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

Hours before a deadline set by US President Donald Trump, Iran and Israel exchanged fresh attacks this morning, with Tehran refusing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or sign on to a ceasefire agreement. Iran turned down a US proposal, brokered by Pakistan, calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to its effective blockade of the strait, followed by negotiations on a wider peace settlement within 15 to 20 days, according to a source familiar with the plan. Tehran’s reply included ten clauses, among them a demand for an end…

Basillioh Rukanga and Richard KagoeTuesday April 7, 2026 Somalia is poised to launch its first offshore oil drilling campaign, with a Turkish government-owned drillship due to reach its waters on Friday. The step comes after a Turkish research vessel completed seismic surveys last year, helping map the area’s underground potential. In a post on X, Somalia's Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire called the approach to the country’s first offshore drilling effort a "historic milestone in our offshore energy journey... A new chapter…

Iran has carried out another execution tied to the nationwide protests in January, deepening fears among rights groups as the number of people they describe as political prisoners put to death continues to rise amid the war against Israel and the United States. Ali Fahim, 23, was executed after being convicted over an attack on a Tehran base used by the Revolutionary Guards' Basij militia during the unrest, according to rights groups that have tracked the case. The judiciary's Mizan Online website called him "one of the…

Somalia is preparing to launch its first offshore oil drilling campaign, with a Turkish government-owned drillship due to reach waters off the Somali coast on Friday. The milestone comes after a Turkish research vessel completed seismic surveys last year, laying the groundwork for the next phase of exploration. In a post on X, Somalia's Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire called the advance toward offshore drilling a "historic milestone in our offshore energy journey... A new chapter begins." The foreign ministry said a…

The passage of a UN resolution condemning the transatlantic slave trade and the enslavement of Africans as the "most serious crimes against humanity" has stirred a complex mix of reactions worldwide. Proposed by Ghana, the resolution notably refrains from explicitly calling for reparations but does "encourage member states to support initiatives aimed at reparatory justice." Celebrated by many throughout Africa and its diaspora, the resolution has also attracted skepticism, particularly from the United States. Critics…

Flames tore through the Sheskharis oil terminal in Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk after overnight Ukrainian drone strikes, in what appeared to be one of the most consequential hits on Russia’s energy infrastructure in the more than four-year-old conflict. Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine struck facilities at the maritime transhipment complex in Novorossiysk, damaging a mooring point used by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) and setting four oil product reservoirs ablaze, according to Russian media. The…

BAIDOA, Somalia - Somalia’s defense minister, Ahmed Moallin Fiqi, on Monday toured the Sector 3 headquarters of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia in Baidoa, where Ethiopian troops serving under the mission are stationed, officials said. Fiqi used the visit to meet Sector 3 commander Teklu Hurisa Janka and was briefed on current operations, advances in security efforts, and the level of coordination between the Somali National Army and Ethiopian forces deployed in South West state. He expressed…

The escalating conflict in the Middle East is prompting a significant shift in oil procurement strategies among European and Asian buyers, who are increasingly turning to African oil-producing nations. These countries not only offer lower insurance costs but also promise more consistent delivery timelines compared to the high-risk regions of the Middle East. According to industry analysts, leading African energy players—namely Nigeria, Libya, Angola, Gabon, Mozambique, Namibia, and Tanzania—are being regarded as safer…

A high-level show of coordination unfolded in Baidoa this week as Somalia’s defence minister pressed home the need for tighter military cooperation in the long-running campaign against insurgents. During the visit, Minister Fiqi met with Brigadier General Teklu Hurisa Janka, the Sector 3 Commander, and received a detailed briefing on the sector’s activities, operational progress, and the cooperation between the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) and AUSSOM forces in the South West State. Minister Fiqi commended AUSSOM’s…

A major shift in UK welfare policy takes effect as the two-child cap on benefits is formally abolished, a move expected to lift an estimated 450,000 children out of poverty. Introduced by the Conservatives in 2017, the measure limited child tax credit and universal credit payments to the first two children in most households. Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed in her November budget that the cap would be removed on 6 April, following months of sustained pressure from Labour backbenchers. The end of the two-child cap comes…