ADF

Islamic State militants approached a neighborhood on the outskirts of Mocímboa da Praia in northern Mozambique on January 25, seeking to kill a member of the Maconde local militia. Failing to find him, they abducted his young son. Two days earlier, members of the Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) reportedly terrorized people on and around several small islands just off the coast. They looted, stole a motorboat and kidnapped fishermen, demanding a ransom of 50,000 meticais ($784) each. “My brother was there on the islands night fishing, and he and his colleagues were taken off their boat by the insurgents,” a…

In mid-January, Nigerian troops serving in Operation Hadin Kai raided an Islamic State West Africa Province hideout in the Timbuktu Triangle in Borno State. As the troops advanced on the base, armed drones attacked them. A new report by The Premium Times news outlet suggests that terrorist group, also known as ISWAP, plans to increase its use of armed drones against Nigerian military forces in the northeast. The report appeared as Nigerian troops are increasing pressure on ISWAP across Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. On several occasions in January, troops fought with ISWAP forces and cleared abandoned hideouts, according to…

Aerial photos show that a small airport in southeast Libya has become a key transit point for arms and supplies to the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group in Sudan, according to government and intelligence officials. Satellite images show that the airport in Kufrah has been renovated and expanded in the past year, Reuters reported, with a steep increase in cargo flights that coincided with the growth of the Sudanese paramilitary group, also known as the RSF. The RSF has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces, known as the SAF, since April 2023. The two sides are fighting over control of…

Allegations of weapons smuggling have set off a new war of words between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The long-simmering dispute threatens to draw in regional powers and plunge the Horn of Africa back into conflict. On January 14, Ethiopian federal police said they intercepted a truck in Woldia carrying 57,000 rounds of ammunition. Ethiopian officials alleged that the ammunition came from Eritrea and was being shipped to the Fano, an ethnically Amhara militia waging war against Ethiopia’s government. In a statement, Ethiopian police said Eritrea had been caught “red handed” trying to arm rebels and destabilize the country. Eritrea’s information minister…

Illegal mining by Chinese companies in Nigeria is undercutting the nation’s economy, degrading the environment and driving residents from their homes in part by exploiting weak regulations and corrupt security forces, according to a new analysis. The report by Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), a Nigerian nongovernmental organization, titled “Silent Conquest: The Chinese Infiltration of Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Sector,” focuses on mining between 2018 and 2025. It pays particular attention to the period since 2022, when Nigeria put more emphasis on mining minerals to diversify an economy dominated by oil and natural gas. Researchers studied mineral-rich states — Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa,…

Since the Sudanese town of El Fasher fell to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on October 26, 2025, the capital of North Darfur has been the site of mass graves and RSF-run detention centers. Locals say kidnappings for ransom are common, as is sexual violence against women and girls held in displacement camps. An investigation by the Sudan Tribune revealed that the RSF has detained most of the city’s male population, sparing only a small number of the elderly, women and children. Sources said key RSF detention sites include student dormitories, government buildings and a mosque. There are also…

Before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Polina Alexandrovna Azarnykh ran a Facebook group helping Arab students go to Moscow to study. Now the former teacher has a much deadlier job — deceiving and coercing Africans into fighting for Russia on the frontlines in Ukraine. “She works to secure volunteers into the Russian army,” journalist Rayan Maarouf told the BBC. “She started a group on Telegram, promoting herself. She publishes updates on how to join the Russian Army. … She has connections in each country through which she recruits people.” The Russian Ministry of Defense has used informal recruiters around the…

From coast to coast, Turkey is working to forge ties with African nations, often as a security partner for weapons purchases and military training, and as an investor in infrastructure projects. Turkey believes it can position itself as an alternative option able to negotiate sophisticated military deals without any of the drawbacks of partnering with China, Russia or traditional Western allies. “Ankara acts as a unique geopolitical hybrid: a NATO member with NATO-standard military capabilities, yet a diplomat that speaks the language of the Global South,” Göktuğ Çalışkan, a foreign policy analyst at the Ankara Center for Crisis and Policy…

Askia the Great ruled over the largest empire in West Africa’s history. In the late 15th century, his Songhai Empire swept from the Atlantic Ocean to what is now Niger.  One of his tools for expansion and rule was his navy, a rarity in Africa at that time. Born Askia Muhammad Ture I, he led the way for Africa to expand trade with Europe and Asia, and, bowing to the will of his army, made Islam a key component of his rule. He became known as Askia — “forceful one” — and is remembered today as Askia the Great, the…

CLUES This site, in what is now Kenya, was one of the most important Swahili cities in East Africa from the 10th to the 17th centuries. The settlement had two rings of walls, public and private buildings, tombs, and a palace complex and mosque. Domestic, civic and religious buildings were laid out in a grid street pattern within the inner walls. The space between inner and outer walls held modest houses where most residents lived. Evidence of luxury goods imported from China, India, Persia and Venice demonstrates the city’s role in international trade networks. ANSWER  The historic town and archaeological…