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

After 18 years away, Eritrea is finally stepping back onto Africa’s biggest football stage, set to “host” Eswatini in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier that will be played on neutral ground in Morocco. The preliminary round first leg is scheduled for the 20,000-seat Stade d'Honneur, shifted from East to North Africa because Eritrea does not have a stadium that meets international standards. The Red Sea Camels have not featured in the AFCON since a 2008 qualifier ended in a draw in Eswatini, the country formerly known…

Hungarian Prime Minister Vitkor Orbán faces perhaps the most consequential test of his 16-year rule as voters prepare to go to the polls on 12 April. Opinion polls put his nationalist Fidesz party nine points behind the centre-right Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, a 44-year-old lawyer and former Fidesz insider now running a vigorous challenge. Mr Magyar has ridden a platform focused on anti-corruption and business-friendly reform, building momentum after strong showings for his party in European and local ballots in 2024.…

President Donald Trump asserted that Iran is engaged in negotiations, accusing Tehran of publicly denying talks out of fear that Iranian negotiators could be killed by hardliners — or by the United States. "They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly. But they're afraid to say it, because they figure they'll be killed by their own people," Mr Trump told a dinner for Republican members of Congress. "They're also afraid they'll be killed by us." The president's remarks came after Iranian Foreign…

Traders protest eviction order at Bakara Market in Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia — Hundreds of merchants at Bakara Market, Somalia’s biggest commercial artery, poured into the streets Wednesday, saying authorities had ordered the market closed and told them to clear out — a move they fear will pave the way for politically connected investors to seize the land. Demonstrators blocked key access roads to the market, decrying what they called an effort to uproot long-established businesses. Many accused the government of trying…

Timothy Abraham, BBC Sport journalist and Aadam Patel, Liverpool reporterWednesday March 25, 2026 Mohamed Salah’s nine-year Liverpool story is heading for its final chapter after the forward announced he will leave Anfield at the end of the season. The 33-year-old Egypt international, signed from Roma in June 2017, confirmed his decision in a video posted on his social media accounts. "Unfortunately the day has come. This is the first part of my farewell," Salah said. "I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season."…

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Somali Cabinet Appoints New Custodial Corps Chief Amid Political Shifts MOGADISHU, Somalia — In a swift reshuffle aimed at tightening control over Somalia’s security apparatus, the Council of Ministers on Wednesday approved Maj. Gen. Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Hamud as the new chief of the Somali Custodial Corps during an extraordinary session led by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre. Acting on a recommendation from the Ministry of Justice, the cabinet’s decision takes immediate effect and removes the former chief, Gen. Mahad…

Wednesday March 25, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s cabinet has named a new head of the Somali Custodial Corps, a leadership change that comes as tensions deepen between the federal government and the Southwest administration. During its weekly session chaired by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, the Council of Ministers on Wednesday approved the appointment of General Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Hamud as commander of the Somali Custodial Corps, replacing General Mahad Abdirahman. The Ministry of Justice put forward the…

Somalia: Security Forces Surround Residence of Dismissed General MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali federal forces have cordoned off the Mogadishu home of Gen. Mahad Abdirahman Aden, known as “Shub,” after his abrupt ouster as head of the Custodial Corps. Axadle confirmed that Somali Police Force units took up positions outside the residence shortly after the Council of Ministers announced his dismissal on Wednesday. The…

Wednesday March 25, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A senior Somali federal lawmaker has broken ranks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s political camp, stepping down from a top party post in a move that underscores intensifying disputes over governance, constitutional changes and the path to elections. Abdirahman Mohamed Hussein Odawaa announced on March 25, 2026 that he is resigning as Secretary General of the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) and ending his membership in the party, which is led by President Mohamud. In a…