ADF

ADF STAFF Nigeria opened two new facilities that will be the nerve center of its fight against terrorism.  In a March 2023 ceremony near the end of his presidential term, then-President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the new Office of the National Security Adviser and National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja. Buhari said the state-of-the-art facilities will provide Nigeria’s incoming administration with infrastructure to effectively coordinate national security and counterterrorism efforts.  The facilities include office space, team rooms, laboratories, a conference hall, an auditorium and an operations/crisis center. Nigeria has been plagued by violent extremism, particularly in the northeast, for 14 years,…

Voice of America Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency seized two illicit shipments of military hardware and explosive material that were bound for al-Shabaab. At a news conference in Mogadishu, Somalia’s then- State Minister of Defence Mohamed Ali Haga said the agency discovered the arms at Mogadishu’s port and airport, in some cases hidden within containers that appeared to be authorized imports.  The intelligence agency said an investigation relating to the illicit shipments led to the arrest of 10 people associated with a smuggling network. “Our agency has been following the activities of these individuals in Somalia and outside Somalia,”…

CYRUS OMBATI, THE STAR Kenya has nearly fulfilled one of its commitments to regional and international treaties on arms control as it nears completion of marking official firearms and ammunition.  The National Police Service has marked 98% of its firearms stock, and the Kenya Defence Forces is at 70%. Security Principal Administrative Secretary Wilson Njega called the progress a huge milestone that sets Kenya on the path to the elite league of nations that have taken concrete steps to combat the illegal arms trade. The goal, he said, is to prevent weapons from being diverted to criminals while not disrupting…

DEFENCEWEB A peacekeeping study shows that in 2022, there were more multilateral peace operations conducted than in any year during the previous decade. The report also says that the Russian mercenary Wagner Group has become “a major source of difficulty” because of its ties to the Russian government and its “implication in human rights abuse.” The study, compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, was released in June 2023. As in previous years, the United Nations led the largest number of multilateral peace operations with 20, including special political missions. Regional organizations and alliances conducted an additional 38 operations,…

UNITED NATIONS Since 1948, more than 2 million uniformed and civilian personnel have served in United Nations field missions across the world. Their contributions were highlighted on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, observed on May 29, 2023. “United Nations peacekeepers are the beating heart of our commitment to a more peaceful world,” Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message for the day. He called for continued support for the men and women who help countries transition from war to peace. “They are also critical to the protection of civilians caught up in the chaos of these deadly conflicts,…

ADF STAFF The United Nations has awarded its U.N. Training Recognition certification to the Ghana Army Peace Operations Training School. The school was awarded the certificate after a vigorous assessment of the training materials of the facility and a four-day onsite visit by the U.N. Training Assessment team, the Ghana Peace Journal reported. The school, which is at the Bundase Training Camp near Accra, was established in June 2021 to train troops for peace support operations. Since then it has trained men and women for support operations in the subregion and other parts of the world. Presenting the certificate, Maj.…

ADF STAFF Morocco and Brazil are exploring a defense cooperation agreement that would include research, development, arms purchases and logistical support.  The Brazilian Senate approved the pact in May 2023. The cooperation agreement aligns with Morocco’s strategy of diversifying its security partnerships globally. According to the strategic intelligence company ADIT, Morocco’s military spending amounted to $5 billion, almost 4% of its gross domestic product in 2022. Morocco and Brazil signed an agreement in 2019 to share military technology, which has been viewed as a start in Morocco’s intent to develop its own defense industry and reduce its dependence on foreign-made…

DEFENCEWEB The commander of Zimbabwe’s Air Force traveled to Nigeria to ask his counterpart for technical assistance, including in the operation and maintenance of fighter jets and helicopters. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) reported that Air Marshal Elson Moyo, commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe, visited NAF’s then-Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, at NAF Headquarters in March 2023. Moyo said he wanted to pursue technical assistance in the areas of research and development, drone technology, and the operation and maintenance of aircraft. The identified areas for collaboration, according to Moyo, are of common interest to Zimbabwe…

DEFENCEWEB An agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa, promises to strengthen defense cooperation between Portugal and South Africa. Portuguese President Marcelo de Sousa met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as part of a state visit by the European country’s leader in June 2023. The two leaders also pledged cooperation in the fields of science and innovation, education, and energy. Ramaphosa said Portugal and South Africa “want to learn from each other” as both are involved in peacekeeping.  “In as much as there is a conflict raging in another part of the world, it does not mean we should be deterred…

ADF STAFF According to the oral histories passed down by the griots, or storytellers, the Kingdom of Benin’s greatest king captured his throne by using magic powers a lion gave him for removing a thorn from its paw. Magic features heavily in any telling of the story of Ewuare the Great, but he was a real man with real accomplishments that historians have documented. Ewuare ruled the kingdom, in what is now part of southern Nigeria, from 1440 until 1473. He was the first powerful oba, or king, by virtue of stripping the authority of the uzama, a group of…