ADF

ADF STAFF The clash between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is the latest eruption of military violence in a country that has experienced 35 coups or attempted coups since 1956. Some of the coups transferred power between military leaders. Others ended short-lived periods of democratic rule in the 1950s, 1960s and 1980s. Sudan’s long history of military governments “has stood in opposition to the persistent struggle of the Sudanese people to midwife a democratic political order,” researcher Gashaw Ayferam wrote recently for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Like those previous coups and attempted…

ADF STAFF In his 39-year military career, Gen. Francis Ogolla has risen through the ranks, from pilot to air force commander and vice chief of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF). On April 28, 2023, Kenyan President William Ruto appointed Ogolla to lead the KDF as chief of defense forces. After his first 100 days, Ogolla already is thinking about the legacy he wants to leave — a more effective, more modern force. “When we realize that some of the equipment or strategies have some gaps, we modernize to close these gaps so that we are always capable of defending the…

ADF STAFF After two years of silence, Egypt and Ethiopia recently restarted talks about the management and potential downstream impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which straddles the Blue Nile, the primary Nile tributary. Since it was announced, the $4.2 billion GERD has been divisive. Egypt sees the dam as a threat to the existence of the country, which gets 97% of its water from the Nile. Ethiopia sees the megaproject and the electricity it generates as vital to its economic future. Sudan is the third party in the talks but has expressed some support for the project…

ADF STAFF When Niger overthrew its civilian government in July, it joined a growing tally of West African nations that had done so, further complicating regional economic and security cooperation at a time when it is needed most. Before the recent coup, Niger’s multinational security cooperation was rich and varied: In 2014 and 2018, Niger hosted Exercise Flintlock, the largest counterterrorism training event on the continent. In 1998, Niger joined the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to ensure security in the Lake Chad Basin. Seventeen years later, the MNJTF expanded to field a force of 10,000 troops from Benin, Cameroon,…

ADF STAFF For almost 10 years, the Danab Brigade, a unit of the Somali National Army, has been countering al-Shabaab attacks and winning a reputation as an elite fighting force. Named after the Somali word for lightning, the 2,000-strong brigade was established in 2004 and initially was made up almost exclusively of people from the country’s poorest regions. Its public perception rising, the brigade in recent years has begun recruiting highly educated candidates. Safia Abdinur, a young physician, is among them. Inspired to join after her friend was killed in a bombing, she was one of 19 college graduates recruited…

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…