ADF

ADF STAFF As it seeks to expand its territory, the Sahelian terror organization Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin has launched violent attacks in the border areas of multiple Gulf of Guinea countries with one exception: Ghana. Ghana’s northern region next to Burkina Faso is a place of porous borders, light governmental presence and high economic insecurity. Residents of both countries routinely cross the border outside of formal crossing points. Experts call the light governmental presence a “sovereignty gap.” It has created a haven where JNIM fighters rest, recuperate from injuries at local hospitals, and restock food and weapons. They then cross…

ADF STAFF In June, soldiers from Mali and Niger graduated from special forces training in Isparta, Türkiye, becoming the latest example of the Turkish military’s growing influence in Africa. Over the past decade, Türkiye has expanded its presence on the continent through training and arms sales. The so-called “Somalia model” takes its name from Türkiye’s arrival in Mogadishu in 2017 to help the Somali military fight al-Shabaab. Somalia’s Camp TurkSom, which includes a training academy, is Türkiye’s largest overseas military base. Türkiye’s influence grew rapidly after its 2019-20 intervention in Libya on the side of the internationally recognized government in…

ADF STAFF Industrial development is booming across much of Africa, and with it comes the use of hazardous chemicals and other sensitive material. Terrorist groups covet many of these “dual-use” items for use in attacks. Chlorine gas, for example, is commonly used in water treatment but can be weaponized to deadly effect. Medical research uses radiological and biological materials that can be dangerous in the wrong hands. “The same materials that strengthen healthcare, scientific research, mining and industry can also become security risks if poorly managed,” Mubarak Aliyu, a Nigeria-based political and security risk analyst, told Al Jazeera. To combat…

Cameroon is working to deregister and sanction foreign vessels that illegally register with the country to avoid detection. These shadow fleet tankers often carry Iranian, Russian and Venezuelan oil and have long abused the country’s flag to avoid sanctions. The reforms include suspending new registrations of vessels operating outside Cameroonian waters and auditing the country’s shipping register. Cameroon is making the changes following pressure from the European Union and the International Maritime Organization. Authorities also are pushing to strengthen the country’s digital vessel registration process to reduce fraud and improve traceability. “Although commendable, these reforms alone cannot end the exploitation…

Over the past three years, insurgent groups across Africa increasingly have deployed weaponized drones against security forces, leaving militaries racing to develop methods to counter them. In 2025 alone, analysts recorded nearly 60 incidents of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) attacks, nearly triple the number from the year before. More than half of those attacks were conducted by Mali-based Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) deployed armed drones that same year against security forces in Cameroon and Nigeria. In Somalia, both al-Shabaab and Islamic State Somalia are working with Houthi…

Zimbabwean researcher Charles Moyo believes that Southern Africa is a region at a crossroads. While it enjoys peace and stability relative to the rest of the continent, it faces the threat of expanding terrorism from Islamic State affiliates in northern Mozambique and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Moyo, senior researcher and regional policy and research manager  at the Southern Africa Centre for Mediation and Extremism Prevention, said illegal gold mining is emerging as a security threat that violent extremist groups can exploit. “Zambia’s proximity to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique’s insurgency and cross-border mobility increases the…

The terrorist attack in April that killed Mali’s defense minister in his home added fuel to the notion that Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin could one day take control of the country. Over the last year or more, the group also known as JNIM has launched an economic blockade on the landlocked country that largely crippled the capital, Bamako. Its alliance with the Tuareg-based Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) drove government forces and Russian mercenaries out of the north of the country during the same operation that killed Defence Minister Sadio Camara. The attack that killed Camara in Kati, home to the…

Beijing’s official stance of neutrality and nonintervention in the paramilitary M23’s rebellion against the Congolese government is increasingly being challenged by the reality on the ground: a proliferation of Chinese-made weapons on both sides. China has several billion-dollar investments in cobalt, coltan and copper mines in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also supplies weapons to the DRC and neighboring Rwanda, which has been accused by the United Nations of backing the M23 militia. “China presents itself as a mediator in the region, and its embassy denies any arms sales to armed groups,” independent news website Beto wrote…

In a national address on June 12, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu praised security forces for the gains that they are making on the ground. Along with military goals, he emphasized that the path to peace will be paved with a multifaceted approach to counterterrorism. “Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralized in the past year,” he said. “But we also keep the door of surrender open. Over 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023. Through Operation Safe Corridor we turn our former enemies into citizens.” Established in 2016, Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC) is a disarmament, demobilization and…

A group of Russian Wagner Group mercenaries have shifted their efforts to running a tramadol trafficking empire in the Central African Republic. Known as “poor man’s cocaine,” tramadol is a highly addictive stimulant and painkiller. Tramadol trafficked in the CAR, however, is far stronger than tramadol dispersed by legitimate pharmacies. Typically prescribed in 50- to 100-milligram doses, CAR tramadol is distributed at 200 milligrams or more. This can be used by workers toiling long hours in Wagner-controlled gold mines and is also used by fighters to combat fear, reduce pain and fuel long periods with little food or sleep. “In…