ADF

ADF STAFF For decades, the United Nations was the primary institution overseeing peacekeeping missions in Africa. But the U.N. hasn’t launched a new mission since 2014, and its missions in Mali and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were forced to shut down amid rising insecurity and host-country resistance. As the U.N. pulls back, African institutions are stepping up. The African Union and regional organizations oversee 10 peace operations with more than 70,000 men and women serving in 17 countries. In 2022, the AU matched its highest total of new missions by launching four peace operations. Many observers now argue…

ADF STAFF A military operation in the town of Garu in northern Ghana left one man dead and dozens hospitalized on October 29, 2023.  The raid drew outrage from local residents and resulted in weeks of critical press coverage. The next month, Ghana’s Parliament called the national security minister to appear in the chamber and explain the operation.  In an emotional speech, Albert Alalzuuga, the member of parliament representing Garu, demanded answers. “We are heartbroken, and we call on the minister, we call on parliament to launch a full-scale investigation into this and let the facts be known to Ghanaians,” Alalzuuga…

ADF STAFF Lt. Gen. John Mugaravai Omenda was appointed vice chief of the Kenya Defence Forces in May 2024. Prior to that he spent three years as Kenya Air Force Commander. He joined the Kenya Air Force in 1991 and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in 1992. He trained as a fighter pilot and also has trained in intelligence, security and flight safety. He is a graduate of the Defence Staff College of Kenya and the Royal College of Defence Studies, United Kingdom. He holds a diploma in Strategic Studies from the University of Nairobi, a bachelor’s degree in…

The Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School in Kibaha, Tanzania, looks like any institution of higher learning on the outside. Its campus shines with newness and embodies the spirit of Southern Africa’s six major liberation movements, which took part in its establishment. Once inside its classrooms, however, a very particular and intentional type of instruction is offered, soaked in Chinese political doctrine and intended to “proselytize and methodically share” the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) governance model to build influence and gain allies on the continent, according to Paul Nantulya, research associate and China specialist for the Africa Center for Strategic Studies…

ADF STAFF As Somalia continues to take charge of a greater share of its own national security, its long-standing police force marked an important milestone. The Somali Police Force, formed on December 20, 1943, celebrated its 80th anniversary with pomp and a parade. Gen. Sulub Ahmed Firin, chief of the Somali Police Force, told those assembled at the celebration he was “privileged to extend my congratulations to all ranks of the National Police Force as we mark the 80th anniversary of its inception,” according to Halqabsi News. Firin also thanked police for their commitment to consistently protect people and property.…

ADF STAFF Africa may have already gotten its first experience with artificial intelligence on the battlefield in mid-2020. That’s when Turkish-made autonomous Kargu-2 drones tracked and killed members of Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s forces as they retreated from their failed siege of Tripoli, according to reports. Although the exact nature of the attack remains in dispute — some observers question whether the drones truly were acting on their own — a growing number of experts predict artificial intelligence (AI) will play an increasing role in Africa, on and off the battlefield.  “AI is not coming to Africa, it’s already…

ADF STAFF The past two years have been hard ones for United Nations peacekeepers. The mission in Mali shut down suddenly. The mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has begun its shutdown, while missions in the Central African Republic and on the border of Sudan and South Sudan continue to face challenges. In a 2023 study, research Professor Cedric de Coning of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs noted that no new U.N. peacekeeping missions have been deployed since 2014, other than special political missions. Missions in the CAR, the DRC and Mali, he noted, have been unable…

ADF STAFF Immediately after Burkina Faso’s National Assembly unanimously approved arming civilian volunteers to help battle extremists in January 2020, the risks were clear. Despite two weeks of training, an age requirement of 18 and a “moral investigation,” the tactic seemed fraught. “It’s not a question of making cannon fodder,” then-Defence Minister Chérif Sy said. “We want to prevent these volunteers from becoming militias.” Corrine Dufka, West Africa director for Human Rights Watch, citing documented instances of abuses by Burkinabe soldiers, had a dour outlook. “This new plan to subcontract security operations to civilians threatens to lead to even more…

ADF STAFF Years of peace in the coastal nation of Côte d’Ivoire were interrupted in 2020 when violent extremist groups in neighboring Burkina Faso began crossing the border and staging attacks. Côte d’Ivoire reported at least 20 attacks, including assaults on military positions and convoys. The invasions were backed with propaganda campaigns and threats against civilians. The country was prepared for the violence, researcher William Assanvo wrote in a 2023 report for the Institute for Security Studies. Côte d’Ivoire already had measures in the pipeline to address the problem. It had developed a national counterterrorism strategy in 2018, and at…

DEFENCEWEB Mechanics from Zambia spent a week in the United States learning how to maintain Enstrom turbine-powered 480B helicopters. Zambia’s Ministry of Defence signed a contract in 2023 for two of the helicopters which will be used as trainers, as well as in missions such as anti-poaching and public safety. Enstrom regularly offers maintenance courses throughout the year at its factory in Menominee, Michigan. Participants practice what they learn with hands-on display models and special tools. The Zambia Air Force’s new helicopters will be based in Lusaka and used for training and utility missions. A training package is included in…