Africa Defense Forum - Africa Defense Forum

ADF STAFF Despite promises of security, new data shows that when Wagner Group mercenaries enter a country violence comes with them. Civilian deaths are rising in the Central African Republic (CAR) where the group has operated since…

ADF STAFF While Sudan’s conflict between rival military leaders is being fought largely in the streets of Khartoum, experts say the fighting could shift to the Darfur region should the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) drive the Rapid Support…

Brig. Gen. Daniel Kuwali served in the directorate of legal services for the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) for 23 years. During that time, he became chief of legal services and then was appointed the first judge advocate general of the MDF. He…

After two decades during which coups d’état were relatively rare, they are making an unwelcome return. In 2021, there were six coups or attempted coups documented on the continent. The next year saw two coups in Burkina Faso and several…

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is president of Ghana and chairman of the Economic Community of West African States Authority of Heads of State and Government. He spoke in Accra, Ghana, on March 15, 2022, at an event organized by the African…

ADF STAFF The fight against Boko Haram and other extremist groups has taken a mental toll on members of Nigeria’s military. The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental issues is so high among the nation’s…

ADF STAFF Burkina Faso has opened its first pharmaceutical manufacturing plant to make low-cost generic drugs and ensure the uninterrupted availability of common medicines. The $23 million plant was built through a private initiative…

VOICE OF AMERICA Five Southern African countries, which have more than half the continent’s elephants, conducted the first aerial census to determine the elephant population and how to protect it. Light aircraft flew simultaneously…

ADF STAFF Coup attempts were frequent in Africa in the post-independence and Cold War periods.  By comparison, the past 20 or so years have been quiet. From 2011 through 2020, the continent averaged fewer than one completed coup per…

ADF STAFF Senior leaders from land forces across Africa gathered in Côte d’Ivoire in May for the 2023 African Land Forces Summit (ALFS). It was an opportunity to discuss the shared threats they face and the need for cooperation as…