ADF

ADF STAFF Habib Bourguiba was Tunisia’s first president and remains a towering figure in the country’s history. But like so many great leaders throughout world history, Bourguiba’s desire to stay in office led to his downfall. Wearing his trademark red fez, he was a flamboyant and shrewd politician who chose to outmaneuver his adversaries and critics, rather than bully them. He proved to be uniquely adapted to the Tunisian politics of his time. Bourguiba was born in 1903, the son of a civil servant and the youngest of eight children. When he was a young adult, one of his brothers…

The alkaline water in this lake is so caustic it can burn animals that have not adapted to it. More than 2 million lesser flamingos build nests here on small islands. The lake’s temperature can reach 41 degrees Celsius. This alkaline lake is one of two in the region, and it doesn’t drain into a sea or river. ANSWER: Lake Natron, Tanzania

U.S. Africa Command Staff Diminished but dangerous. That’s the current state of the extremist group al-Shabaab. Whereas it once controlled more than half of Somalia’s territory and a population of about 5 million people, today its members are on the run and control only about 11 percent of the country. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Somali National Army forces have fought and sacrificed greatly to push the group from its strongholds. Al-Shabaab’s key moneymaking locations, including the Port of Kismayo and the Bakara Market in Mogadishu, are back under government control. Life in the capital city…

Today is a truly historic day for Somalia, its resilient people, and all our brotherly neighbors and valuable partners. To you all, I say Somalia and Somalis have turned a new leaf, and we are writing a new chapter in our history. This chapter is characterized by hope, inclusive governance and development in all its forms. Somalia is a proud founding member state of IGAD, and it is therefore a source of enormous pride that we are finally hosting our first Heads of State and Government summit in Somalia.  Somalia, with the support of its African brothers, is successfully fighting…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Nintendo’s hit mobile game Pokémon Go may be best suited for tree-lined neighborhoods and public parks, but many in busy Lagos, Nigeria, are braving big-city chaos to play. “Here it’s like Mad Max,” said Timi Ajiboye, a 23-year-old software developer. “You’ve gotta be sharp or else there will be some injuries.” “Sometimes it’s just not safe to bring out your phone,” added Ajiboye’s younger brother, Tade. “If you do, thieves will come at you like flies.” Still, Nigeria has its advantages for game players. “There’s so much rare Pokémon here because it’s not a mainstream country,” said the…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Patience Kum strides across the training pitch of the Right to Dream (RtD) Academy, a football center of excellence nestled in the Ghanaian countryside, and welcomes visitors with an assured handshake. The 14-year-old managed to convince her mother she should go to the school 100 kilometers east of the capital, Accra, because it teaches more than football. “My mother didn’t want me to come to the academy because girls aren’t thought to play football, but the teachers explained to her that RtD is a good opportunity to get a good education,” she said. At RtD, all 93 students,…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Termites had nibbled their way through the dust-covered boxes containing photographer Cosme Dossa’s life’s work at his family home in Benin’s capital, Porto-Novo. Despite such conditions, 15,000 negatives were discovered inside, well-preserved in their protective sleeves. To his family’s delight, the boxes contained a pictorial treasure trove. More than 600 photos of marriages, burials, graduations and everyday scenes from the last days of colonial rule and early days of independence. “We never knew that these photos would be interesting and contribute to history and the country’s heritage,” said one of Dossa’s sons, Jean-Claude, who still lives at the…

The Multinational African Security Force Has Made Steady Gains Against al-Shabaab Terrorists ADF STAFF Baardheere in Somalia is a town known for its agricultural production. Its climate is suitable for growing year-round crops of sorghum, corn, onions, beans and fruits, such as bananas, watermelon, oranges and papayas. Its name means “tall palm tree,” and its namesake lines the banks of the Jubba River, which winds its way through the area. For eight years, the town also was known as a prime stronghold of the militant group al-Shabaab. Until July 2015, the al-Qaida-linked militants used Baardheere and neighboring Diinsoor as bases of operation. To…

Brig. Gen. Sam Okiding of Uganda Says Conditions in Mogadishu Have Improved, but IEDs Remain a Threat ADF STAFF Brig. Gen. Sam Okiding of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) served as the Ugandan contingent commander for the African Union Mission in Somalia and as commander of AMISOM Sector One from November 2015 through November 2016. Sector One, which is based in the capital, Mogadishu, includes the Banadir and Lower Shabelle regions. Brig. Gen. Okiding spoke with ADF by phone in October 2016 about his experience and observations as the end of his AMISOM tenure drew near. His remarks have…

The terror group espouses a hateful ideology but operates like a business ADF STAFF | PHOTOS BY REUTERS Farmers, herdsmen and shop owners in al-Shabaab-controlled areas of Somalia have grown to dread the knock on their doors. Typically coming around the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, the knock means a visit from heavily armed, aggressive “tax collectors.” The collectors tell the businessman it is his religious duty to pay zakat, a type of alms intended to help the poor. If he dares to tell the gunmen that they have no religious authority to collect the tax, he risks death. Either…