ADF

ADF STAFF Security forces in civilian clothes abducted Daouda Diallo, a prominent human rights defender in Burkina Faso, on December 1 as he was renewing his passport in Ouagadougou, the national capital. Three days later, a picture of him armed and wearing military clothing circulated on social media. Burkinabé security forces in early November leveraged a controversial law regarding the general mobilization to fight armed groups. The law allows authorities to sanction and silence civil society members and human rights defenders who criticize the military junta led by Capt. Ibrahim Traore, according to Amnesty International. Diallo, 41, spoke against the…

ADF STAFF Ahmed was crossing Mali in an attempt to reach Europe when he was waylaid by extremists and forced to work in one of the country’s artisanal gold mines. “We’ve been here for a year,” he told Al Jazeera. “My brother has been here for six months. We are provided with safety and security as long as we do the work.” Working alongside Ahmed and his brother are other adults and many children. Gold plays a major role in the economies of countries across the Sahel, financing both governments and extremists alike. As it has become associated with corruption,…

ADF STAFF The rapid expansion of digital technology in recent years has left millions of Africans vulnerable to cybercriminals seeking to scam them, their companies and even their governments out of money and valuable personal information. The problem is so pervasive that, according to some estimates, cybercrime can cost African countries up to 10% of their gross domestic product each year. “Cyber threats are more sophisticated and complex than ever and evolving quickly with new technology like AI [artificial intelligence] becoming increasingly advanced every day,” Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of South African cybersecurity company KnowBe4, wrote recently for the online publication…

ADF STAFF Chinese national En “Aisha” Huang is well known in Ghana as the “Galamsey Queen,” a nickname bestowed by the local media to describe her status as a kingpin of illegal gold mining operations. Her arrest and recent sentencing are emblematic of Ghana’s serious, ongoing problem with Chinese involvement in illegal artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASM). A Ghanaian court on December 4 sentenced Huang to 4½ years in prison and levied a $4,000 fine for running an illegal mining operation. Authorities told reporters that she will be deported after serving the sentence. “She’s someone that has gotten her name…

ADF STAFF The fields around Djibo in northern Burkina Faso are empty: The farmers cannot leave the city to work them. Djibo, along with other communities in the countryside, is under blockade by militants who accuse residents of siding with the government. The blockade has reduced Djibo’s food supplies by as much as 65% and crippled its health care system. At the same time, the community near the Malian border has become a refuge for people fleeing extremist violence elsewhere. Most of Djibo’s 360,000 residents are from surrounding communities; half are children. Once an important commercial hub for the region,…

ADF STAFF Years of military missions have left civilian and political factions frustrated with intractable violence from a stew of armed groups operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Now the East Africa Community Regional Force (EACRF), led by a contingent of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), is preparing to depart. A new force, organized and deployed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), will try its hand at bringing peace and stability to the region. Early on, the EACRF appeared at odds with the president and the people of the DRC. On December 3, Kenyan troops…

ADF STAFF Northern Mozambique’s Nangade district has been one of the country’s most volatile areas throughout the conflict in the Cabo Delgado province. Only six of the district’s 51 villages have been untouched by violence since fighting erupted about five years ago. Insurgents in January 2023 kidnapped eight people as they worked in their fields in the village of Chacamba. Seven captives were released, but the eighth was beheaded, the Club of Mozambique newspaper reported. From February to May, however, the district enjoyed a tenuous calm as troops with the Mozambican Defense and Security Forces (FDS), Southern African Development Community Mission…

ADF STAFF During its more than two-year intervention in Mozambique, Rwanda has attempted to do something difficult: defeat an insurgency while avoiding civilian casualties. According to a new study, there is evidence that it is succeeding, and its approach may offer a blueprint for future peace enforcement operations. In 2021, Rwanda deployed 1,000 troops to Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province at the request of Mozambican President Felipe Nyusi. Over time its force grew to 2,500, including police, and has worked parallel to a force deployed by the Southern African Development Community. Based primarily out of Palma and Mocímboa da Praia,…

DEFENCEWEB Senegal’s Armed Forces took delivery of a second C295 transport aircraft from Airbus eight months after receiving the first. The new aircraft arrived at Dakar Air Base at the end of March 2023 and was received by Defence Minister Sidiki Kaba.  Kaba said the aircraft’s short takeoff and landing capabilities and its versatility allow it to carry out different missions such as transport, paratrooping and medical evacuation. The new aircraft will strengthen the transport capacity of Senegal’s military and support domestic and international missions. Senegalese officials said the acquisition demonstrated the country’s willingness to modernize its military to meet…

DEFENCEWEB The Zambia Air Force has ordered two turbine-powered Enstrom 480B helicopters for training pilots and personnel. Enstrom Helicopter Corp., a U.S. company, announced the sale in April 2023. The helicopters will be based in Lusaka and used for training and utility missions. A training package is included in the deal.  The helicopters will be equipped with cargo hooks and space for cameras, as well as Garmin avionics and glass panels.  South Africa’s Safomar Aviation Group coordinated and assisted Enstrom in the sale to Zambia, including logistics, specifications and configuration of the helicopters. Safomar operates a large regional maintenance, repair…