ADF

ADF STAFF Bai Bureh once earned the nickname Kebalai, which means “one who never tires of war.” In 1898, he took on one of the most highly trained, disciplined armies in the world. Armed with little more than his stealth, cunning and audacity, he was able to fight to a stalemate for almost a year. Today, he is known as one of Sierra Leone’s greatest heroes. Bureh was born in 1840 in a village in northern Sierra Leone. As a young man, his father sent him away to train to become a warrior. He became a relentless Soldier — so…

CLUES This was the residence of emperors in the 16th and 17th centuries. The city is surrounded by a wall that is 900 meters long. The complex contains palaces, churches, monasteries, and other buildings marked by Hindu and Arab influences. The city was the center of the nation’s government until 1864. ANSWER  The fortress city of Fasil Ghebbi in Gondar, Ethiopia

ADF STAFF After three years of internal conflict in the Central African Republic, the African Union in late 2013 deployed the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA). Its mandate was to “help protect civilians, stabilize the country, and restore state authority over the territory, as well as create conditions conducive to the provision of humanitarian assistance.” Researchers Mor Djandame Mbow and Issaka Souaré say that MISCA applied “a very high standard to its own personnel, including military personnel, in their dealings with civilians.” That included investigating its own personnel after the forced disappearance of some civilians.…

ADF STAFF The Malawi Defence Force (MDF) added a new dimension to the education and training of noncommissioned officers (NCOs) after realizing that there was a gap in leadership development and professional military education between senior NCOs and commissioned officers. With help from the United States, the MDF established its Sergeant Major Academy in 2014 under the auspices of the Malawi Armed Forces College (MAFCO) in Salima, said Brig. Gen. Swithun Mchungula, commandant at the college. “The NCO academy was necessary because it prepares and improves the NCO leadership roles in joint operations, multinational operations as well as the ability…

U.S. Africa Command Staff Long deployments, physical strain and extreme risk. These are the hazards that military professionals know well. They shoulder these burdens gladly because, for them, the work is more than just a career. It’s a calling. When asked why they joined, Soldiers often cite ideals such as “service to country” and a “desire to protect others.” They also strive for an ideal of professionalism. Being a professional means a lifelong dedication to learning and the perfection of one’s craft. To support this development, countries are investing in professional military education institutions, particularly command and staff colleges designed…

It is important that our new graduates remain conscious of their responsibilities toward the people of the nation whose security you will be charged to protect. As you enjoy the euphoria that surrounds your achievements on this memorable occasion, do not forget that a responsibility has been thrust on your shoulders. Your commission into the Armed Forces is the beginning of your careers as professional officers and leaders. And you are expected to exhibit exemplary conduct. You must at all times discharge your duties professionally and diligently.  You are to safeguard and protect the territorial integrity of the nation and…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE The Museum of Civilisations of Côte d’Ivoire is back and determined to recover its place as one of the richest museums of African art in the world — a place of “incomparable wealth,” as Senegal’s late poet-president Leopold Sedar Senghor said in a 1971 visit. Looted four decades later during a political and military showdown, the museum closed for a two-year refurbishment, reopening in July 2017 with redecorated rooms, modern lighting, and a new conference center, restaurant and garden. The first exhibition since the renovation is called Renaissance and spotlights a selection of 100 of the museum’s finest…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE The sequel to Nelson Mandela’s celebrated autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, was released in October 2017 after a South African writer completed an unfinished draft, Mandela’s foundation announced. Titled Dare not Linger, the book tells of Mandela’s five years as president after the end of apartheid and the first open elections in South Africa in 1994. Long Walk to Freedom, published shortly after the election, sold more than 14 million copies worldwide and was turned into a film starring Idris Elba. Mandela wrote 10 chapters of his follow-up memoir by hand on loose paper and in files between…

REUTERS In southern Tunisia’s Djebel Dahar region, people have lived for centuries in underground houses with earthen casing that provides protection against searing summer heat and winter winds. Rural depopulation has meant fewer people live in the homes, whose rooms are hewn into the walls of an excavated circular courtyard. The few remaining families say they are attached to the homes and the land or see no way of moving. “My father died, my mother died, the girls got married and I was left alone. They all went to lead their own lives,” said Latifa Ben Yahia, 38, who lives…

Sierra Leone’s Experience Offers Lessons on Building a Professional Armed Forces BY BRIG. GEN. MICHAEL MOHAMED SAMURA AND COL. STEVEN PARKER For African countries, improving the security outlook does not require better weapons or larger defense budgets. Instead, the precarious balance of national stability rests largely on the professionalism of security forces. The state of military professionalism is not something that can be changed overnight. It requires a willingness to secure constitutional order, adhere to civilian control and maintain political neutrality. Professionalism also means a commitment to careerlong education and a dedication to a set of values. The world over, some of the hallmarks of professional…