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

Russian strikes have knocked out two power installations in Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region, cutting electricity to roughly 212,000 customers, the regional distributor said. Chernihivoblenergo reported that an attack on an energy site in Chernihiv district left nearly 150,000 households and businesses in the city of Chernihiv and its environs without power. The company later said an assault on a separate energy facility in Nizhynskyi district deprived almost another 62,000 consumers across three districts of electricity.…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Abdirahman Odowaa, the Secretary-General of Somalia’s ruling Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP), resigned on Wednesday, a move that exposes widening rifts at the top of the country’s leadership. In a scathing resignation statement, Odowaa faulted President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for “obduracy and intransigence,” underscoring a breakdown over the administration’s political and legislative course. The exit is widely seen as a sharp setback for the President’s inner circle amid mounting domestic pressures…

Wednesday March 25, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A senior Somali lawmaker has broken publicly with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s ruling political camp, resigning from a top party post and warning that disputes over governance, constitutional changes and elections are pushing the country into deeper political strain. Somali federal MP Abdirahman Mohamed Hussein Odawaa stepped down as Secretary General of the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) and relinquished his membership, according to a statement he published on his official…

Chad has started moving refugees away from its volatile frontier with Sudan after a deadly cross-border raid that killed 17 people, including mourners at a funeral, escalating tensions and prompting vows of retaliation from President Mahamat Idriss Déby. In a formal announcement, the government said it had reinforced security along the border and signaled it may pursue operations inside Sudan if necessary. Local officials added that investigators have yet to determine which group carried out the attack. The eastern border…

Live Iran's ambassador to Pakistan says no talks with US yet Middle East Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan has said there have been no formal discussions between Tehran and Washington to date, a clear statement that underscores the continued gap between the two governments. The declaration, delivered by Iran’s top diplomat in Islamabad, confirms that despite intermittent international attention on possible engagement, no negotiations have commenced. The ambassador’s remarks serve as a reminder that, for now, diplomatic…

In a move aimed at bolstering security and diplomatic efforts in a volatile corridor of global trade, the African Union has named Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete as its High Representative for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, the AU said in a statement. The appointment was announced by Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who emphasized the need for seasoned leadership to navigate the area's tangled political landscape. Kikwete, a former president of Tanzania, is credited with a measured diplomatic style and a reputation for steady governance.…

By Abubakr Al-ShamahiWednesday March 25, 2026 As fighting grinds toward its first month, United States President Donald Trump is pressing a claim that “productive” talks with Iran are already paving the way to end the war he launched alongside Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — even as Iran’s senior leadership continues to flatly reject that account. With wartime messaging and competing propaganda clouding the picture, it remains difficult to determine what is happening behind the scenes. One way to cut through…

Airstrikes flew between Israel and Iran as Tehran’s unified military command dismissed President Donald Trump’s assertion that Washington was negotiating an end to the conflict, bluntly saying the United States was “negotiating with itself.” The rebuke — issued by the joint command dominated by the hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — came amid reports that the US had transmitted a 15-point proposal to Tehran for discussion. “Has the level of your inner struggle reached the stage of you (Trump) negotiating with…

By Pooja SalhotraWednesday March 25, 2026 The vast majority of the 80,000 Somalis who live in Minnesota are American citizens or legal permanent residents.Credit...Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Somali immigrants in Minnesota are being pushed through immigration court at breakneck speed under a Trump administration practice that shortens timelines and, lawyers say, undercuts the basic protections of due process, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. In the complaint, two Minnesota legal providers argue…

Namibia has shut the door on Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture, Starlink, denying its bid to secure a local licence. The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) turned down the application on the grounds that the company failed to meet the country’s local ownership requirements. Under Namibian law, at least 51% of any telecommunications provider must be held by citizens or locally owned entities. While Starlink’s network now spans roughly 25 African nations, it has hit similar regulatory roadblocks…