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

Barawe, 22 April 2026 – With elections on the horizon, a high-level Somali government delegation visited Barawe today to thank and assess the forces keeping the Lower Shabelle town secure, underscoring stability as a foundation for the political process. The delegation, led by State Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Ambassador Ilyaas Sheikh Omar, commended AUSSOM troops and the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) in the Barawe sub-sector for maintaining peace and stability. "Thank you so much for making the…

MOGADISHU, April 22, 2026 – Somalia’s intelligence service said Wednesday that coordinated operations backed by international partners left at least 33 Al-Shabaab fighters dead in the country’s central Middle Shabelle region. The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said the “planned operations” were carried out in the village of Guulane, where militants were reportedly meeting to organize a new round of attacks. In a statement, NISA said the first precision strike hit a house being used by senior commanders and…

Wednesday April 22, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State regional forces on Wednesday put on display the bodies of more than 10 suspected Islamic State (ISIS) fighters killed in a U.S. airstrike in the Jaceel Valley area of the Calmiskaad mountain range. Military officials who reached the scene said the dead were linked to cells that had recently mounted attacks on Puntland State security units operating in the area. They said the militants had also struck Puntland State troops overnight, an assault that left one soldier dead.…

Facing renewed scrutiny over its past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, the Gates Foundation said it launched an external review earlier this year into how the organisation engaged with the late financier and convicted sex offender. The foundation has remained under pressure because of Chairman Bill Gates’ ties to Epstein. That pressure intensified in January, when emails released by the US Justice Department showed exchanges between Epstein and Gates Foundation staff. "Early this year, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is quietly preparing to push elections ahead in three allied regional states before opening broader talks on Somalia’s federal vote, according to sources close to his political circle. During a private meeting earlier this week with three of his main political allies, the president reportedly laid out a plan to first lock in leadership in Galmudug, Hirshabeelle, and Southwest State. Sources said it was the second time in recent weeks that Mohamud has advanced the same…

By Caolán MageeWednesday April 22, 2026 Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, off the UAE coast Iran has seized two foreign commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and taken them to its coastline, sharpening tensions in a region already on edge just hours after United States President Donald Trump said he would prolong a ceasefire with Tehran. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the ships had breached maritime rules and entered the vital passage without coordination, according to Iranian…

Lufthansa is trimming 20,000 short-haul flights from its schedule through October as the carrier moves to blunt the impact of soaring jet fuel costs. The airline said the reduction amounts to less than 1% of total capacity across the group. According to Lufthansa, the cuts will save roughly 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel, whose price has doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict. The company said the revised timetable is aimed at reducing the number of loss-making short-haul services across the Lufthansa Group…

A new exhibition of African women artists opened in Addis Ababa this week, putting the winners and finalists of the African Women in Art Award (AWAA) 2025 on public display ahead of the World Public Summit Africa. The Golla Gallery in Ethiopia’s capital hosted the show, a collaboration between the World Peoples Assembly, the "Her Voice Foundation", and the I-A Gallery of Contemporary African Art. Works by artists from six countries — Angola, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Zambia — are gathered for the presentation.…

FRANKFURT — Lufthansa, Germany’s largest airline, said it has scrapped about 20,000 scheduled flights for the summer after a sharp rise in jet fuel costs driven by worsening tensions linked to Iran.  The carrier said the cuts are intended to contain expenses, adding that fuel prices have climbed steeply as the regional security outlook has deteriorated. The cancellations are expected to reduce consumption by roughly 40,000 tonnes of fuel, with most of the affected services concentrated on short-haul European routes. The…

By David ShepardsonWednesday April 22, 2026 Luggage and travelers' belongings are loaded before the departure of an Ethiopian Airlines plane at N'Djamena International Airport in the capital city of N'Djamena, Chad, December 2, 2025.... Purchase Licensing Rights Ethiopian Airlines moved to widen its long-haul reach on Monday, announcing that it will purchase six more Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners as Africa’s biggest airline pushes deeper into service across Africa and on routes to the U.S., Europe and Asia. In an interview with…