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

Friday April 17, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State’s Cabinet has called on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to work toward a broad political settlement on Somalia’s elections, warning that a prolonged standoff could deepen the country’s instability. The appeal came after a Cabinet session chaired by Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni, during which ministers examined the national political climate following the official expiration of the federal parliament’s four-year mandate on April 14, 2026. “The Council calls on…

LIV Golf has moved to stamp out fresh doubts about its future, insisting the Saudi-backed circuit will press on “uninterrupted and at full throttle” despite growing talk that its financial support could be withdrawn. The breakaway league, launched in 2021, upended professional golf and quickly established itself as a direct challenger to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. It lured in some of the sport’s biggest stars, among them Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, before later adding leading European figures such as Jon Rahm and…

A nation shaken by a rare burst of school violence is preparing to bury nine victims after a 14-year-old opened fire in Kahramanmaras, in an attack authorities say bore a disturbing reference to a notorious US mass killer on the suspect’s WhatsApp profile. The shooting in the southern province of Kahramanmaras marked Turkey’s second school gun attack this week, an alarming sequence in a country where such incidents have been uncommon. Officials said the 14-year-old entered two classrooms while armed with five guns and fired…

In a sharp rebuke delivered in Cameroon, Pope Leo accused leaders of pouring billions into war while the world is “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants,” escalating his rhetoric just days after US President Donald Trump targeted him on social media. Addressing a meeting in the largest city in Cameroon’s anglophone regions, the pontiff condemned politicians who cloak conflict in religious language and called for a “decisive change of course” in an area scarred by a nearly decade-long crisis that has claimed thousands of…

Switzerland’s investigation into the deadly Crans-Montana fire has widened, with four additional current and former officials now facing criminal scrutiny, according to sources close to the case. "The investigation has been extended to include four new individuals, bringing the total number of defendants to 13," the public prosecutors' office in southwest Switzerland's Wallis canton confirmed to AFP. Those newly drawn into the case are the Crans-Montana municipal councillor responsible for security, the person who previously…

Southwest State, one of Somalia’s federal regions, is facing a period of political disruption that is testing local governance and federal-state relations. Recent changes in leadership and security control in and around Baidoa have raised practical questions about how services, budgets, and authority are managed when formal political mandates are contested or interrupted. This explainer looks at what has changed in Southwest’s leadership, the governance problems it highlights, and the key facts shaping the current period.…

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is set to begin at 10 o'clock tonight (Irish time), opening a narrow but potentially significant window for talks on a permanent security and peace agreement, the US State Department said. It added that both sides could extend the truce by mutual agreement. Israel's military campaign in Lebanon has become a central stumbling block in efforts to secure the broader peace deal sought by US President Donald Trump to end the war on Iran, which he launched with Israel in late February.…

By  MOGOMOTSI MAGOMEThursday April 16, 2026 Julius Malema, one of South Africa’s most prominent and polarizing opposition figures, was handed a five-year prison sentence Thursday after being convicted of violating firearm laws for firing a rifle at a political rally in 2018. He was released while he awaits the outcome of an appeal, which will be heard at a later date. If the conviction and sentence are ultimately confirmed, Malema would lose his seat in Parliament. Under South African law, anyone sentenced to more than 12…

A shocking new survey highlights a distressing trend in Liberia: a staggering 90% of women reportedly use antibiotics monthly to address their menstrual issues. This revelation has alarmed health experts, who label the findings "frightening" and express deep concern about the potential for escalating antibiotic resistance within the nation. Antibiotic misuse has long been a significant issue plaguing Liberia's healthcare system. Health officials are increasingly worried that the very medications essential for treating…

With diplomacy and battlefield rhetoric colliding, Israel's security cabinet met tonight to weigh a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, according to a senior Israeli official, more than six weeks after a war with Hezbollah spun out of the wider US-Israeli confrontation with Iran. Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump suggested the war with Iran might be nearing an end, telling the public to brace for an "amazing two days". Another senior Israeli official said Benjamin Netanyahu's government was facing intense pressure…