ADF

DEFENCEWEB A reconnaissance light aircraft built by a South African company has made its maiden flight and has become the first military aircraft fully designed and built in Africa. A product of the Paramount Group, the Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (AHRLAC) is expected to fly 100 to 200 hours under normal and difficult conditions during initial testing. AHRLAC is designed for military and civilian missions, and can carry surveillance, weapons, radar and electronic warfare systems. “AHRLAC is a homegrown, world-class capability that will enable developing countries and advanced nations to strengthen and diversify their security infrastructure,” said Paramount founder Ivor…

The Nigerian Navy announced that crude oil theft fell 67 percent in 2014. Rear Adm. Charles Obiora-Medani, flag officer of Eastern Naval Command, said theft dropped from about 2.6 million barrels per month in January to about 800,000 barrels per month in September. He made the announcement in Calabar, in the east of the country, while inspecting naval formations, the daily newspaper This Day reported. He said the reduction is due, in large part, to increased naval patrols on the Calabar-Oron and Ikang waterways. “Our effective patrol has made it impossible for sea robbers to attack oil service vessels and…

ECOWAS Defense chiefs from across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have pledged greater cooperation to combat shared threats. The September 2014 meeting of the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDS) in Accra, Ghana, brought together 15 defense leaders for a three-day summit themed “Strengthening ECOWAS Military Cooperation for Peace, Stability and Development.” Officials called for greater intelligence sharing among member states and more training in counterinsurgency to bolster Nigerian security. “Boko Haram has created mayhem in Nigeria and needs to be stopped,” said Ambassador Kwesi Quartey, Ghana’s deputy minister of foreign affairs and regional integration. “Africa…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE With camouflage uniforms, assault rifles, night vision goggles, thermal imaging devices and radios, wildlife rangers in Kenya’s Ol Jogi rhino sanctuary prepare for night patrol in the “war” against poaching. “It sounds crazy, but it’s actually a war,” said Jamie Gaymer, head of security for the vast sanctuary. “It is organized crime on an international level, and it is completely out of control. And these are the guys on the front line who are having to put their lives at risk in order to protect these animals.” Through the thick bush, 20 men from the local community head…

ADAM BEMMA/IPS Along the fertile banks of the White Nile, a war veteran’s co-op is planting for a food-secure future in South Sudan, a country potentially facing famine. Wilson Abisai Lodingareng, 65, is a farmer and founder of Werithior Veterans’ Association (WVA) in Juba, South Sudan. The association is a group of 15 farmers that tends a garden 6 kilometers outside Juba where they grow vegetables on nearly 1.5 hectares. “I have seven active members in the group, all former SPLA [Sudan People’s Liberation Army] troops,” Lodingareng said. “I call them when it’s time to weed the garden. I visit…

Story and photo by JOAN ERAKIT/IPS Dry, hot and often plagued with sandstorms, Niger has a population of more than 17.2 million. Insecurity, drought and cross-border crime contribute to this West African nation’s fragility, in which only 50 percent of its citizens have access to health services. Traditional chiefs in Niger are extremely influential leaders — even heads of state and presidents seek their counsel before making big decisions. Understanding the chiefs’ role, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has built a partnership promoting the health and rights of women. The country has the world’s highest birthrate and a high…

Students Create Nigeria’s Online Jobs Giant BBC NEWS AT BBC.CO.UK/NEWS Three students had time on their hands in the summer of 2009 when university lecturers in Nigeria went on strike. Instead of slacking off, Ayodeji Adewunmi, Olalekan Olude and Opeyemi Awoyemi started an online job search company. Five years later, their startup, Jobberman, is worth millions of dollars, employs 125 people and is still growing. Although Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy, it still has considerable unemployment problems, in particular among young people who are also more likely to be connected to the Internet. Jobberman has become the largest job placement…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Zimbabwe’s telecommunications giant Econet has launched an international debit card with MasterCard in a move expected to cut reliance on banknotes in the cash-strapped country. Econet said it expects to issue at least 3 million debit cards over the next five years, equal to roughly a quarter of Zimbabwe’s population. The EcoCash mobile companion debit card, which is linked to its mobile money service, also is expected to increase financial inclusion in a country where most people do not work in the formal economy. “This is the first time that physical MasterCard debit cards are available to people…

ADF STAFF Abebe Bikila’s run to international fame started by accident. Abebe had wanted to run the marathon for Ethiopia in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. But his reported personal best time in the marathon was faster than the world record, and race officials were skeptical. He was passed over in favor of another runner, who subsequently broke his ankle playing football. Abebe, then a private in Haile Selassie’s Imperial Army, was chosen for the team only as a last-minute replacement. Abebe’s running shoes for the Olympics were a poor fit, causing blisters. He decided to run barefoot, as…

Clues This complex served as the home of the sovereigns of the Kingdom of Imerina in the 17th and 18th centuries. The number of structures rose to about 20 during the late 18th-century reign of King Andrianampoinimerina. By the late 20th century, there were 11. The largest and most prominent structure was known as the “Queen’s Palace” after Queen Ranavalona I. A 1995 fire destroyed or damaged all structures in the complex, but the Queen’s Palace and other buildings have been restored. ANSWER: The Rova of Antananarivo, Madagascar