ADF

ADF STAFF Standing on the precipice of all-out civil war, Ethiopia shows no sign of turning around. Instead, the conflict has drawn in all of the country’s 10 separate ethnic regions. What started as a political dispute in the Tigray region nine months ago turned into a military conflict that has intensified dramatically. Allegations include civilian massacres, hundreds of reported rapes, and using access to food as a weapon by burning crops and denying humanitarian aid. “It is not hard to see this bad situation getting worse in a handful of different possible scenarios,” Michelle Gavin, senior fellow for Africa…

ADF STAFF When it comes to moving people and materiel around Africa, the enormous scale of the continent and its limited number of major roads and railroads means militaries often must take to the air. But African nations vary greatly in their airlift capacity, the age and origin of their equipment, and their policies for using those aircraft, according to a new Rand Corp. report, “Strategic Airlift in Africa.” The lack of forward operating bases or a hub-and-spoke system makes this challenge even greater. “That’s the crux of the problem,” Ben Caves, a Rand researcher told ADF. “This is only…

ADF STAFF The Chinese province of Fuji has announced a new wave of subsidies to expand its distant water fishing fleet from 600 to 650 vessels. The plan, reported by SeafoodSource, was revealed as China is accused of stalling negotiations with the World Trade Organization (WTO), which has worked for decades to ban subsidies that contribute to overfishing. Unchecked fishing, some of it illegal, threatens marine life, ecosystems, food security and the livelihoods of artisanal fishermen in West Africa. Among the Fujian fishing companies that would benefit from the new subsidies is Poly Hong Dong, which has a history of…

ADF STAFF The cease-fire that ended more than a decade of fighting in Libya included the demand that all foreign fighters leave the country. A series of international resolutions following the cease-fire echoed the call. Yet, more than 10 months after the October 2020 truce, an estimated 20,000 fighters from Chad, Russia, Sudan, and Syria remain in Libya. International observers say their presence continues to destabilize the country even as its political leaders try to stitch it back together. “If elections are to be held in December 2021 as scheduled, Libyans should be able to undertake that process in a safe…

ADF STAFF Members of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) stepped from a helicopter and sprinted toward a simulated enemy with their weapons drawn as a commanding officer barked instructions. It was the opening day of Operation Eagle Claws, an exercise meant to prepare military and emergency personnel to respond to terrorist threats. The five-day annual exercise included members of the Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service, National Disaster Management Organization, National Ambulance Service, and other security and intelligence agencies. It concluded in late May. “High Command intends to use this year’s exercise to equip troops with the requisite capacity…

ADF STAFF Maritime security experts warn that illegal fishing can undermine Africa’s “blue economy,” which includes the continent’s fisheries, tourism, aquaculture, transport, ports and oil drilling. The African Union Development Agency (AUDA) stated development of the blue economy is critical to the continent’s prosperity. “Africa is one of the most blessed continents in the world in terms of its potential marine and terrestrial natural resources,” wrote Seleman Yusuph Kitenge of the AUDA. “However, most of these riches, particularly the marine resources which contribute to the Blue Economy, are yet to be responsibly utilised to foster the economic transformation of a…

ADF STAFF African scientists are at the forefront of a new malaria vaccine that has proved highly effective in early trials and is being hailed as a potential breakthrough. A recent study in British medical journal The Lancet showed that the R21/Matrix-M vaccine prevented the disease more than 77% of the time in early trials — the first time a vaccine candidate has surpassed the 75% efficacy goal set by the World Health Organization (WHO). “These are very exciting results showing unprecedented efficacy levels from a vaccine that has been well tolerated in our trial program,” Halidou Tinto, principal trial investigator, said in…

ADF STAFF Anger is boiling over in Africa’s last absolute monarchy, Eswatini. Since May, protesters have taken to the streets demanding political reform and greater economic opportunities. The protests were sparked by the killing of 25-year-old law student Thabani Nkomonye. He died under suspicious circumstances, and members of his family allege a police cover-up. On May 21, during a public memorial event for Nkomonye, police dispersed crowds using armored cars, tear gas and rubber bullets. “What I saw on that day, I had never experienced before. I was sprayed with tear gas while sitting down, without any reason,” Bacede Mabuza,…

ADF STAFF Chinese technology firms have been peddling “safe city” and “smart city” packages of technology in Africa for years. Suites of interconnected products and services include surveillance equipment, communications tools and digital municipal management systems. Billed as public safety tools, the programs are increasingly used to control the population and crack down on dissent. “It can be dangerous in the hands of someone who is not responsible, and it can easily be misused,” Zlatko Petrović, a Serbian public official who deals with personal data protection, told the Financial Times. In China, millions of video cameras dot cityscapes. While they…

ADF STAFF Just as one maritime security challenge in Somalia seemed all but resolved, another one gained momentum. After years of declining pirate attacks off mainland Africa’s longest coastline, the country is now fighting to rid its water of illegal foreign trawlers. Experts fear Somalia is in the throes of a cycle of sea crime that threatens its food supply, economic stability and ecosystems. Last year, officials discovered a massive fleet of Iranian fishing vessels engaging in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Somali waters. Global Fishing Watch, a nonprofit organization that tracks fishing vessels, and Trygg Mat Tracking, a nonprofit…