September 2023

ADF STAFF The earthquake that struck Morocco this month created an opportunity to ease tensions between the kingdom and its neighbor, Algiers, which broke off diplomatic ties in 2021. The magnitude 6.8 quake killed more than 2,000 people…

ADF STAFF Solidarity lives on both sides of the border between Nigeria and Niger, where most people belong to the Hausa ethnic group and cherish their historical and economic ties. The specter of regional conflict has loomed since a…

ADF STAFF On the border of Benin and Burkina Faso, the disputed Kourou-Koualou area hosts a wide-ranging market of illicit activities that fuel insecurity and help extremism spread south from the Sahel. Like its neighbors along the Gulf…

ADF STAFF An unspecified number of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Soldiers were killed and injured during a suspected al-Shabaab attack in Lamu County’s Boni Forest on September 10. The Soldiers were patrolling along Milimani-Baure Road…

ADF STAFF Community fighters are taking the lead in Somalia’s fight against al-Shabaab as the government switches tactics against the group. The Somali government launched the second phase of operations meant to eliminate…

ADF STAFF Weeks after the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the future of the mercenary operations led by Russia's notorious Wagner Group remains uncertain. Prigozhin’s death “represents an inflection point in Russia-Africa relations,”…

ADF STAFF Plagued by weak governments, riven by internal strife and scarred by violence, the Sahel region now ranks as the world’s epicenter for terrorism, even as other parts of the world have seen it decline in recent years, according to…

ADF STAFF Senegalese President Macky Sall’s announcement in July that he would not seek a third term in office was met with a mix of relief and pride in a country known for its democratic traditions. “A time bomb was just deactivated,”…

U.S. Africa Command Staff Investing in air power is never simple. Budgets are tight, and demands come from many directions. Aircraft are costly, hard to maintain and require extensive training to operate. But countries that make smart…

Brig. Gen. Papa Souleymane Sarr has been chief of staff of the Senegalese Air Force since November 2020. He entered the Air Force in 1985, attending Le Cours Spécial de l’École de l’Air in France, where he earned his pilot rating and a…