ADF

ADF STAFF Somaliland is an autonomous breakaway state in northern Somalia that has persistently pursued independence for 33 years. It has state institutions, a military, and functioning political and economic systems. The United Kingdom granted British Somaliland independence as the State of Somaliland on June 26, 1960. The state voluntarily united with Italian Somalia to form the Somali Republic on July 1, 1960, which is considered Somalia’s Independence Day. Somaliland’s independence lasted “only for five days,” researcher Natasha Matloob wrote for Modern Diplomacy magazine. “After that, it merged with present-day Somalia. This merger received serious backlash from many in Somaliland,…

ADF STAFF The United Arab Emirates has deployed troops to train Chadian Soldiers in warfare and how to operate donated Emirati equipment, including at least six armored vehicles that were delivered last year. News of the UAE troops’ deployment to Chad emerged in January. According to Military Africa magazine, the UAE is expanding its efforts to enhance its military and political presence in Chad — and around the Sahel region — amid the civil war raging in Sudan. Chad and the UAE signed a military cooperation agreement in June 2023. “The UAE has sent a shipment of military vehicles and…

ADF STAFF In its ongoing battle for control of Sudan, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rely heavily on gold smuggled out of the country and its close ties to Russia’s Wagner Group, now known as Africa Corps, according to a United Nations analysis. “Complex financial networks established by RSF before and during the war enabled it to acquire weapons, pay salaries, fund media campaigns, lobby, and buy the support of other political and armed groups,” U.N. experts wrote. Sudan’s smuggled gold eventually finds its way to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where it enters the global market. Sudan’s gold…

ADF STAFF For some African nations, 2024 appears to be a year of economic reckoning as debts to China and other lenders come due. “People went and got low-interest loans by the bucketload,” Nonkululeko Nyembezi chair of South Africa’s Standard Bank, Africa’s largest bank by assets, said recently at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “We now have to contend, country by country, with how to support countries.” Nine African countries started this year in debt distress, with another 15 at high risk of distress and 14 more categorized as moderate risk, according to the World Bank. Ethiopia, Ghana…

ADF STAFF Recent research shows a dramatic rise over the past year in misinformation generated by artificial intelligence and presented as authentic news that, experts say, puts at risk international peacekeeping operations in Africa. At last count, more than 675 websites publish what one group of experts describes as “unreliable” news articles generated by artificial intelligence (AI) — articles that frequently present falsehoods and misinformation as the truth. NewsGuard, a group that monitors misinformation efforts, identified the sites. Researchers found AI-generated content published in 15 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French and Portuguese, on sites whose names make them seem…

ADF STAFF More than a dozen bombings in and around Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, in November and December 2023 revealed a clear pattern — telecommunications company Hormuud Telecom was being targeted. Bombs killed at least three employees and destroyed offices, communications towers and vehicles. Analysts believe al-Shabaab has targeted the country’s largest telecommunications provider for refusing to pay “taxes” to the terrorist group. “I presume this was because they did not want to pay taxes,” Jarle Stig Hansen, a Norwegian academic, told The Africa Report magazine. “It’s becoming tougher for al-Shabaab, but this battle over taxes in Mogadishu hasn’t finished yet.…

ADF STAFF Counterinsurgency efforts in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province have gained momentum since international forces killed the leader of the Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama’a (ASWJ) extremist group in August. Some experts now say that continuous operations by the Mozambique Defense Armed Forces (FADM), Southern African Development Community (SAMIM) and troops from Rwanda have significantly reduced attacks by ASWJ, which is linked to the Islamic State (IS) group, and other terrorist outfits. Maj. Gen. Tiago Alberto Nampere, commander of the Mozambican Army, said during a mid-December press conference that security was re-established in about 90% of Cabo Delgado districts affected by terrorism. Authorities…

ADF STAFF Thousands of United Nations peacekeepers have maintained a consistent presence in the restive eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for more than 23 years. Unable to solve the deeply rooted violence that necessitated the mission, known as MONUSCO, the blue helmets are pulling out now. Mission chief Bintou Keita announced on January 13 that 2,000 peacekeepers will withdraw as part of the first phase of ending the mission. “We have a ceiling of 13,500 troops authorized by the Security Council,” she said during a joint news conference with government officials. “As of April 30,…

ADF STAFF Illegal gold mining is a growing problem in Nigeria that is benefiting terrorist groups, causing violence and increasing pollution. Residents of mining areas blame Chinese nationals who set up and oversee mining and refining operations. Tension continues to rise around these pit mines. Locals accuse Chinese miners of collaborating with extremist militants, corrupting government officials, destroying farmlands and polluting water with mercury and lead. Omololu Afilaka, the traditional ruler of Atorin-Ijesha in Osun State, said his people are being “conquered” by Chinese miners. “Before the Chinese came, we had artisanal miners. They could only bite as much as…

ADF STAFF For more than nine months, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of Sudan have controlled large parts of the capital, Khartoum. In that time, witnesses say the militia’s fighters have plundered the city and terrorized residents even as their leader pledges to work toward peace. “They don’t have any [political] goal here,” Nidal Asma, a young woman living in Khartoum, told Al Jazeera. “They love to attack, loot and destroy. It’s revenge.” Al Jazeera changed Asma’s name to protect her identity. Residents of Khartoum say the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, are…