SOUTH AFRICAN SPORTS CONFEDERATION AND OLYMPIC COMMITTEE South African Wayde van Niekerk, the International Association of Athletics Federations 400-meter champion, has blasted the record books. In March 2016, the “Bloemfontein Blitz” became the first man in history to run faster than 10 seconds for the 100 meters, 20 seconds for the 200 meters and 45 seconds for the 400 meters. Running in the Free State Championships on his home track, he stopped the clocks at 9.98 seconds. That time slots in next to his 19.94 and 43.38 for the other two distances. Before this success, van Niekerk’s 100-meter best was…
ADF
ADF
ADF is a professional military magazine published quarterly by U.S. Africa Command to provide an international forum for African security professionals. ADF covers topics such as counter terrorism strategies, security and defense operations, transnational crime, and all other issues affecting peace, stability, and good governance on the African continent.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Guinea and Turkey signed multiple deals in diverse areas including defense, health and energy during a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan arrived in the Guinean capital, Conakry, in March 2016, accompanied by 230 businessmen as part of a regional tour that included stops in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria. The new deals could increase annual trade between the two countries from $69 million to $500 million, Erdogan said. The two countries signed “conventions and cooperation agreements in the domains of national defense, tourism, mining, energy, health and environment,” a Guinean government spokesman said, describing the deals…
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE An Australian warship seized almost 2,000 assault rifles, grenade launchers and heavy machine guns destined for Somalia in March 2016. Sailors from the HMAS Darwin boarded a fishing boat that was headed toward the Somali coast 313 kilometers off Oman, seizing a huge cache of embargo-busting weapons hidden under fishing nets, the Navy said. “The weapons were seized under United Nations sanctions, which authorize interdiction on the high seas of illicit weapons destined for Somalia,” Australian Vice Adm. David Johnston said, adding that “such a large haul of illicit weapons is highly significant.” Sailors seized 1,989 AK-47 assault…
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/REUTERS The United States is partnering with Tunisia to install an electronic security surveillance system on the country’s border with strife-torn Libya, the U.S. Embassy said in March 2016. The $24.9 million project involves the installation of an integrated surveillance system using sensors and regular security equipment. It includes training Tunisian forces to use the system, a statement added. No start or completion date was given. Tunisia has built a 200-kilometer land barrier that stretches about half the length of its border with Libya to prevent militants from infiltrating. A series of deadly attacks by ISIS in 2015, which…
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS What was supposed to be a naval training maneuver off the coast of West Africa turned into a rescue mission when pirates hijacked an oil tanker. Navies from Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and the United States tracked the hijacked tanker off five countries before Nigerian naval forces stormed aboard on February 20, 2016, amid a shootout that killed one of the pirates. Capt. Heidi Agle, commodore in charge of U.S. operations in Africa and Europe, had been directing a training exercise against piracy with maritime agencies of Ghana when the hijacking provided a real-life lesson. The first word…
VOICE OF AMERICA Kenyan police added 30 armored personnel carriers (APCs) to be used in areas hit by terrorism. To protect and equip police officers, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta authorized the deployment of the APCs to the northeastern and coastal regions where police are fighting al-Shabaab militants crossing into the country. The president has said he expects police to work without the help of the military and other security sectors. Analyst Yan St. Pierre, who runs the Berlin-based security company MOSECON, said Kenya has realized it is fighting a war inside its territory, and all security sectors need to be…
REUTERS Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea signed an agreement to establish combined patrols to bolster security in the Gulf of Guinea, which has been plagued by pirates in recent years. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari signed the agreement amid a rise in pipeline attacks in the oil-producing Niger Delta. The Gulf is a significant source of oil, cocoa and metals for world markets, and the attacks pose a threat to shipping companies. Pirates target oil tankers, usually wanting hostages for ransom and to sell stolen fuel. “The conclusion and signing of the agreement is expected to enhance security in the Gulf of…
BBC NEWS AT BBC.CO.UK/NEWS Drones could be used to solve the logistical challenge of swiftly delivering HIV/AIDS care in rural Malawi, a United Nations official said. The government reported that 10,000 children died of HIV-related illnesses in Malawi in 2014, which is the “equivalent to a school bus full of youngsters dying every week,” said Judith Sherman, head of HIV for UNICEF in Malawi. A young child may get the virus from an HIV-positive mother during pregnancy or birth, or when the mother is breastfeeding, but drugs can reduce transmission risks. Only half of the young people with HIV have…
JEFFREY MOYO/INTER PRESS SERVICE Tichaona Muzariri, a villager in Chivhu, a town 143 kilometers south of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, quit his job as a teacher in 2009 to start a rabbit farm. He had three female rabbits and one male. With about $30 as capital, Muzariri started his new business. Today, he breeds nearly 3,000 rabbits every year and slaughters up to 120 every week for sale to grocery stores, restaurants and hotels. One kilogram of rabbit meat retails for $8 to $10 in Zimbabwe. “If I look back today, I just can’t believe that it’s me who is making…
VOICE OF AMERICA Researchers in Uganda say they have developed a new Ebola test kit that detects the virus in minutes, replacing current tests that take anywhere from several hours to several days. The development is a potential milestone in the fight against the deadly virus. According to researchers at Makarere University in Kampala, the new test can detect the virus in the early stages of exposure. Misaki Wayengera, leader of the research group, said the test may be able to prevent future outbreaks like the one in West Africa that killed more than 11,000 people. “We want a test…