ADF

Yemen’s Houthi rebels are sending weapons across the Red Sea and sharing technology and knowledge with armed groups in a way that could upend East Africa’s security landscape, a new report shows. The 41-page August 2026 report, “From Spoke to Hub: The Houthis in Africa,” by the nonpartisan think tank Century International details the Houthis’ “multifaceted effort to expand their presence and influence along the African coast of the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea.” “Since the early 2020s, alone and in concert with Iran, the Yemeni group has established itself as a key player in illicit trade in Yemen…

Members of the Tunisian Special Operations Maritime Task Group rappelled from a Tunisian UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter and onto a large vessel in the Mediterranean Sea. Joined by United States Marine Corps members, they then descended a staircase onto the deck, where they searched for contraband, opened a hatch and pointed their guns inside. The forces were participating in a visit, board, search and seizure operation during Phoenix Express 2026, a 12-day event. It encouraged international collaboration to address human trafficking, illegal fishing, piracy and fuel smuggling in the region. Tunisia hosted the training, sponsored by United States Africa Command and…

The late August mutiny against Niger’s ruling junta raised questions about its dependence on Russia’s Africa Corps for security, growing discontent among front-line soldiers, and the apparent weakness of the country’s defense alliance with Burkina Faso and Mali. Violence broke out in and around the Nigerien capital around 1 a.m. on August 29 as dozens of soldiers opened fire on the presidential palace while attempting to take control of Niamey’s international airport and the adjoining Air Base 101. Many of the rebelling soldiers were part of missions to fight terrorists in the south and west of the country. Air Base…

Terror groups and criminal gangs are turning kidnapping for ransom into a lucrative business in Nigeria. These groups were paid $5.8 million in ransom between July 2025 and June 2026, more than triple the amount paid over the previous period. Kidnappers abducted at least 7,825 people, up 66%, and killed at least 1,142 people, including 895 civilians. That is according to a report by SBM Intelligence, a consultancy firm in Lagos, which found that 90% of the ransoms paid went to the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) faction of Boko Haram. Two mass abductions by the group accounted for…

As insurgencies multiply in Africa, militaries are investing in special operations forces (SOF). These highly trained, disciplined operators take on asymmetric threats using speed, stealth and lethality. But as the importance of SOF grows, it must adapt to meet 21st century challenges. Cross-border terror attacks, weaponized drones, AI-backed cyberattacks — all these threats require new partnerships and training. Leaders have found that SOF must be interoperable to be effective. Although SOF personnel of African nations speak different languages, use different hardware and follow different procedures, they share the same bond of selfless service to their respective countries. To work together,…

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama commissioned officer cadets into the Ghana Armed Forces during a January 30, 2026, ceremony at Ranger Baba Parade Square, Whistler Barracks, Teshie, Accra. His remarks have been edited for space and clarity. The security environment in our subregion remains complicated and volatile. Violent extremism, terrorism and transnational crime continue to pose serious threats, particularly along our northern border. Globally, the rise of nonstate actors and asymmetric warfare has reshaped the nature of security challenges. These realities demand a comprehensive and coordinated national response. Security cannot be seen as a sole responsibility of the armed forces…

An Interpol-coordinated border security operation in West Africa led to 62 arrests and the seizure of ammunition, explosives, firearms, drugs, counterfeit medicines and stolen vehicles. Operation Screen West Africa 2025, which ran from July to October 2025, brought together law enforcement agencies from 12 West African countries to strengthen border security, track people with links to terrorism and disrupt transnational organized crime networks. Officers at land, air and sea borders used Interpol mobile devices and other systems to access global databases to carry out 1.7 million real-time checks. During the operation, officers arrested nine people suspected of having terrorist connections.…

By necessity, special operations forces are secretive and operate in small, agile units. Their missions are high risk and, if their presence is known, they’ve probably done something wrong. But there is a growing recognition that African special operations forces (SOF) needs to get connected. Cross-border threats require that operators share intelligence and coordinate efforts. Operating alone is no longer an option, experts say. SOF needs to form a community. During Silent Warrior 2025, Africa’s premier SOF conference, 400 attendees gathered from 32 African nations and 14 international partners. One repeated motto at the Nairobi conference was: “Your network is…

When Moroccan Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur invaded the sprawling Songhai Empire to the south in 1591, his 3,000 to 4,000 troops faced an army 10 times its size. But the sultan’s troops had a technological advantage: gunpowder. The two sides met at the Battle of Tondibi, and the Songhai soldiers’ spears and arrows were no match for the Moroccans and their clumsy, but deadly, shoulder-fired guns. The sultan’s troops won the battle and the subsequent war that dragged on in the following months. The war is now recognized as the end of the empire, and a major turning point in West…

CLUES This city, on the southern edge of the Sahara, is known as the gateway to the desert. The historic city center, an important crossroads of the caravan trade, is divided into 11 sections with irregular shapes. Among the earthen dwellings and religious buildings is a 27-meter mud-brick minaret, the tallest such structure in the world. The location dates to the 15th and 16th centuries, when the Sultanate of Aïr established itself there. ANSWER  The Historic Center of Agadez, Niger