ADF

U.S. Africa Command Staff Photo by Reuters No country is immune to violent extremism, and no country has solved the riddle of what causes it. Historically, Africa was not a hotbed for violent religious extremism. That changed in 1998 when it was the site of two major terror attacks with the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Since then, homegrown groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and al-Shabaab in Somalia have taken root. These groups thrive in areas with weak governance and few economic opportunities. At the same time, internationally affiliated groups such as ISIS and…

Photo by AFP/GETTY IMAGES Moussa Faki Mahamat is the former foreign minister of Chad and the president of the African Union Commission. He addressed the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)/Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) Joint Summit on Peace, Security, Terrorism and Violent Extremism on July 30, 2018, in Lomé, Togo. His remarks have been translated from French and edited to fit this format. The security challenges facing West and Central Africa are well-known. Whether it is terrorism, so prevalent in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin; armed rebellions and other forms of violence that are raging…

REUTERS Photo by Reuters Four Somali brothers have imported dozens of Holstein Friesian cows, the world’s top milk-producing breed, hoping they can build up the war-torn country’s dairy industry from scratch. Parts of the country still are plagued by violence, but a degree of stability in the capital in recent years has begun to attract investment from locals and Somalis living abroad. Some see opportunities in the livestock industry, whose mainstay is traditional breeds of cattle, reared by pastoralists. These breeds produce little milk. A devastating drought recently killed off thousands of cows and camels. Yusuf Abdirahman Dahir, 49, who…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Photo by AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Dusk settled on Sainte-Cecile square, and the oil lanterns cast a soft yellow light as a storyteller captivated the audience with a tale about a naughty little girl who disobeys her parents and whistles at night — a way of summoning evil spirits. Fierce beasts attack her, but her neighbor, a hunter, courageously intervenes and saves her from death. Melissa Djimadja, a high-school student, was among those who were spellbound by the centuries-old story. “I was always told never to whistle at night but never understood why,” she said. “Now I know.” Benin’s rich…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Photo by AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Every year, thousands of Yorubas gather to celebrate Osun, the goddess of fertility and water. The festival held by the West African ethnic group takes place in the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in southwestern Nigeria. According to UNESCO, which named the area a World Heritage site in 2005, the dense forest of the grove and its river “is dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and artworks in honor of Osun and other deities.” Priestesses prepare offerings and sacrifices to the great goddess: a heady mixture of sacrificed chickens, ochre powder, potato chips and gin. Crowds…

Extremist Groups Threaten Security Across the Continent ADF STAFF A United Nations peacekeeping mission battles al-Qaida-linked extremists and others in Mali. The African Union Mission in Somalia holds al-Shabaab militants at bay. Nigeria has teamed with Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger to battle Boko Haram in and around the Lake Chad Basin.  There are big players and smaller groups launching attacks. The following is a look at what terrorism is, who is using it and what can drive people to participate in it. Terrorist Groups in Africa According to “Terrorism in Africa: A Quantitative Analysis” by Adriana Lins de Albuquerque,…

Radical Groups Have Flourished Online. They Can’t Be Silenced, but They Can Be Defeated. ADF STAFF Photos by Reuters When it comes to radical recruitment, the medium has changed over the years, but the strategies and the message remain the same.  Islamist extremists have a long history of operating in the shadows and spreading propaganda by any means available. From the 1970s to the 1990s, radical preachers used audiocassette tapes and pamphlets handed from person to person as a means of influence.  In the video era, recruiters often used VHS tapes. One of the founders of al-Shabaab, Ibrahim al-Afghani, made his…

Kenya’s Vice Chief of Defence Forces Looks to Finish the Mission in Somalia and Secure the Homeland ADF Staff Photos By Kenya Defence Forces Lt. Gen. Robert Kibochi was appointed Kenya’s vice chief of Defence Forces in 2018. Previous posts during his 39-year military career include commander of the Kenya Army and assistant chief of Defence Forces in charge of operations, plans, doctrine and training. He commanded the Kenyan contingent in the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone from 2000 to 2001. He holds master’s degrees in international studies and computer-based information systems and is pursuing a Ph.D. He spoke to…

REUTERS Photo by Reuters The cooling of hostilities between Eritrea and Ethiopia is more than just a momentous political event for East Africa. For many on both sides of the long-disputed border, it has been a time of joy, reunion and healing. Eritrean Airlines began regular flights to Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, on August 4, 2018, an early step in improving relations between the two countries after a generation of hostility. Ethiopian media confirmed that a plane carrying Eritrean transport and tourism ministers and other officials had landed at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport — the first time in two decades…

Isis Fighters Leaving Iraq And Syria May Not Pose Primary Threat To Africa DANIEL HAMPTON, AFRICA CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES As of late 2018, ISIS had lost 97 percent of the territory it once controlled in Syria and Iraq. More important, it had lost almost all means of revenue generation that came from holding that territory. The flow of fighters moving into Syria came to a virtual standstill. For as long as ISIS has been a force, people have been asking: What will happen in Africa when ISIS fighters return to their home countries? There are three main scenarios: Foreign fighters…