ADF

The red triangular signs point downward and warn civilians to stay away with a skull and crossbones above the words DANGER MINES. They are a familiar sight in Khartoum, the shattered capital of war-torn Sudan. As one of the biggest early battlefields in a civil war that broke out more than three years ago, Khartoum was ravaged and occupied by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia before the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) retook the city in March 2025. Since then, more than 1.8 million of the 9 million residents of the greater Khartoum metropolitan area have returned to face the…

New reporting on Colombian mercenaries in Sudan’s civil war shows how outside forces have prolonged the conflict and eroded regional stability. With the help of a Libyan militia called the Subul al-Salam Battalion, Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group used southern Libya as a transit corridor, support base and rear operations center in its war against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The Subul al-Salam Battalion, which is associated with the Libyan National Army, facilitated the transfer of recruits, including Colombian mercenaries, weapons and fuel across the border to support the RSF, according to an April 19 report by a…

Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Somalia’s al-Shabaab terrorist group are separated by the narrow Gulf of Aden. Their emerging collaboration to exchange intelligence, weapons and technical expertise presents a threat to East Africa and its maritime zone. It’s a relationship that is evolving in dangerous ways, according to former Somali national security advisor Hussein Sheikh-Ali, who now leads the Saldhig Institute, a Mogadishu-based research organization. Al-Shabaab already was al-Qaida’s best-funded and deadliest affiliate. Now with Houthi assistance, it has access to advanced technology and training. “Al-Shabaab members have received training in Yemen on drones and explosives; Houthi personnel have visited al-Shabaab’s…

Publicly accessible data shows that four Chinese fishing trawlers were not fined for apparent illegal fishing and transshipments at sea near South Africa after being detained by authorities in early March. The Zhong Yang 231, Zhong Yang 232, Zhong Yang 233 and Zhong Yang 239 initially were found operating illegally inside South Africa’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and territorial waters without permits. Owned by Shenzhen Shuiwan Pelagic Fisheries, the vessels were fined 400,000 rand (about $24,000) for violating their conditions of passage through South African waters. “Based on the available evidence, there were reasonable grounds to suspect non-compliance with the Marine Living…

Mali’s ruling junta has paid nearly $1 billion to Russian mercenaries since 2021 in an effort to stop the spread of Islamic terrorists and Tuareg rebels. However, analysts say it’s unclear what the country has gotten for its money. Years of Russian brutality, including the 2023 Moura massacre of 300 Fulani men, have undermined public support for the government in the north and central regions of the country. The Russian-backed attacks on Kidal in 2023 effectively ended the 2015 peace agreement with the Tuaregs and led to late April’s retreat from that same town after the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA)…

As 2025 wound down, four African regions continued to endure terrorist threats: the Sahel, particularly Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger; the Lake Chad Basin, including northern Nigeria and Cameroon; Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province; and Somalia. A toxic mix of al-Qaida and Islamic State group (IS) affiliates have emerged and spread in the past 15 years. Attacks in the Sahel have grown significantly with terrorists threatening — and sometimes crossing — borders into coastal nations such as Benin and Togo. In East Africa, Somali and African Union-backed international forces battle brutal al-Shabaab terrorists. To the south, IS-affiliated terrorists have survived…

This year, Togo is expected to receive four Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft worth $82 million. Designed for low-intensity conflicts, the Brazilian aircraft is expected to bolster Togo’s fight against the al-Qaida-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wal‑Muslimin (JNIM) terror group, which has expanded its operations from Burkina Faso and other parts of the Sahel region toward coastal West Africa. The A-29 deal includes pilot training and technical maintenance assistance. The aircraft, known for their effectiveness in counterinsurgency operations in difficult terrain, will operate mainly out of the northern Niamtougou Fighter Base to increase surveillance and firepower in an area of…

Covering 60,000 square kilometers, the Sambisa Forest in northeast Nigeria was once a thriving wildlife reserve, popular with tourists. Today, the animals are mostly gone, replaced by two warring militant groups and the Soldiers who pursue them. Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have fought for control of the forest since Boko Haram split into the two factions in 2016. Recent reports indicate their battles are intensifying. With its sheer size and dense vegetation providing cover for hideouts, Sambisa is desired as a strategic location for launching attacks and controlling smuggling routes. “For…

Russia is attempting to build its own financial system in Africa using a cryptocurrency tied to the ruble in what experts believe is an effort to evade international banking sanctions imposed after the 2022 Ukraine invasion. According to the Center for Information Resilience (CIR), the currency, known as A7, already has found users in Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Togo could be next — the company that owns the currency is advertising for a project manager to develop a system for it there. A7 was started in 2024 by Ilan Sor, a Moldovan oligarch in partnership with Promsvyazbank, a lender tied to…

The 15th iteration of Obangame Express (OE26) returned in April to Cameroon, the country that first hosted the maritime security event in 2010. The largest multinational maritime exercise in West and Central Africa, OE26 worked to build cooperation to fight sea crimes such as illegal fishing, piracy and all manner of trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea. More than 30 nations, including 22 from Africa, participated in the U.S. Africa Command-sponsored exercise, designed to improve information sharing and maritime domain awareness, as well as tactical and operational readiness. “With piracy, illegal fishing, various forms of trafficking and attacks faced on…