ADF

ADF STAFF The Rif Mountains extend nearly 300 kilometers from Tangier to the Moulouya River valley near Morocco’s Algerian frontier. Nestled within the range is a small city that was hidden for centuries, but now rates as one of the most beautiful places in the world. Chefchaouen’s streets wind to and fro amid a green and tan landscape, but the city of more than 35,000 is most notable for blue homes and buildings in its ancient section, known as the medina. The incongruous hue is said to have roots in the town’s former Jewish population, according to CompleteMorocco.com. The city…

Crisis Management Training Can Help Organize Responses and Save Lives ADF STAFF As the moist kusi monsoon winds blew into Nairobi from the southeast in late April 2016, they brought with them the torrential downpours of Kenya’s rainy season. Kusi winds typically usher in the “long rains,” which stretch from late April through early June. As rain fell for several days, flooding mixed with another of the Kenyan capital’s trouble spots: poorly constructed buildings. On April 29, a six-story apartment building near a river in the city’s poor Huruma neighborhood collapsed, bringing down tons of concrete on unsuspecting residents. Rescuers…

Security professionals need to be more proactive in dealing with reporters, particularly when the news is bad ADF STAFF The relationship between the military and the media is seldom easy, but in certain parts of Africa, the relationship seems particularly strained. Prof. Bizeck Phiri of the University of Zambia said African nations’ path to independence in the 20th century and their post-independence woes are partially to blame for some communications difficulties. “In the 1960s, when most African countries attained independence from their colonial masters, the public trusted the political leaders and those in authority,” he told military leaders at an…

The West African nation seeks to create a comprehensive counterterror strategy Maj. Didier Bamouni Terrorism and violent extremism surged in West Africa after the Malian crisis in 2012. Among Sahelian countries such as Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, Burkina Faso remained relatively safe from terrorism until recently, which may be attributed to its perceived role as a mediator in Mali. Maj. Didier Bamouni is a Burkina Faso Army officer. He has held command and training positions, including chief of operations of a counterterrorism task force. He has a postgraduate degree in defense and conflict studies and is pursuing a master’s degree…

VOICE OF AMERCA Nigeria hosted the second annual Keffi polo tournament in May 2016, with 16 teams participating. The so-called sport of kings, seen by some as an activity with complicated rules and accessible only to the wealthy, does not yet have a large following in Nigeria. Nonetheless, about 3,000 fans turned out to watch the 5th Chukker Polo Club of Kaduna take on the Kano Titans in the semifinals at the Keffi Polo Ranch. The crowd cheered as Argentine player Manuel Crespo scored for Kaduna. Despite what people think, Crespo said, polo is not just for the rich. “You…

THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION Amnesty International has given its top 2016 human rights award to Grammy Award-winning musician Angélique Kidjo and to three African youth activist movements for standing up to injustice. Benin-born Kidjo and groups Y’en a marre from Senegal, le Balai Citoyen from Burkina Faso, and Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo have shown “exceptional courage,” Amnesty said. They “have all proved themselves to be bold advocates for human rights, using their talents to inspire others,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty’s secretary-general. Previous winners of the Ambassador of Conscience Award include South African leader…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s rumba king, Papa Wemba, was posthumously awarded one of his country’s highest honors in May 2016, after he collapsed on stage and died at age 66. At a ceremony in the national Parliament in Kinshasa, where Papa Wemba’s body lay in state, DRC’s President Joseph Kabila made the singer a grand officer of the Order of National Heroes Kabila-Lumumba for “the merits, the loyal and eminent services rendered to the Congolese nation.” Papa Wemba collapsed while performing at a festival in Côte d’Ivoire on April 24, 2016. The flamboyant musician, who led…

REUTERS Senegal and the United States signed a cooperation agreement to ease the deployment of American troops to the West African nation to counter humanitarian crises, natural disasters and terrorist attacks. “Terrorism knows no border, and it’s very important for everyone to cooperate,” James Zumwalt, U.S. ambassador to Senegal, said during a joint news conference in Dakar with Senegalese Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye. About 40 U.S. Department of Defense personnel are stationed in Senegal, according to U.S. Africa Command. The U.S. Embassy in Dakar said that number would not increase under the deal. “This agreement is about access, is about…

THE NEW TIMES, RWANDA For six years, members the Rwanda National Police have served as part of the U.N. mission in Haiti. The contingent, called a “formed police unit,” has 160 members, and 26 other Rwandan police officers are stationed in various sectors across the country. During a visit to the contingent in June 2016, Rwandan Inspector General of Police Emmanuel Gasana met with police deployed in Jeremie, Haiti. Gasana urged the police officers to uphold Rwandan values, maintain professional conduct and live up to the required standards when executing the mission mandate. He further reminded the officers that they…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Nigeria played host to an international summit in May 2016 to search for solutions to the violence caused by extremist group Boko Haram. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari welcomed leaders from West and Central Africa — from Benin, as well as Chad, Niger and Cameroon, where the group has launched attacks. French President Francois Hollande and high-ranking diplomats from the United States, United Kingdom and European Union also attended the talks in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. The final communique produced at the summit said a global approach was required, using hard and soft power, to end the threat. Britain’s…