ADF

ADF STAFF A new multinational security partnership is threatening to shift the balance of power in the Horn of Africa. Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki hosted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in the Eritrean capital of Asmara on October 10 and announced an alliance. In a joint statement, the three said they agreed to “enhance the Somali state institutions to confront various internal and external challenges and to enable the Somali National Federal Army to confront terrorism in all its forms.” In Ethiopia, the trilateral security agreement was met with an uneasy, defensive posture. “This…

ADF STAFF After more than 18 months, Sudan’s war appears to be descending into a nationwide ethnic conflict, according to a group of Sudanese peace advocates. “Both sides have dangerously escalated their war narratives, fueling ethnically charged rhetoric that mobilizes communities along ethnic and regional lines,” the Advocacy Group for Peace in Sudan (AGPS) said in a public statement. The group has warned of rising tribal loyalty and resentment in key regions of the country, especially in the Butana Plains and eastern Sudan as well as the Darfur and Kordofan regions, Nile River and Northern states. The Sudanese Armed Forces…

ADF STAFF Cybercrime is expected to cost continental governments a total of $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, an increase from $3 trillion in 2015, according to the African Union. The rise in cybercrime coincides with increased efforts by Russia and China to train new criminals on the continent to interfere in democratic elections, launch ransomware attacks and commit cyber-enabled financial fraud, according to a new report by Microsoft. Experts warn that this could lead to increased threats to African governments, economies and militaries. These newly trained hackers are known for “prepositioning backdoors for future destruction, sabotaging operations and conducting influence…

ADF STAFF As internet access spreads rapidly across the continent, cybersecurity remains an important challenge as Africa lacks online security professionals, digital literacy among the population and legislation to confront online crime. “Africa’s digital potential can’t be unleashed if the continent’s key cybersecurity challenges are not addressed,” Charmaine Houvet, senior director of government strategy and policy at Cisco Africa, wrote recently for Fast Company. With internet access across Africa projected to grow by more than 57% to 1.1 billion users by 2029, security threats will continue to increase, requiring nations to invest more in cybersecurity, experts say. “No African economy,…

ADF STAFF The Islamic State-Sahel Province (IS Sahel) is gaining territory amid a security situation that has worsened since military juntas took power in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The group is expanding its operations around the Sahel after the drawdown of Western troops from the region and as al-Qaida-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) ceded vast pockets of territory near the border between Mali and Niger. The two groups have fought each another in the past. “There is a huge security vacuum after the withdrawal of the French and American military” from the region, Shaantanu Shankar, of the Economist…

ADF STAFF Rwanda’s first-ever Marburg virus outbreak was brought under control quickly and produced substantially fewer deaths than outbreaks elsewhere, in part thanks to the government’s rapid, well-organized response, according to observers. “We’re pleased to see that there have been no new cases in the past six days, and we hope that remains the case,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference in Kigali on October 20. “But we are dealing with one of the world’s most dangerous viruses, and continued vigilance is essential.” When Rwanda’s Marburg outbreak began in late September, the government launched its…

ADF STAFF In a recently released video, a member of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) displays an empty crate that once held 120 mm thermobaric mortar shells. He points out the origin of the munitions, stamped with an address on the top: United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, Joint Logistics Command, Abu Dhabi. As its devastating civil war drags on, Sudanese officials continue to blame the UAE for what they say is critical clandestine support for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The SAF is sharing its evidence: a variety of UAE weapons systems, ammunition, vehicles and other materiel support to…

ADF STAFF The Ghana Navy in September received two Defender patrol boats that will enhance its capacity to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, piracy, armed robbery at sea and other maritime crimes. The U.S. government donated the boats and also provided a storage facility. The donation was worth more than GHC24 million ($1.5 million). The U.S. also gave Ghana two Defender boats last year. During a handover ceremony at the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) in Ghana’s Volta Region, Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear Adm. Issah Adam Yakubu thanked the U.S. for providing the four…

ADF STAFF Tensions between Algeria and Mali are growing over how to resolve Mali’s ongoing Tuareg rebellion, which has continued for more than a decade. Algeria supports a negotiated settlement that addresses the rebels’ concerns and builds off a 2015 agreement. Mali’s ruling junta favors a military response. “Algeria fears that these escalating tensions could lead to a successful Tuareg separatist movement, which would inspire marginalized ethnic groups across Algeria, Niger and Libya to pursue autonomy,” analyst Assala Khettache wrote recently for the Royal United Services Institute. “A Tuareg breakaway in Mali could potentially destabilize an already fragile Sahel region,…

ADF STAFF The young woman was enticed by social media ads promising a job, good pay and a new life in Russia. The advertising photos showed women smiling as they cleaned floors and wearing hard hats while directing cranes at a factory in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. The ads included videos with upbeat music that showed African women visiting Tatarstan’s cultural sites or playing sports. They promoted a program called “Alabuga Start” that touted a free plane ticket to Europe and a well-paying job upon arrival. Excited by the benefits of a work-study program in a field such as…