ADF

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…

The Introduction of Salafist Ideology in East Africa Has Erased Long-Standing Peaceful Coexistence Among Religious Groups BY ABDISAID M. ALI Abdisaid M. Ali is the regional political advisor for the Office of the European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa. His views do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Union. This article originally was published by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, and it has been edited to fit this format. The risk of Islamist extremism frequently focuses on Somalia and al-Shabaab. Yet adherents to extremist versions of Islam can now be found throughout East Africa.…

ADF STAFF David Samba and Onomo Mugabi don protective headgear and big, puffy gloves to punch away in the shadow of one of the world’s greatest boxers. Both boys are students at the boxing club La Tete Haute de Muhammad Ali (the High Head of Muhammad Ali). They swing their arms, punching at the air. They move their feet, bobbing and weaving to avoid imaginary jabs. In so doing, they help preserve a spirit born on a balmy night more than 42 years earlier in a place once known as Zaire. The boxing club trains boys and girls at Tata…

Building the Somali National Army is essential to ridding the country of al-Shabaab — and the clock is ticking ADF STAFF It’s a bright day in the month of Ramadan in the central Somali city of Beledweyne, and the town is buzzing. Watermelons are piled high in the market stalls, ready to be loaded onto trucks and shipped all over the country. Boys herd goats down the street, and women in brightly colored scarves walk in small groups. In the middle of it all is Brig. Ahmed Farah Abdulle of the Somali National Army (SNA) with a gun slung over his shoulder…

The annual East African Community event has become a source of pride and bragging rights for participating countries ADF STAFF  | Photos by RWANDA DEFENCE FORCE More than 500 participants gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, in August 2016 for the 10th edition of the East African Community Military Games with the theme, “One people, one destiny.” Military athletes from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda joined in the games. Burundi had planned to participate, but withdrew, saying it had not had enough time to prepare its teams. Burundians bearing their national flag attended the games in a show of support. Rwandan Gen.…

A Rehabilitation program offers fighters an exit from al-Shabaab BY JACOB DOYLE AND BERENIKA STEFANSKA Ahmed, the son of a fisherman, joined al-Shabaab in 2006 as a way to earn money and support his five children. He headed a rapid-reaction team for the terror group and saw heavy combat. But he grew disenchanted with life inside al-Shabaab. Living in the harsh Somali desert, fighters would sometimes go days without access to food or water. Distrust was universal, and leaving was not an option. “I clearly remember a man my colleagues arrested for allegedly being a government spy and a nonbeliever,” said Ahmed,…

The country works with neighbors and international organizations to stifle extremists and stop recruitment LT. MOHAMED KEITA/NATIONAL GENDARMERIE SCHOOLS COMMAND Photos by AFP/GETTY IMAGES Reducing violent extremism in Mali seems technically and tactically uncertain, owing to the complexity of regional politics. This is marked by an increasing number of players and stakeholders whose interests compete more often than they align. Since 2012, the number of armed groups in Mali has increased, and the spread of intercommunal violence is jeopardizing the Algiers’ Comprehensive Peace and Reconciliation Agreement (CPRA). Terrorist cells have proliferated throughout the country as the threat’s epicenter has moved…