ADF

As insurgencies multiply in Africa, militaries are investing in special operations forces (SOF). These highly trained, disciplined operators take on asymmetric threats using speed, stealth and lethality. But as the importance of SOF grows, it must adapt to meet 21st century challenges. Cross-border terror attacks, weaponized drones, AI-backed cyberattacks — all these threats require new partnerships and training. Leaders have found that SOF must be interoperable to be effective. Although SOF personnel of African nations speak different languages, use different hardware and follow different procedures, they share the same bond of selfless service to their respective countries. To work together,…

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama commissioned officer cadets into the Ghana Armed Forces during a January 30, 2026, ceremony at Ranger Baba Parade Square, Whistler Barracks, Teshie, Accra. His remarks have been edited for space and clarity. The security environment in our subregion remains complicated and volatile. Violent extremism, terrorism and transnational crime continue to pose serious threats, particularly along our northern border. Globally, the rise of nonstate actors and asymmetric warfare has reshaped the nature of security challenges. These realities demand a comprehensive and coordinated national response. Security cannot be seen as a sole responsibility of the armed forces…

An Interpol-coordinated border security operation in West Africa led to 62 arrests and the seizure of ammunition, explosives, firearms, drugs, counterfeit medicines and stolen vehicles. Operation Screen West Africa 2025, which ran from July to October 2025, brought together law enforcement agencies from 12 West African countries to strengthen border security, track people with links to terrorism and disrupt transnational organized crime networks. Officers at land, air and sea borders used Interpol mobile devices and other systems to access global databases to carry out 1.7 million real-time checks. During the operation, officers arrested nine people suspected of having terrorist connections.…

By necessity, special operations forces are secretive and operate in small, agile units. Their missions are high risk and, if their presence is known, they’ve probably done something wrong. But there is a growing recognition that African special operations forces (SOF) needs to get connected. Cross-border threats require that operators share intelligence and coordinate efforts. Operating alone is no longer an option, experts say. SOF needs to form a community. During Silent Warrior 2025, Africa’s premier SOF conference, 400 attendees gathered from 32 African nations and 14 international partners. One repeated motto at the Nairobi conference was: “Your network is…

When Moroccan Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur invaded the sprawling Songhai Empire to the south in 1591, his 3,000 to 4,000 troops faced an army 10 times its size. But the sultan’s troops had a technological advantage: gunpowder. The two sides met at the Battle of Tondibi, and the Songhai soldiers’ spears and arrows were no match for the Moroccans and their clumsy, but deadly, shoulder-fired guns. The sultan’s troops won the battle and the subsequent war that dragged on in the following months. The war is now recognized as the end of the empire, and a major turning point in West…

CLUES This city, on the southern edge of the Sahara, is known as the gateway to the desert. The historic city center, an important crossroads of the caravan trade, is divided into 11 sections with irregular shapes. Among the earthen dwellings and religious buildings is a 27-meter mud-brick minaret, the tallest such structure in the world. The location dates to the 15th and 16th centuries, when the Sultanate of Aïr established itself there. ANSWER  The Historic Center of Agadez, Niger

Brig. John Kinyua Njeru has served as commander of Kenyan Special Operations Forces (KENSOF) Command since 2021. He began his career in 1990 and has served in a range of roles in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), including commander of Army Special Operations Brigade, commander of Ranger Regiment, commander of Special Forces and commanding officer of 30 Special Forces Battalion. He has served in peacekeeping missions in Darfur and Sierra Leone. He holds a master of arts degree from National Defence College, Tanzania, and has completed a range of training domestically and internationally, including the International Special Forces Course in…

When it comes to communicating on the battlefield, special operations forces often rely on high-frequency radio.  But the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) found that it had a problem with this vital tool. Over the years, Kenya has acquired devices from an array of manufacturers like Motorola, Hytera and Harris. These radios were effective, but they were not interoperable. They use different encryption, operate on different wavelengths and at different frequencies.  Fortunately, the KDF has its own solutions laboratory. The Communication and Information System Maintenance and Innovation Centre (CISMIC), created in 2021, develops and repairs electronic equipment and software for the…

Ghana has been a beacon of peace and stability along the West African coast for years, but its security landscape has evolved to encompass a diverse range of threats. Expanding Sahel-based terrorist groups intent on reaching the coast threaten the nation’s north. On the eastern border with Togo, a secessionist movement has stirred anti-government sentiment. At sea, piracy poses an aggressive and unconventional maritime threat that calls for a specialized response. The Ghana Navy’s Special Boat Squadron is addressing all of these threats and more. As the specter of piracy loomed in the Gulf of Guinea from about 2009 to…

Soldiers with the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) took part in four weeks of Joint Combined Exchange Training with the United States Army’s 91st Civil Affairs Battalion in September 2025. U.S. forces and members of the RSLAF’s Forces Reconnaissance Unit and State Protection Service covered civil affairs operations, including reconnaissance and engagement, governance, area studies, mission planning and reporting, professional development, and force management in Freetown. Training also included tactical combat casualty care, during which all participants earned “Stop the Bleed” certification from the American College of Surgeons. A three-day field exercise tested participants in a dynamic environment.…