ADF

At more than 42,000 square kilometers, Niassa Special Reserve is the largest protected area in Mozambique and holds the most wildlife of anywhere in the country. In an area bigger than Switzerland, elephants, buffalo, wild dogs and one of the world’s seven largest lion populations roam freely. There are other dangerous predators. The Islamic State group in Mozambique (ISM), most active in neighboring Cabo Delgado province, has been known to retreat to the huge forested park. A recent spate of attacks in which ISM fighters killed at least 10 people has shaken to the core those who live and work…

Practitioners of galamsey, Ghana’s illegal small-scale mining epidemic, once used picks and shovels to extract gold and other minerals from the earth, but the industry is evolving and growing more violent. According to Ghanaian newspaper The Daily Graphic, some illegal miners now are allied with transnational crime networks, which helps them procure military-grade weapons, such as AK-47 rifles and drones, and excavators, industrial equipment and encrypted communication systems. Many illegal miners now operate out of fortified camps with trenches, watchtowers and armed patrols, turning galamsey into a more lethal vocation. Between 2020 and 2023, clashes with armed galamsey groups killed…

Ejiao is considered a miracle elixir for those who use it. However, it has become a disaster for Africa’s donkeys and the communities that rely on them. The Chinese demand for donkey skins and meat fuels a black market in several African countries. Those markets benefit transnational organized criminal groups, which rely on lax regulations, public corruption and porous borders to traffic in skins. Gelatin made by boiling donkey skins forms the basis for ejiao (pronounced “eh-gee-yow”), which users take as a treatment for anemia and other blood disorders. The demand for ejiao in China has decimated that nation’s donkey…

For years, nations have searched for ways to secure porous borders against traffickers moving arms, drugs and people from one country to another. A growing number of experts believe that artificial intelligence (AI) can help security professionals solve those problems. “The issue of artificial intelligence becomes very much fundamental, particularly in terms of risk management and in terms of enhancing effective border management,” South Africa’s Commissioner of Border Security Michael Masiapato said in a recent video statement. South Africa has joined Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Tunisia in deploying advanced technology, such as AI and drones, to enhance border security.  South…

When Angolan President João Lourenço visited New Delhi in early May, it marked a realignment of the country’s foreign policy priorities. After meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two countries signed memoranda of understanding in areas such as medical, agricultural and cultural cooperation.  The agreements were viewed not only as a move by Angola toward India but also away from China.  “At the heart of Luanda’s growing partnership with New Delhi lies Angola’s strategic intent to hedge against its excessive dependence on China,” wrote Samir Bhattacharya, an associate fellow at Observer Research Foundation, or ORF, a nonpartisan, independent global…

Regardless of whether Awamo Mitterrand was tricked or coerced into enlisting in the Russian Army, he was sent to the front lines in Ukraine and killed in battle on February 26, his body abandoned by the Russians in a forest. CamerounWeb, a news site, published the report in March along with an editorial comment: “This is the umpteenth Cameroonian to die in the prime of life in the Russian army. This situation should be a wake-up call for young Cameroonians who decide to accept this poisoned opportunity.” A steady stream of posts have appeared on websites and social media platforms…

Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have begun using armed drones and roadside bombs as violence surges in northeast Nigeria. At least 22 people were killed and several others wounded in two attacks in Borno and Adamawa states over three days in late April. In Borno’s Gwoza area, militants killed 10 civilians a day after killing two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force. “They went to a nearby bush in search of firewood on Saturday when the boys [insurgents] ambushed them and killed ten and left two with life-threatening injuries,” said Mohammed Shehu Timta, the region’s…

Months after M23 rebels launched an offensive and seized the two largest cities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, eyewitnesses, the United Nations and human rights groups are accusing the militants of a host of possible war crimes. M23’s efforts to consolidate control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, included the executions of at least 21 civilians, according to nongovernmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW). The group said it received credible reports of dozens of more killings. “The M23’s brutal control over Goma has created a climate of fear among those perceived to be allied to the…

The Islamic State group in Mozambique (ISM) is expanding its area of operations and its tactics. In the past year, the terrorists have stretched out from their strongholds around the towns of Macomia, Mocímboa da Praia and Muidumbe in northeast Cabo Delgado province, attacking or being seen in 14 of the province’s 15 districts. ISM’s surge of recent attacks also included neighboring Niassa province to the west of Cabo Delgado. Experts say a series of high-profile attacks underscored the group’s resurgence and growing confidence while achieving a goal of raising its profile. Two deadly raids on tourist wildlife sites in…

As peacekeeping missions are scaled back or shut down in Africa, the Rwanda Defence Force  (RDF) is gaining a reputation for stepping in to effectively fill security gaps. In the Central African Republic, the RDF since 2020 has protected high-ranking officials from rebel groups, trained young Central African Soldiers and deployed more than 2,000 forces to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country. Brig. Gen. Ronald Rwivanga, RDF spokesman, said the CAR’s security situation is now “relatively calm.” “We successfully repelled the rebels,” Rwivanga told The Africa Report. “We are protecting the president, the city of Bangui and a…