Axadle Editorial Desk

Tuesday April 28, 2026 A cargo ship is seen in a port in central Mogadishu Suspected pirates have seized a cargo vessel off Somalia, according to officials and maritime security groups, in what appears to be the latest sign that insecurity is returning to waters once notorious for such attacks. The reported hijacking on Monday was the second off Somalia in less than a week. The target was the Sward, a St Kitts and Nevis-flagged ship carrying cement from Suez, Egypt, to the Kenyan port city of Mombasa. The incident comes at…

Somalia Unveils $35 Million World Bank-Funded “Bulsho” Project MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs, and Reconciliation has rolled out the “Bulsho” project, a wide-reaching program designed to improve public services in some of the country’s most isolated communities. The World Bank-backed initiative carries a budget of more than $35 million and is aimed at expanding infrastructure and delivering essential services to marginalized populations through a joint effort by the federal government…

By Margaret KalekyeTuesday April 28, 2026 A Somali national has been convicted and jailed for belonging to the terrorist group Al-Shabaab. Abdikarim Hassanow Hassan, also known as Ali, was sentenced on Monday by the Kahawa magistrates’ court after the Director of Public Prosecutions called four witnesses. The court handed Hassanow 10 years’ imprisonment for membership in Al-Shabaab, and a further 10 years for organising a meeting in support of a terrorist group. He was also given 10 years for radicalisation, another 10…

AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State’s president issued a stark warning Tuesday, saying Somalia’s fragile federal arrangement could unravel unless political rivals strike a broad agreement before the current federal leadership’s term ends next month. President Said Abdullahi Deni said the country faces a serious institutional crisis unless all sides reach a deal before President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s mandate expires on May 15. "If a political agreement accepted by all Somalis is not reached, there will be no functional federal…

Tuesday April 28, 2026 The third annual Somali Day at the Capitol drew together Somali community members, leaders and advocates in a show of unity at the State Capitol. The rally focused on major concerns facing Somali-Minnesotans, including education, access to healthcare, workforce development and civil rights, underscoring how those issues shape daily life across the community.

By Maha El DahanTuesday April 28, 2026 Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al Saud receives United Arab Emirates' Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan ahead of an exceptional meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the first in-person meeting of Gulf leaders since their states became a front in the Iran war two months ago, In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2026. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights The United Arab Emirates said on…

Tuesday April 28, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — North Western State of Somalia’s Guurti, the upper house of elders, has voted to extend the mandates of the local councils and the House of Representatives by 27 months, a decision that is expected to intensify arguments over the region’s election timetable and political direction. The measure passed on Tuesday with overwhelming support, as 71 of the 72 members present backed the extension. The move pushes the terms of the two institutions out by more than two years. Under North…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has doubled down on his push for one-person, one-vote elections, saying he will not abandon the plan despite growing pressure from critics at home and abroad over the electoral model being prepared by Villa Somalia. Addressing traditional elders at the presidential palace in Mogadishu, Hassan Sheikh insisted Somalia must press ahead with political reform and reject the indirect, clan-based voting system that has shaped the country’s politics for decades. “We can never…

Tuesday April 28, 2026 Nairobi (AX) — A Kenyan court has authorized investigators to hold a Somali female political aspirant from Garissa County for 10 days as they pursue allegations of hate speech and incitement to violence, authorities said Monday. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said Bare Sahara Ahmed is being detained at Kilimani Police Station after the Chief Magistrate’s Court at Kahawa Law Courts in Nairobi approved the request. Investigators said the extra time is needed to examine digital material,…

Tuesday April 28, 2026 Sa’dia Moalim Ali, a Somali tuktuk driver at the centre of a political storm after her arrest during protests opposing evictions in Mogadishu. Mogadishu (AX) — Amnesty International is demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Sadia Moalim Ali, a 27-year-old tuk-tuk driver and social activist who has been held in Mogadishu since earlier this month without formal charges. Ali, widely known as “Sadia Bajaj,” was taken into custody on April 12 in Hodan district by officers from the National…