ADF

UNESCO In July 2017, the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee added three new cultural sites in Angola, Eritrea and South Africa. The prestigious “world heritage site” designation means the areas are “considered to be of outstanding value to humanity” and are given protections from development or destruction. The newly added sites are: Mbanza Kongo, the former kingdom of Kongo in Angola The town of Mbanza Kongo, located on a plateau at an altitude of 570 meters, was the political and spiritual capital of the kingdom of Kongo, one of the largest states in Southern Africa…

VOICE OF AMERICA When farmers in northern Burkina Faso speak about the direction of the wind, they refer to the direction it is blowing in. Burkina Faso’s meteorological agency, however, classifies wind by the direction it comes from. That means that when state forecasters warn of a strong west wind, farmers find an east wind comes gusting along, flattening their faith in forecasts. A new guide aims to solve that problem — and help farmers build better resilience to climate change — by translating the French and English words commonly used in weather forecasts not just into northern Burkina Faso’s…

VOICE OF AMERICA Trade is returning to Cameroon’s border communities more than two years after the start of the regional military offensive against Boko Haram militants. But as security improves, local officials warn that Boko Haram remains a threat. It is now a matter of routine that hundreds of buyers and sellers assemble at the Ngule market near Achigachia as police and a few Soldiers stand guard. The town straddles the Cameroon-Nigeria border, which officially reopened in January 2017. At the market, traders sell cotton, sorghum and millet destined for Nigeria. Food items and dresses from Nigeria are also for…

ADF STAFF In the course of more than 3,000 years, 170 pharaohs ruled Egypt. Of those, the greatest military leader was Thutmose III, the sixth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty. Thutmose inherited the throne when his father died, but he was too young to rule. His stepmother was named pharaoh, and he was named co-regent. He did not become the ruler until her death. His “true” rule was from 1457 B.C. until 1425 B.C. Even for a pharaoh, he was a man of ambition. During his reign, Thutmose led at least 17 military campaigns without losing a battle. He is…

According to legend, this site is the capital of a kingdom ruled by the Queen of Sheba. This important trading center was built between 1100 and 1450. The site was home to the Shona people and at one time had 10,000 inhabitants. Part of the site’s name means “house of stone” in the Shona language. ANSWER: Great Zimbabwe National Monument.

U.S. Africa Command Staff In a crisis, speed is essential. Whether it is a natural disaster, a disease outbreak or a conflict, security professionals know that if they can reach a problem in its early stages, they have a better chance of controlling it. Unfortunately, disasters don’t always happen in places that allow for an easy response. Some of Africa’s deadliest crises, including the Ebola outbreak of 2014-2016, have begun in countries with limited resources and in remote regions that are difficult to access. Being prepared for these types of crises requires planning on a national, regional and continental level.…

Although outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases have surfaced all over the globe, no continent has been harder hit than Africa. The Ebola epidemic was West Africa’s first real experience with the virus. What began as an epidemic outbreak quickly escalated into a humanitarian, social, economic and security crisis. Schools, markets, businesses, airlines, shipping routes and borders closed. The epidemic claimed the lives of more than 11,300 people and infected more than 28,500, bringing devastation to families, communities, and the health and economic systems of the three most affected countries [Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone]. As of August 4,…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Every morning, hundreds of men converge on a dry lakebed in Ethiopia, where they cleave at the ground with axes to extract salt. They toil under the gaze of camels that will carry the salt bricks to market, in a trek historians estimate has gone on since the sixth century. But with the government opening the isolated northern region to investors and tourists by cutting new roads through surrounding mountains, the laborers, traders and caravan drivers say their traditional way of life could soon be lost. “If it continues like this, it will stop our work,” miner Musa…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Nigerian airline pilot Ademola Odujinrin, known as “Lola,” has become the first African to fly solo around the world. The 38-year-old left Washington, D.C., in September 2016 aboard a Cirrus SR22, a small, single-engine airplane, and stopped in more than 15 countries on five continents during the journey, according to a statement by his foundation, Transcend. Odujinrin landed at his starting point at Dulles Airport, just outside the United States capital on March 29, 2017. “I want African children to think: ‘I can do this, too!’ ” Odujinrin said. The website Earthrounders lists Odujinrin as the first African…

VOICE OF AMERICA The Kenyan government says it will open the border with Somalia to boost trade and allow the flow of people between the two countries. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta also pledged to help Somalia fight al-Shabaab militants and support and train government workers. His remarks came after a March 2017 meeting in Nairobi with Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. The borders have remained closed for the past 25 years since Somalia descended into conflict. However, people living along the borders and refugees have found a way to get into Kenya. The countries will begin by opening two border…