Axadle Editorial Desk

Somalia: Defense Minister Threatens Military Action Against Federal States MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi has warned that the federal government may resort to military force against federal states that resist national directives, saying the Somali army will assert its authority throughout the country. Speaking in a recent address, Fiqi took aim at leaders of some federal member states, accusing them of opposing the deployment of national forces and treating the presence of the military as a threat.…

Tuesday April 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Federal Parliament reached the end of its four-year mandate on Tuesday, April 14, closing a term that has anchored the country’s post-transition political order since lawmakers were sworn in on April 14, 2022, under Article 60 of the Provisional Constitution. The bicameral legislature played a pivotal role in the months that followed, providing the legal basis for the election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on May 15, 2022, and the formation of the federal government…

Somalia: Ex-President Warns of Leadership Vacuum as Parliament Mandate Expires MOGADISHU, Somalia — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on Tuesday said the Federal Parliament’s constitutional mandate expired on April 14, 2026, warning that Somalia is sliding into a period of "rising political uncertainty." Farmaajo said parliamentary business "can only resume after new elections are held," pushing back against a one-year extension announced by the leadership of the House of the People. His intervention gives…

Tuesday April 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali national forces, working alongside regional security units and international partners, killed 27 al-Shabab fighters in a major offensive across the Middle and Lower Juba regions, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. According to the ministry, the strikes focused on militant positions in areas under the districts of Jilib, Hagar and Afmadow as ground troops pressed forward against the al-Qaida-linked group. “During the course of these ground operations, airstrikes supported by…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia was thrust into a constitutional deadlock on Tuesday after the Federal Parliament’s mandate formally lapsed, prompting a string of resignations from lawmakers even as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud began his final 30 days in office. The four-year terms of both the House of the People and the Upper House expired on April 14. Yet Speaker of the House Adan Madobe had already announced that Parliament would remain in place for another year, a decision meant to support the federal government’s push…

By Dr. Ali Said FaqiTuesday April 14, 2026 Somalia is approaching a defining crossroads. The possibility of offshore oil and gas development by the Turkish firm could open a route to economic independence and lasting stability. For a nation long dependent on outside assistance, it is an unusually promising chance to shape its own economic destiny. Yet promise by itself will not deliver results. Around the world, resource-rich countries have learned that without sound governance, natural wealth can deepen instability instead…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Turkey has moved F-16 fighter jets into Somalia, a development that sharply raises the level of military backing for the federal government as it presses to tighten control over the country and confront regional resistance. The deployment, first disclosed by defense intelligence outlet Janes, comes after months of upgrades at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, where Turkish-built hangars and maintenance facilities have been added to support the aircraft. Turkish officials say the jets are…

Tuesday April 14, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State’s Minister of Interior, Abdi Hirsii Ali Qarjab, accused Somalia’s federal government on Monday of mounting a political and security offensive against the semi-autonomous state. In remarks to reporters, Qarjab said Puntland State is watching developments in the country closely and is ready to defend its territory if the need arises. “Puntland State has always stood for strengthening the unity and cooperation of the Somali people,” he said. “We expected development, security…

Tuesday April 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a swift and sweeping move that caught many residents off guard, traders across Mogadishu on Monday stopped accepting the Somali shilling, pushing the national currency out of one of the last major markets where it still circulated in limited form. The change took hold quickly in the city’s busiest markets, on public transport and in neighborhood shops, leaving many people — especially low-income residents who depend on cash for daily purchases — facing immediate difficulties paying…

Monday April 13, 2026 A ship at the Strait of Hormuz Oil markets surged back above $100 a barrel on Monday as trading resumed in Asia, after US-Iran talks collapsed without a fresh agreement and President Donald Trump said he would blockade Iranian ports. Brent crude, the global benchmark, climbed 7.3% to $102.30 (£76.32), while US West Texas Intermediate rose 8.7% to $104.94. The breakdown in weekend negotiations has deepened fears that the worldwide energy crunch could worsen. Crude had fallen sharply below $100 last…