ADF

ADF STAFF Tunisia is on track to buy an undisclosed number of 20-meter Archangel patrol boats from the United States at an estimated cost of $110 million. The purchase will include GPS, navigation and communications systems, and training. “The proposed sale will better equip Tunisia to contribute to shared security objectives, promote regional stability, and build interoperability with the United States and Western partners,” the U.S. State Department announced, adding that the Tunisian Navy uses such boats for “search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, and other maritime-related operations to ensure security in the country and region.” Tunisia already has similar…

ADF STAFF Whether serving in a complex multinational peacekeeping mission or rebuilding a military legal framework from the vestiges of outdated colonial and Cold War doctrines, military legal officers can benefit from their peers’ experiences. That exchange of knowledge was the goal of the seventh iteration of the African Military Law Forum (AMLF), which convened August 27 through 29 in Lusaka, Zambia. The forum brought together about 50 participants from 30 African countries. The Zambia Defence Force co-hosted the event along with U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), U.S. Army Europe and Africa, and the North Carolina National Guard. Zambia Army legal…

ADF STAFF Benin recorded its first incident of extremist violence in 2019, and the number of recorded attacks by Sahelian terror organizations on Beninese soil has risen every year since. There were 20 attacks — mostly by the al-Qaida-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), but also by the Islamic State group (IS) — in 2022 and 40 in 2023, according to The Defense Post. The Beninese Army said last year that the country experienced the sharpest rise in extremist militant attacks in Africa as terror groups from neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger increasingly targeted northern Benin, particularly in the W-Arly-Pendjari…

ADF STAFF El-Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur, remains in the hands of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) after more than four months of assaults by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The city has become strategically and symbolically important in the battle for control of Darfur. North Darfur, the largest state in Sudan’s western Darfur region, has remained out of the RSF’s control for more than nine months after its forces conquered other states in the region. El-Fasher, one of Sudan’s largest cities, has been under constant RSF attack since April. The SAF and its allied local militias have…

ADF STAFF From Ethiopia to Libya to Mali, armed drones have become an increasingly important part of the battlefield arsenal. The rapid rise of drones powered by artificial intelligence (AI) is raising concerns among experts about how they might be used by security forces and extremist groups. Unlike the most widely used drone technology, which relies on humans to direct the machines, AI-powered drones are capable of identifying potential targets with no human oversight. Such AI-powered technology is rare in Africa currently, but experts worry that the use of autonomous drones could grow, making it possible for terrorist groups to…

ADF STAFF Libyan military officials in August joined military officials from the United States for a three-day workshop in Malta aimed at enhancing cooperation. The officials shared experiences on mitigating crises and reducing harm to civilians during military operations. The talks also centered on community engagement in conflict areas, responding to emerging crises and effective coordination during natural disasters. “This engagement marks a significant step forward in our ongoing cooperation,” a U.S. military official said in a news release. “I’m optimistic this is just the beginning of our collaborative efforts.” Libyan military representatives also emphasized the importance of adaptability and…

ADF STAFF July 26 marked one year since Niger’s military overthrew the country’s democratically elected government. At the time, junta leaders promised to improve security and the economy, issues Nigeriens continue to struggle with today. Moussa Moumouni, who served as security advisor to ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, recently noted that 57 Nigerien Soldiers were killed during the previous government’s two years and four months in office. Since the coup, Niger has lost 780 security personnel in one year, he said. “In terms of security, the situation has worsened,” he told Deutsche Welle. “God only knows how many civilians were killed.”…

ADF STAFF As global outrage grew over its invasion of neighboring Ukraine, Russia in 2023 began ramping up its efforts to change the narrative. Seeking to influence public opinion, the Kremlin expanded its information warfare operations worldwide. In response, dozens of countries have banned or suspended television channels Russia Today (RT), Sputnik and other state-run media outlets. Social media platforms have restricted access to the content churned out by the Kremlin’s propaganda machine. Despite their disinformation-laden content and their clear ties to Moscow, however, Russian media are hoping to find a foothold in Africa. “Russia received quite a setback at…

ADF STAFF More than 500 days after it began, Sudan’s bloody war between rival generals appears unlikely to end as both sides refuse to discuss peace and, instead, vow to continue fighting. “We will not put down our weapons as the rebellion continues. We will not co-exist with the rebels, and we will not forgive them,” Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) chief Gen. Abdel Fattah  al-Burhan, the de facto head of the country, said in August as he denounced the latest international attempt to negotiate an end to the fighting. Since fighting broke out in April 2023 between al-Burhan’s SAF and…

ADF STAFF Angola’s long-running financial relationship with China has been built on a simple equation: Angola would repay its growing Chinese debt with oil, a strategy that became known as the Angola Model. The strategy is faltering, however, as China has begun importing less oil from Angola and other African nations and more from Russia, the Persian Gulf and Asia. The shift has been driven, in part, by African countries’ lack of investment in new oilfields and infrastructure. Aging equipment and shrinking oilfields make the continent’s oil producers, including Angola, less reliable as exporters, according to researchers with the Carnegie…