Strength in the Skies
ADF STAFF
For most of post-independence history, air forces in Africa were not a priority. Expensive and difficult to maintain, air power was seen as a luxury not useful to the realities and unique threats on the continent. With tight…
Cooperation Takes Flight at Symposium
ADF STAFF
As air chiefs unpacked their bags and got back to work after returning from a continental symposium in Senegal, nature brutally underscored some of the themes and challenges they had discussed there.
Tropical Cyclone Freddy,…
Peacekeepers Campaign Against False Information
ADF STAFF
Four United Nations peacekeeping missions in Africa are working to discredit disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining their credibility.
The peacekeeping missions MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),…
Africa Cyber Surge II Tackles Cybercrime Through International Cooperation
ADF STAFF
A team of international cybersecurity investigators recently identified more than 20,600 suspicious websites tied to an estimated $40 million in financial losses across Africa.
Africa Cyber Surge II was a four-month joint…
Russia Exploiting Niger Coup on Social Media
ADF STAFF
In the immediate aftermath of the Niger military coup in late July, Russia’s formal and informal responses were at odds.
The Kremlin’s spokesperson called for the immediate release of detained Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum…
Experts Point to Key Difference in Gabon Coup
ADF STAFF
In the early hours of August 29, Gabonese authorities announced that President Ali Bongo had won a disputed election that gave him a controversial third term.
Gyldas A. Ofoulhast-Othamot, assistant professor of political science…
Islamic State, al-Qaida Groups Grow in Sahel’s Security Vacuum
ADF STAFF
One violent extremist group has nearly doubled the territory it controls in Mali after the ruling junta severed ties with international peacekeepers and empowered brutal Russian mercenaries.
The ramifications are roiling…
Smuggling Routes Feed the Demand for Weapons in Khartoum, Darfur
ADF STAFF
Since the outbreak of violence in Sudan in April, the flow of weapons smuggled into the heavily armed country has become a flood.
“We used to receive a shipment every three months, but now we’re getting one every two weeks,”…
U.N. Report: IS in Sudan Financed Through Businesses in Turkey
ADF STAFF
Abu Bakr al-Iraqi, the leader of Islamic State group (IS) in Sudan, secretly finances his operations through businesses in Turkey, according to a recent report by the United Nations.
Investigators reported to the U.N. Security…
Fulani Crisis Shows How Terror Groups Capitalize on Ethnic Tension
ADF STAFF
In August 2022, an audio recording went viral on WhatsApp and social media networks in Burkina Faso. The message called on “indigenous” Burkinabé to rise up and exterminate members of the Fulani ethnic group.
Lionel Bilgo, a…