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

Wednesday April 22, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has issued a sharp warning against any unilateral or incomplete election process, saying Somalia’s long-running electoral dispute can only be settled through a broad national consensus. Addressing journalists in Mogadishu on Wednesday, Sheikh Sharif said the country’s political strains must be tackled through an inclusive dialogue that brings together all political and social stakeholders. He cautioned that decisions made without agreement…

TEHRAN, April 22 — Iran’s political center is shrouded in uncertainty after more than six weeks without a public appearance or recorded message from Mojtaba Khamenei, the man named as the country’s supreme leader amid a tense ceasefire countdown with the United States. The 56-year-old cleric was presented as the successor to his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after the elder leader died in late February. Yet since the announcement, he has remained out of sight, while state media have filled the vacuum with written remarks…

Wednesday April 22, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Tuesday opened the new headquarters of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources in Mogadishu, presenting the move as part of a broader drive to modernize state institutions and improve public services. At the inauguration, Barre said the new facility would give the ministry stronger institutional backing and better support its work as the government moves to expand access to basic services. “This modern building, equipped to meet the needs…

Kevin Warsh, Donald Trump's pick to run the US Federal Reserve, used his confirmation hearing to draw a firm line: if confirmed, he said, the White House would not dictate his decisions. Facing pointed questions about his personal wealth and the Fed's autonomy, Mr Warsh said he would safeguard the central bank's freedom to set monetary policy without political interference. A former Fed governor, Mr Warsh moved quickly to underscore what he called his commitment to "ensuring that the conduct of monetary policy remains…

Washington is weighing a plan to move roughly 1,100 Afghan evacuees from a former U.S. base in Qatar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to AfghanEvac, an advocacy coalition. The evacuees—interpreters, former Afghan commandos, and relatives of personnel tied to the United States—were airlifted out after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. AfghanEvac has sharply criticized the idea, alleging that U.S. officials intend to steer the group back toward Taliban-ruled Afghanistan by trying to "manufacture a…

DJIBOUTI CITY, April 22 — Djibouti’s Constitutional Council on Tuesday confirmed that President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh has secured a sixth straight term, formally putting his share of the vote at 97.01% in the presidential election. Guelleh, 78, has been in power since 1999, making him one of the Horn of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Early figures published soon after the April 10 ballot had already pointed to another overwhelming victory for the incumbent, with preliminary results showing him ahead on 97.81% of the vote…

Wednesday April 22, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Tuesday inaugurated the start of a new Curriculum Development Center in Mogadishu, a project aimed at raising education standards and helping modernize Somalia’s school system. At the ceremony, Barre подчеркнул that education sits at the heart of Somalia’s long-term recovery, describing it as a major force behind economic growth and national stability. He said the government is pressing ahead with reforms designed to strengthen learning…

In a strategic shift within the Federal Executive Council, President Bola Tinubu has announced a minor Cabinet reshuffle that will impact key economic and housing roles. As part of this reorganization, Tinubu has removed Wale Edun from his position as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, alongside Ahmed Dangiwa, who has stepped down as Minister of Housing and Urban Development. Edun will transition his responsibilities to Taiwo Oyedele, who previously held the role of Minister of State in the…

Pressure from Downing Street to install Peter Mandelson in Washington was relentless, with security concerns seemingly treated as an obstacle to be pushed aside, a dismissed senior official told MPs today. Olly Robbins, until last week the most senior civil servant at the Foreign Office, said Keir Starmer's team showed a "dismissive attitude" toward the security vetting process for the government's choice of ambassador to the United States. He appeared before a parliamentary watchdog committee as the prime minister continued…

By  STAN CHOEWednesday April 22, 2026 Wall Street and oil markets lurched back and forth Tuesday as investors tried to gauge what comes next after the ceasefire in the war with Iran, which was due to expire Wednesday. The S&P 500 surrendered an early gain and finished 0.6% lower after U.S. Vice President JD Vance canceled a planned trip to Pakistan, where he had been expected to lead American negotiators in talks with Iran aimed at extending the truce. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 293 points, or 0.6%, after at…