ADF

Beijing’s official stance of neutrality and nonintervention in the paramilitary M23’s rebellion against the Congolese government is increasingly being challenged by the reality on the ground: a proliferation of Chinese-made weapons on both sides. China has several billion-dollar investments in cobalt, coltan and copper mines in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also supplies weapons to the DRC and neighboring Rwanda, which has been accused by the United Nations of backing the M23 militia. “China presents itself as a mediator in the region, and its embassy denies any arms sales to armed groups,” independent news website Beto wrote…

In a national address on June 12, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu praised security forces for the gains that they are making on the ground. Along with military goals, he emphasized that the path to peace will be paved with a multifaceted approach to counterterrorism. “Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralized in the past year,” he said. “But we also keep the door of surrender open. Over 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023. Through Operation Safe Corridor we turn our former enemies into citizens.” Established in 2016, Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC) is a disarmament, demobilization and…

A group of Russian Wagner Group mercenaries have shifted their efforts to running a tramadol trafficking empire in the Central African Republic. Known as “poor man’s cocaine,” tramadol is a highly addictive stimulant and painkiller. Tramadol trafficked in the CAR, however, is far stronger than tramadol dispersed by legitimate pharmacies. Typically prescribed in 50- to 100-milligram doses, CAR tramadol is distributed at 200 milligrams or more. This can be used by workers toiling long hours in Wagner-controlled gold mines and is also used by fighters to combat fear, reduce pain and fuel long periods with little food or sleep. “In…

Stretched thin by rising security demands, militaries across Central Africa have turned to local militias for help fighting insurgents. However, those relationships are fraught with their own risks as militias turn against government forces or exploit and abuse the civilians they’re supposed to protect. The Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan demonstrate the risks government forces take when they rely on local, often ethnically aligned militias to supplement their own troops. Empowering these militias can “create fertile ground for violence and exploitation with little accountability,” researcher Titilope Ajayi of the Institute for Security Studies…

As drones increase in importance to military operations, African tech entrepreneurs want to show that they can build an industry tailored to the continent’s unique needs. “We now are in a technological arms race against terrorists,” Nathan Nwachuku, co-founder and CEO of Nigeria-based Terra Industries, told military leaders at the recent Africa Chiefs of Defense conference in Luanda, Angola. “We can’t keep relying on multimillion-dollar fighter jets to take out fighters on $2,000 bikes.” Founded in 2024, Terra Industries builds aerial and ground-based drones in Abuja, Nigeria. It recently announced plans to expand to a new facility in Accra, Ghana,…

Russian work at six Libyan air bases shows that Moscow is expanding its military foothold in North Africa, while transferring weapons, mercenaries and other fighters to war zones. Russia is planning, funding, building and offering personnel to complete infrastructure projects at six Libyan air bases: Al-Jufra, Al-Khadim, Al-Qardabiyah, Brak al-Shati, Maaten al-Sarra and Tamanhint, according to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Tearline Project. The air bases are scattered throughout the country and hold an array of military equipment, including air defense systems, MiG-29 fighter planes and drones. Russian military personnel and mercenaries operate them. Russia also reportedly plans to invest in…

Plans are underway in Morocco to build the Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center, which promises to be a beacon for the present and future of security and military training on the continent. Scheduled to open in Tan-Tan by 2030, AMTEC will consist of three elements: a multidomain training area, a drone academy, and an innovation and experimentation center. Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and U.S. Africa Command signed a memorandum of understanding at AFRICOM headquarters on July 13. “Morocco’s readiness — demonstrated by our existing facilities and skilled personnel — ensures rapid progress from concept to operational reality and…

Cameroonian authorities continue to crack down on illegal gold mining sites run by Chinese nationals. Over a three-day period in June, a delegation led by Fuh Calistus Gentry, Cameroon’s acting minister of mines, industry and technological development, made unannounced visits to several gold mining sites, four of which were shut down for operating without permits. Several workers fled a Chinese-controlled mining site in the central Cameroonian village of Missole I on June 25 as Gentry’s group arrived. In eastern Cameroon, more than 10,500 of the estimated 11,000 foreign miners work without required permits, according to a report by Modern Ghana,…

AI is being used to analyze data related to a wide range of threats such as unregulated fishing, banditry and terrorism. But experts warn that security professionals must understand its limitations. “AI can enhance our capability for monitoring, but it’s very dangerous to confuse data with information,” Brazilian Adm. Renato Rodrigues de Aguiar Freire, chief of the Joint General Staff of the Armed Forces, told attendees recently at the African Chiefs of Defense Conference (ACHOD) in Luanda, Angola. AI can help detect patterns of movement or changes in terrain that might indicate crime or security threats. Using satellite imagery, AI…

Daniel Uyirwoth Welo, dressed in full-body protective gear, can be seen in a recent viral video running for his life when a crowd in a cemetery turned violent during the burial of an Ebola victim. He was one of four Red Cross volunteers who were injured in the June assault in the Democratic Republic of the Congo city of Bunia. The attack was triggered by rumors that the coffin was empty. “They grabbed me from behind and started punching me, hitting me with spades and machetes,” he told the BBC for a July 9 article, recalling how people in the…