ADF

ADF STAFF Yevgeny Prigozhin built a violent and profitable mercenary network over the past five years in the Central African Republic (CAR), Libya, Mali and Sudan. His last days before his death in a plane crash on August 23 were spent in Africa trying to expand his reach. Now, leaders in the countries where his mercenary forces operate are left asking “what’s next?” Dr. Edgar Githua, a lecturer at Strathmore University who studies international relations, peace and conflict, said that Prigozhin’s death surely will deal a blow to the group’s finances and its influence. “Prigozhin is the one who had…

CLUES This site includes a royal city, burial grounds and other sacred places, and remains an important historic and spiritual location. It includes a system of fortifications with a series of ditches and 14 stone gateways. It was used as a royal palace and political capital during the reign of Andriantsimitoviaminiandriana Andriandrazaka in the 1700s. In times of danger, a huge stone disk was rolled in front of the main gate to seal it. ANSWER  Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, Madagascar

ADF STAFF Sometimes called a hermit state, Eritrea is one of the most diplomatically isolated countries in the world. A history of repression, human rights abuses and conflict with neighboring countries has left it with few allies on the world stage. But its 1,150 kilometers of coastline on the Red Sea mean it continues to attract interest from abroad. “Asmara punches above its weight in geopolitical significance because of where it sits,” wrote Joshua Meservey, a senior fellow who studies Africa at the Hudson Institute. “It holds a commanding position on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a global shipping chokepoint, and…

ADF STAFF The Somali Army in mid-August launched a major offensive against al-Shabaab in central Somalia as troops with theAfrican Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) gradually withdraw from the country. The operation includes troops with the Danab Special Forces and allied clan militia known as “Ma’awisley.” The forces deployed in Elbur, Galhareeri, Wabho and Diri in the Galgadud region and in the northern parts of the Mudug administrative region. Al-Shabaab has controlled the areas for 15 years. By late August, the Danab Special Forces regained control of the Dac area in Galgadud. Around the same time, the Danab forces recaptured…

ADF STAFF At the request of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the withdrawal of the United Nations peacekeeping mission has begun. But experts say the U.N.’s exit is likely to create an opening for armed groups in the east, which could worsen the violence. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the mission, known as MONUSCO, will make an “accelerated withdrawal” and is entering “its final phase.” However, he warned that security issues that have plagued eastern DRC for decades are “deteriorating sharply.” “A premature departure of MONUSCO could have consequences for the civilians relying on the mission for their…

ADF STAFF Smoke billowed above Tripoli in mid-August as rival militias vying for power engaged in two days of fighting that killed at least 55 people and wounded about 160. After months of relative calm in Tripoli, the violence erupted after Mahmoud Hamza, chief commander of the 444th Brigade, was captured at Mitiga Airport by gunmen with the Special Deterrence Force (SDF). SDF is the 444th Brigade’s chief rival and controls the airport. Both groups have vied for power since the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Libya expert Tahani Elmogrbi said competition between the 444th Brigade and SDF has…

ADF STAFF In the video call, smuggler Phan Quan made it clear: He needed 20 metric tons of pangolin scales shipped to him in Vietnam. The authorities had seized his previous shipment. Unknown to him, Phan Quan was speaking with an undercover agent working with the Wildlife Justice Commission, a nongovernmental organization created in 2015 to disrupt criminal networks profiting from wildlife trafficking. The commission alerted the Nigeria Customs Service, which swooped down on Phan and his associates. Along with Phan, the sting also caught his boss, Phan Chi; another Vietnamese smuggler named Duong Thang; and Morybinet Berete, a Guinean…

ADF STAFF For nearly five months, forces loyal to Sudan’s warring generals have pounded each other and countless civilians caught between them, killing many and destroying large parts of Khartoum and its sister cities in the process. “The impact in the tripartite capital of Khartoum, Omdurman, and Khartoum North has been devastating to civilians,” Suliman Baldo, executive director of the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker, told ADF by email. “Most civilian casualties in the capital, and all major cities were killed by stray bullets and shells.” Since Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his rival general known as Hemedti launched their…

ADF STAFF Nothing could rattle the foundation of Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group more than the death of founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. Yet even that dramatic news is not expected to significantly impact the group’s operations in Africa. “Based on experience and a look at Wagner’s past, it’s clear that it’s here to stay,” former Wagner commander Marat Gabidullin stated in a recent analysis for Foreign Policy magazine, co-written with analyst John Lechner. “In Africa, the Russian state needs Wagner more than Wagner needs the state. Wagner does not have a permanent structure; it morphs, adapting rapidly depending on the situation and…

ADF STAFF Nine months after a peace deal ended Ethiopia’s two-year conflict in its Tigray region, another violent confrontation is intensifying in the Amhara region. Fighting broke out in early August between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and Fano, an ethnically Amhara militia that allied with the ENDF during the Tigray war. After Fano fighters seized some towns and districts, the federal government declared a six-month state of emergency on August 4. Temesgen Tiruneh, director-general of Ethiopia’s national intelligence service, was appointed to oversee enforcement of the state of emergency. “This robbery force is operating with the goal and…