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

By Ariba ShahidThursday May 14, 2026 Families of the Pakistani hostage crew members of the Oil Products Tanker the HONOUR 25 that was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, hold placards during a protest, calling the government to take immediate action for the safe return of their loved ones, in Karachi, Pakistan May 13, 2026. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro Purchase Licensing Rights In Karachi on Wednesday, Ambreen Fatima stood with her children and pleaded for the release of her husband, one of 10 Pakistani crew members…

Europe’s bid to reclaim the top job at the United Nations food agency has hit an early obstacle, with the Cyprus presidency of the EU conceding there is still no agreement on a single European contender. Ireland has put forward former EU Commissioner Phil Hogan for the role, but his candidacy is facing determined challenges from both Italy and Spain. The stakes are significant. Europe has not occupied the leading post at the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for five decades, and EU agriculture ministers,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Abdullahi Shimbir, the governor of Somalia’s Gedo region, has cautioned against any election process carried out without legal grounding and wider consultation, saying local authorities have been left out of current voting plans. After talks in Mogadishu with federal government officials, Shimbir said the discussions centered on introducing a "one-person, one-vote" system. He said, however, that the political dispute between the Federal Government of Somalia and Jubbaland President Ahmed Madobe continues…

Thursday May 14, 2026 In the town of Afdub, in Ethiopia’s Somali region, residents have gone through multiple missed rainy seasons and now rely on a private water supplier.Ethiopia 2026. ©Roza Bekele/MSF Humanitarian conditions are worsening fast across Ethiopia’s Somali region and nearby border areas, where drought and displacement are combining to drive up malnutrition and deepen water shortages, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned, saying shrinking aid budgets are making a bad situation even harder to manage. MSF said…

Wes Streeting has resigned as UK Health Secretary, demanding a leadership contest in a move that has thrown Keir Starmer’s premiership into fresh turmoil. In a blunt rebuke, Mr Streeting accused the Government’s leadership of losing its way and told the British Prime Minister it is now “clear” he will not take Labour into the next general election. Though he stopped short of declaring his own candidacy, Mr Streeting urged Mr Starmer to open the race to the “best possible field of candidates” to succeed him in Downing Street,…

OPINION: The end of the Predatory State of Somalia (2022–2026) Somalia is approaching a political reckoning, and the debate over how power has been exercised under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has sharpened as the mandate nears its end. To understand the criticism now surrounding the government, it helps to start with the idea of a “predatory state.” In political terms, that describes a system in which rulers use…

By Morgan PhillipsThursday May 14, 2026 When President Donald Trump heads to China this week with hundreds of aides, security personnel and officials in tow, many of them will intentionally leave one of the most familiar tools of public life at home: their everyday cellphones. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) As Trump and his delegation prepare for the trip, U.S. officials are once again relying on tightly controlled communications practices meant to reduce the chances of surveillance, hacking or unwanted data collection in a…

Live Pressure mounts on Starmer as Labour unrest shows no sign of easing UK

Somalia: Senior Military Commanders Killed Outside Baidoa as Election Row Deepens BAIDOA, Somalia — Two senior officers in the Somali National Army were killed in a deadly roadside ambush outside Baidoa, heightening fears of a wider breakdown in South West State as a fierce dispute over recent regional elections continues to escalate. Col. Yonis Adam, who commanded the 8th Brigade, and Col. Ali Yonis, commander of the 9th Brigade of the 60th Division, were killed when their convoy came under attack outside the city.…

Thursday May 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s electoral commission on Thursday released the outcome of Southwest State’s unified elections, announcing that the Justice and Unity Party secured a majority in the regional House of Representatives. Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan, chairman of the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, said the May 10 vote proceeded peacefully in 13 districts across Southwest State. The elections were held to fill seats in the regional House of Representatives and elect members of…