Africa Defense Forum - Africa Defense Forum

ADF STAFF A few minutes after recess ended, gunmen emerged from the surrounding forest and began firing their weapons near the school in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. “I heard explosions and other loud noises,” a…

ADF STAFF Since Burkina Faso’s ruling junta came to power in September 2022, the leadership increasingly has relied on the poorly trained and lightly armed Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP) to serve as front-line forces to…

ADF STAFF Increasing attacks by Somali pirates are exacerbating global shipping and fueling maritime insecurity around East Africa. After a six-year lull in major pirate attacks, there have been more than 20 attempted hijackings since…

ADF STAFF Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa, has fond memories of his childhood in Sokoto. “Growing up as a kid in Nigeria, it was so peaceful,” he told the BBC during a video interview released on March 28.…

ADF STAFF Nahom Halefom, 13, was playing outside with two friends near the town of Queshet in central Tigray. His mother was watching. “I took my eyes off him for a moment. Then I heard the explosion,” she told The Ethiopian Reporter…

ADF STAFF Nigerian authorities are working to contain a thriving illicit weapons market in Lagos as local manufacturers of illegal guns continuously hone their trade. Local illegal gun factories are known for producing imitation…

ADF STAFF It was after midnight on December 8, 2023, when armed rebels from Cameroon’s English-speaking separatist movement raided the border community of Belegete, firing guns and kicking in doors. Muwah Augustine was visiting his…

ADF STAFF New reporting shows how North Korean diplomats stationed in Southern Africa are smuggling large volumes of rhino horn out of the region to buyers in China and other countries. The millions of dollars in proceeds help North Korea…

ADF STAFF Piracy is making a resurgence in the western Indian Ocean, and the region is rife with other sea crimes such as illegal fishing, drug smuggling, and human and weapons trafficking. Against that backdrop, the second edition of…

ADF STAFF Violence between rival communities has a long history in South Sudan, but the past year has seen a worrying rise in attacks that observers fear could become a wider crisis. More than 150 people died and 165 were injured as a…