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

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…

AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State’s ministerial council on Thursday pressed Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to use the last month of his tenure to forge a broad political settlement, warning that uncertainty is deepening as key federal mandates run out. The appeal came after a cabinet session led by Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni, where officials examined the country’s political situation. The debate has sharpened since the federal parliament’s mandate officially expired on April 14, 2026. "The Council…

Malawi’s opposition leader Simplex Chithyola Banda says his arrest marks a “deeply instructive chapter” in his life—one that has tested but not shaken his resolve. Addressing reporters after securing bail, the usually combative politician struck a notably restrained tone and urged Malawians to pray for the country. Banda was detained on allegations of abuse of office tied to a contentious fertilizer-for-soya exchange arrangement involving the Romanian company East Bridge Estates. The saga has gripped public attention,…