ADF

ADF STAFF Coups and coup attempts have made a resurgence on the continent in the past few years. In the face of extremist violence, outside interference and political instability, militaries can prevent coups by reinforcing their professional principles.  These principles are the bedrock that have helped security forces preserve peace and support democratic governance for so long in so many countries. Although there is no guarantee that any country can avoid an unconstitutional change in government, there are certain security sector reform measures that organizations can take to lessen the likelihood of a coup. Listed below are expert recommendations on…

AFRICA CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES On the sidelines of the U.S. Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C., the Africa Center for Strategic Studies conducted a dialogue with senior African security officials on December 14, 2022. ADF has edited the ACSS report for length and to conform to the magazine’s format. “The armed forces in many African countries represent a threat to security because of their lack of military professionalism.” This was an assessment by Gen. Mbaye Cissé, national security advisor to the president of Senegal, speaking to senior security officials from 30 African countries at an Africa Center for Strategic…

ADF STAFF Democratic government systems are the overwhelming choice of people in Africa and beyond. Close to 69% of African people support democratic governance, and more than 75% of the continent’s population rejects military, one-party or one-person rule. The latest Afrobarometer research network survey confirms that most ordinary people remain unflinching in their preference for democracy and the balances on power offered by democratic institutions. But decades of hard-earned democratic progress have come under attack by the return of military coups, with some leaders advocating for “Big Man” autocratic rule. Big Man rule can be defined as a form of…

DEFENCEWEB The mobility of African Union Transition Mission in Somalia troops has been boosted with an additional 24 Puma M36 armored personnel carriers donated by the United States. The Djiboutian contingent will use the vehicles in joint military operations with the Somali National Army in and around Beledweyne and other areas in the Hiran region, according to a mission release. Handing over the carriers at mission headquarters in Mogadishu, U.S. Ambassador Larry Andre reiterated his government’s support for efforts to bring peace and stability to Somalia and the greater Horn of Africa region. “An expression of our support, among others,…

ADF STAFF The U.S. State Department has approved a possible sale of ground command and control equipment to Morocco for an estimated $141.1 million.  The proposed sale will improve Morocco’s ability to meet current and future threats by providing timely intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and target acquisition for its security and defense, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency reported.  “The capability is a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its self-defense,” the agency said. “Morocco has demonstrated a commitment to modernizing its military and will have no difficulty absorbing these articles into its armed forces.” The Moroccan government has…

DEFENCEWEB The armored vehicle company Streit has opened a new factory in Uganda, built in partnership with the National Enterprise Corp. (NEC). NEC announced the partnership with Streit Group for the manufacture of armored vehicles in Nakosongola in central Uganda in late 2021. The new company, NEC-Streit Uganda Ltd., was dedicated a year later and will provide a range of security solutions, including through technology transfer. Parliament established the NEC in 1989 to serve as a commercial arm of the Ministry of Defence and the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF). It produces goods and services that are beneficial to the…

ADF STAFF Observers are calling for a greater emphasis on cybersecurity to protect Africa’s growing maritime sector.  The discussion came at a workshop organized by Stellenbosch University, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.  About 90% of trade on the African continent is conducted by sea, yet ports and ships remain particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks. Panelists said the 2021 Transnet ransomware attack, which shut down several key South African ports, should serve as a wake-up call to the threat.  “We are dependent on well-functioning maritime infrastructure, which needs to be protected, including…

U.S. AIR FORCES IN EUROPE-AIR FORCES AFRICA Nations are working to develop an air transport sharing mechanism (ATSM) to improve Africa’s airlift capability, leaders said after a conference in Botswana, co-hosted by the United States in August 2022. The goal of the ATSM is to help the African Union offer strategic lift for things such as medical evacuation, humanitarian action and natural disaster relief. The lift would be offered through the Africa Air Mobility Command Center, a multinational airlift unit that is under AU authority.  “The role of this Pan-African unit is to provide air mobility in support of peace…

ADF STAFF A new cybersecurity center in Togo will help governments monitor threats, share information and collaborate to stop cybercrime. The Togolese government is creating the African Cybersecurity Coordination and Research Center in collaboration with the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa.  “We aim to become a significant digital hub in Africa,” said Cina Lawson, Togo’s minister of digital economy. “Our partnership model with the private sector is an innovative approach that we want to showcase to inspire other countries for safer cyberspace on the continent.” Togo is one of the few countries to have ratified the African Union’s Malabo Declaration,…

Authorities in Liberia, Tanzania and Togo worked with United Nations officials throughout September 2022 to take illicit small arms and light weapons out of circulation. The event supported the African Union’s “Silencing the Guns” initiative, which is part of the AU’s Agenda 2063. Signed in 2013, the agenda represents a 50-year Pan-African vision of an “integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena,” according to the AU. More than 40 million weapons are circulating in Africa, many unlicensed, causing more than 500,000 deaths each year. On the first day of…