ADF

U.S. Africa Command Staff A Swahili proverb says, “If a snake bites your neighbor, you too are in danger.” The meaning is clear: A community is safest when everyone is protected. This is as true for a village as it is for a continent.  In the defense realm, this concept is known as “shared security,” and its importance is illustrated all too often. When a country descends into chaos, it becomes a haven for extremists to launch attacks outward. When criminals find ungoverned spaces, they exploit them and destabilize the region. When a civil war shatters peace, it sends refugees fleeing…

Lt. Gen. Francis Omondi Ogolla became chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in April 2023. He spoke October 14, 2023, at an event in Embakasi Garrison, Nairobi, to mark KDF Day. The theme was “One Force, One Mission: Enhancing National and Regional Security.” Ogolla’s remarks have been edited for space and clarity. Each year, this day serves as a testament to the indomitable spirit of our Soldiers, Airmen and Sailors. Our observance of KDF Day is not a recent tradition. It holds a deep-rooted significance in our national memory. The seeds of this commemoration were sown back in October…

ADF STAFF A forensic laboratory in northern Botswana will play a vital role in disrupting the illegal wildlife trade, according to the lab’s supporters. “The forensic laboratory will scientifically investigate and prosecute wildlife trafficking crimes through interagency law enforcement support, and this will entail collection, storage and analysis of evidence,” President Mokgweetsi Masisi said. The laboratory is supported by a $2.7 million grant from the United States State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. Researchers at the Wildlife Forensic Laboratory in Kasane will work with wildlife experts at Virginia Tech university in the U.S. and the nongovernmental organization…

ADF STAFF The World Health Organization (WHO) in October 2023 approved a second malaria vaccine two years after it approved the first one. The move is expected to ease concerns about availability in Africa. The R21/Matrix-M vaccine, developed by Britain’s Oxford University, will join the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine in preventing the mosquito-borne disease in children. Malaria kills hundreds of thousands of children each year. “The addition of R21 to the list of approved shots is expected to result in sufficient supply to benefit all children living in areas where malaria is a public health risk,” the United Nations reported soon after…

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…