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

Washington’s case for the US operation in Iran remains as murky as ever, with shifting explanations about its purpose and endgame leaving Americans and allied governments struggling to pin down exactly what the mission is meant to achieve. The Trump administration’s public message has repeatedly shifted, as the president and his top officials offer conflicting accounts of why the campaign began, what success looks like and when it is supposed to conclude. Since the start of March, President Donald Trump has said more than a…

Thursday April 2, 2026A quiet morning at a Kampala preschool turned tragic on Thursday after a stabbing attack left four toddlers dead at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Program School in Uganda’s capital, police said. Ugandan authorities said a suspect, identified as Okello Christopher Onyu, was arrested after allegedly entering the school and killing four children. Rachael Kawala, the spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan Police, told reporters at the scene that the suspect had come to the school two days earlier to seek…

French President Emmanuel Macron brushed off Donald Trump's taunts about his marriage, saying the remarks were "neither elegant nor up to standard" and not worthy of a reply. Yet after several days of strain over US-Israeli strikes on Iran and renewed friction over NATO, Macron appeared to let his frustration show, warning that "there is too much talk" and insisting that "this is not a show". Mr Trump on Wednesday ridiculed the French president and his wife during a private lunch, as he lashed out at NATO allies for failing…

Concerns are rising regarding the appointment of Jonathan K. Weedor as the chairperson of the National Elections Commission, as opposition leaders and civil society organizations voice their objections. They argue that Weedor's previous endorsements of the ruling Unity Party raise significant doubts about his impartiality in this critical role. “He brings extensive expertise in electoral management to the table,” commented Anderson Miamen, director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia. “However, his…

WASHINGTON — The United States on Wednesday removed sanctions on Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, according to an entry on the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control website. The move is a significant indication that Washington now treats Rodríguez as a legitimate authority in Venezuela. The U.S. has already formally recognized her as the country’s head of state in legal and diplomatic settings. Venezuela’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The sanctions relief…

Thursday April 2, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a swift move aimed at steadying the Southwest regional state after weeks of political turbulence in Baidoa, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has named Second Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid as interim leader. A decree released Wednesday by the Office of the Prime Minister said the temporary administration will keep core government operations running, hasten consultations on Somalia’s planned one-person, one-vote electoral process and lay the constitutional groundwork…

Mozambique has wiped out its arrears to the International Monetary Fund, settling U.S. $630,1 million in full by month’s end after beginning the month owing the entire amount. Among 85 countries listed by the Fund, Mozambique is the only country in this situation. With the IMF arrears cleared, securing additional financing from the Fund could become easier. The country previously received about $468 million through a 2022 Extended Credit Facility programme, which was suspended in April 2025 after only partial disbursements.…

Scott Mills has said he has faced a wave of "rumour and speculation" since the BBC announced his dismissal earlier this week. In his first public remarks since the story emerged, the former Radio 2 breakfast presenter said he had "co-operated fully" with a Metropolitan Police investigation into allegations of an historic sexual offence. In a statement issued by his lawyers, Mr Mills said: "The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation. "In response to…

MOGADISHU - Member of the Federal Parliament Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame has sharply denounced the Federal Government's decision to install an administration for South West State, calling the move an unlawful breach of both the federal and state constitutions. He said the central government has no constitutional authority to appoint an administration for a federal member state that already has its own institutions in place. Abdishakur pointed to the South West State Constitution, which requires a presidential election…

Thursday April 2, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia has taken a symbolic and practical leap in rebuilding its maritime future, officially registering its first vessel to sail under the national flag since the collapse of the central government in 1991, a development officials say restores a measure of the country’s long-dormant maritime sovereignty. The vessel, Guney (IMO 8230417), was entered into the Somali register on Wednesday after completing the legal and regulatory steps needed for flag state recognition, the Ministry of…