ADF

ADF STAFF From farm fields to oil fields, Sudan’s military is deeply rooted in industries at the heart of the country’s economy. The military-controlled Defense Industries Systems (DIS) runs more than 250 companies worth a collective $2 billion that produce a wide variety of equipment for military and civilian use. Along with producing military equipment, DIS companies are involved in gold, marble, leather, gum arabic and household appliances.  DIS also is invested in telecommunications, banking, water distribution, real estate development, aviation, transportation, pharmaceuticals and textiles. In addition, DIS controls 60% of Sudan’s wheat imports. “They are everywhere one looks,” Jean-Baptiste…

A Soldier from the Nigerien Armed Forces (FAN) swipes away desert sand in search of a simulated improvised explosive device (IED). He and his colleagues took part in counter-IED training with U.S. Air Force explosive ordnance disposal technicians at the FAN’s Genie Compound in Agadez, Niger, on May 19, 2022. FAN and U.S. forces conduct these joint training sessions twice a week to improve their ability to detect and disarm the deadly devices.

ADF STAFF China’s interest and involvement in Africa includes everything from establishing economic markets to negotiating lucrative infrastructure projects worth billions of dollars. The communist nation also is known for what it takes from the continent. China’s distant-water fishing fleet plunders African waters. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) seeks to expand its naval presence — already established in East Africa — to West Africa’s coast, a move that could protect its fishing interests there. A lesser-known Chinese endeavor, however, seeks to shape the very framework of how African militaries operate and relate to civilian government. A nation known for its…

ADF STAFF The primary job of Mauritania’s 300 camel-riding Mehari National Guard members is to patrol remote areas of the Sahara along the border with Mali, looking for terrorist cells. But they do much more than provide security to villages and nomadic outposts. The camel riders, dressed in traditional attire, provide vital information, public transport and help with access to clean water. They can offer sophisticated health care, such as diagnosing conditions and giving the proper medicine. Many describe the work as a higher calling.  “The most beautiful day for me is when I am assigned a mission, whatever it…

ADF STAFF For a nation’s military to be ethical and effective, it must adhere to certain objective standards. Chief among those is its willingness to be subjected to civilian rule. That has not always been the case with African nations since the era of independence began, and some countries still struggle to meet that basic, but vital, standard. Émile Ouédraogo, a retired colonel in Burkina Faso’s Army and an adjunct professor of practice at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, lists four major obstacles in his paper, “Advancing Military Professionalism in Africa.” The obstacles are colonial legacies, ethnic and tribal…

ADF STAFF There’s a new armed group striking terror in the people of Mali. The fighters speak a strange language. They don’t look like the locals. They converge on villages accompanied by Malian soldiers. Their ostensible mission is to help the military clear out a stubborn array of terrorist groups. Their track record across Africa, however, is one of criminal violence, incompetence and economic exploitation. Now they have gained a reputation for killing Malian civilians with impunity. They are members of the Wagner Group, a notorious Russian mercenary enterprise that has had boots on the ground in the Central African…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE In Libya, despite years of violence and rebellion, a national love of horses remains unabated. A May 2022 horse show in Misrata attracted Libyans from every corner of the country, and, over the course of three days, 96 of about 150 horses changed hands. “There were horses from the west, the east and the south — from every city in the country,” said Hussein Shaka, one of the organizers. Equestrianism has a prominent place in Libya as in other parts of the Arab world, with weekly horse races, shows and parades. Libyan horse enthusiasts have kept their traditions…

ADF STAFF Organizers of Côte d’Ivoire’s annual Popo Carnival have big ambitions. They hope it can grow to rival Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, considered the biggest such event in the world. The Rio carnival attracts 2 million people each year. The Popo Carnival, organizers say, now attracts more than a million people each year from around the world. It takes place in Bonoua, about 50 kilometers east of Côte d’Ivoire’s economic capital of Abidjan. The festival is a celebration of the Aboure tribe, one of many ethnic groups in the West African country. Some of the groups, including…

ADF STAFF In the women’s marathon at the track and field World Championships in July 2022, Ethiopian runner Gotytom Gebreslase took the gold medal with a record time of 2 hours, 18 minutes, 11 seconds.  The next day, Ethiopian Tamirat Tola won the men’s marathon with a time of 2:05:36. Tola’s countryman, Mosinet Geremew, took the silver medal, finishing one minute and 8 seconds behind Tola.  The results of the two days’ races were no surprise. East Africans consistently have been among the world’s best marathoners since Ethiopian Abebe Bikila won the men’s race at the 1964 Summer Olympics. Like…

DEFENCEWEB African defense companies say they can fill a gap to supply the United Nations with goods and services to support missions on the continent and beyond. Sandile Ndlovu, CEO of the South African Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association Export Council, said the U.N. spends billions annually on goods and services that can be provided by companies on the continent. There might be a particular need for air charters since the war in Ukraine has prompted calls for the U.N. to cancel its contracts with Russian aviation companies. “The majority of U.N. Peacekeeping Missions are in Africa — this…