissed President Donald Trump’s assertion that Washington was negotiating an end to the conflict, bluntly saying the United States was “negotiating with itself.” The rebuke — issued by the joint command dominated by the hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — came amid reports that the US had transmitted a 15-point proposal to Tehran for discussion. “Has the level of your inner struggle reached the stage of you (Trump) negotiating with…

By Pooja SalhotraWednesday March 25, 2026 The vast majority of the 80,000 Somalis who live in Minnesota are American citizens or legal permanent residents.Credit...Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Somali immigrants in Minnesota are being pushed through immigration court at breakneck speed under a Trump administration practice that shortens timelines and, lawyers say, undercuts the basic protections of due process, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. In the complaint, two Minnesota legal providers argue…

Namibia has shut the door on Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture, Starlink, denying its bid to secure a local licence. The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) turned down the application on the grounds that the company failed to meet the country’s local ownership requirements. Under Namibian law, at least 51% of any telecommunications provider must be held by citizens or locally owned entities. While Starlink’s network now spans roughly 25 African nations, it has hit similar regulatory roadblocks…

Wednesday March 25, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A Somali military court has handed down a 10-year prison sentence in a case prosecutors say involved plans to track and potentially target one of the country’s most recognizable athletes, boxer Ramla Ali, during her visit to Mogadishu. On Tuesday, the court convicted Abdisalaam Mohamed Hassan, widely known as “Aamusane,” of membership in al-Shabab and sentenced him to a decade behind bars. Prosecutors told the court he had been part of the group since 2014 and accused him of…

Danish voters appeared to hand Mette Frederiksen her most punishing result in more than a century, as turbulence over migration and welfare eclipsed broad backing for her confrontational posture with the United States over Greenland. Ms Frederiksen, who has led the Social Democrats since taking office in 2019, ran on the claim that her tested, tough stewardship would guide Denmark through a fraught relationship with President Donald Trump and help steer the country's response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. But at home she…

Wednesday March 25, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Reports of a Somali National Army (SNA) helicopter going down in Baidoa spread quickly this week, but both federal military leaders and Southwest State officials say the story is baseless. The SNA command said Tuesday that no helicopter crash had occurred in Baidoa — the interim capital of Southwest State — or in nearby areas, calling the claims false and unverified. “There is no truth to the reports circulating about a helicopter crash in Baidoa,” the statement said. “We call on…

Israel launched strikes on Tehran, Israeli military officials and Iranian media reported, as President Donald Trump said the United States was making headway toward negotiating a halt to the war — with reports that a 15-point proposal has been sent to Tehran. The Israeli Defense Forces posted on Telegram that it had carried out a wave of strikes against infrastructure across Tehran. The semi-official Iranian SNN News Agency reported that one of the strikes struck a residential neighborhood in Tehran, and rescuers were…

The Middle East is once again at the crossroads of diplomacy and conflict. In a statement that has sent ripples through international circles, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that former US President Donald Trump believes there may be an opening for a deal with Iran. The announcement comes amid escalating US-Israeli military operations and a region teetering on the brink of broader instability. Military Pressure Meets Diplomatic Opportunity Since late February 2026, the US and Israel have mounted a…