ADF

In February 2025, Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations arrested 12 men connected to Islamic State-Sahel Province during raids across the country, disrupting a terror plot to bomb financial and tourist sites. The raid turned up Islamic State flags, cash, nail bombs, dynamite, guns and knives. It also uncovered evidence that the plot had been inspired and financed by a member of Islamic State-Sahel Province (ISSP), which seeks to expand beyond its base in the Liptako-Gourma region where Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger meet. In recent years, the central leadership of Islamic State (IS) has shifted its attention and resources…

Two Ugandans recently were killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine, adding to the mounting toll of African casualties in that conflict. The two men, Michael Atuhaire and Ashiraf Damulira, are among nearly 1,500 Africans fighting for Russia, often after being lured to the country with promises of lucrative work or higher education. Many of those recruits have come from Kenya and South Africa. Others have come from Cameroon, Ghana and elsewhere on the continent. Atuhaire and Damulira were identified in an investigation into Russia’s recruiting practices by the Swiss NGO INPACT. The group worked with the Ukrainian project I Want…

Fifteen African countries shut down their citizens’ internet access a total of 36 times in 2025. The shutdowns were often in response to political unrest, national exams or armed conflict, according to a report by internet advocacy groups #KeepItOn Coalition and Access Now. Tanzania led the list, blocking internet access eight times during the year, including a five-day shutdown around elections in late October during which government forces cracked down on protesters, according to the report, titled “Rising Repression Meets Global Resistance.” Internal conflict led the shutdown list for the third year in a row, according to the report. In…

The al-Qaida-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin carried out a sweeping coordinated attack on seven military locations in western Mali, including near the borders with Senegal and Mauritania, in mid-2025. The terrorist group, better known as JNIM, was responsible for a surge in attacks at that time across several West African nations, especially Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The group has become a major force in regional instability and was used as justification for military coups in the three Sahel countries over the past five years. JNIM is just one of Middle East-based al-Qaida’s terrorist franchises in Africa and elsewhere. The…

In what has been described as a first-of-its-kind operation targeting how crime finances terrorism, authorities working with Interpol and Afripol arrested 83 people across six African countries. Officials designed Operation Catalyst, disclosed in late 2025, to identify and disrupt financial networks connected to terrorism. Interpol made 21 arrests on terrorism-related crimes, 28 arrests for financial fraud and money laundering, 16 for cyber-related scams, and 18 for illegal use of cryptocurrencies. Interpol noted that tracking terrorist financing is a particularly complex task involving crimes such as fraud, kidnapping for ransom, illegal commerce, online scams, Ponzi schemes and misuse of crypto assets. …

Kenya’s inventory of armored vehicles continues to grow with its acquisition of new Springbuck armored personnel carriers from South Africa and M1117 armored security vehicles from the United States. Interior Cabinet Secretary Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen commissioned the vehicles at the General Service Unit Headquarters in Ruaraka. Murkomen said the vehicles were part of the government’s modernization program that has seen a major decrease in crime, particularly in the northern parts of the country, with banditry dropping by 70%, defenceWeb reported. The new vehicles will be deployed to address cattle rustling, banditry and terrorism. The Springbuck Standard Duty models have ballistic…

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Defence Soipan Tuya is calling on African nations to take the lead in making sure that artificial intelligence improves the lives of citizens and does not harm them.  She spoke at the 2025 Africa Regional workshop on the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (REAIM) in Nairobi, which brought together delegates and military personnel from 17 countries.  “We must ensure that AI enhances our collective security while upholding international humanitarian law and protecting civilian populations,” she told attendees.  The meeting aimed to consolidate best practices, advance regulatory and ethical frameworks for AI in…

Senegal has begun building West Africa’s first optical astronomical observatory near Thies.  The observatory, overseen by the Senegalese Agency for Space Studies, will add to the country’s growing reputation as a leader in space research, innovation and training. It will include a 600 mm optical telescope designed for precision observation and the study of celestial phenomena, and four Celestron telescopes with deep-sky research and astrophotography capability.  Senegal’s space sector leaders say it’s part of a national push to open new possibilities and position the country to compete in the high-tech, global economy.  “We want the young generations not only to…

Ethiopia and Nigeria are joining forces to develop a fleet of African-made aerial drones capable of civilian and military applications. In July 2025, Ethiopian officials hosted members of the Nigerian Air Force on tours of Ethiopia’s aircraft manufacturing and maintenance facilities. Nigeria has promised the Ethiopians a reciprocal visit focused on Nigeria’s military training institutions. The visits are the latest step toward increasing the number of indigenous African unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in a market flooded by technology imported from China, Iran and Turkey.  By pooling resources, two of the continent’s most experienced dronemakers and users can develop a homegrown…

Senegalese and Mauritanian armed forces have intensified joint security operations along their shared border in response to growing terrorism in the region.  Both militaries patrolled a river covering several localities between Bakel-Aroundou and Diougountourou on the Malian border in October 2025, according to Senegal’s Directorate of Information and Public Relations of the Armed Forces (DIRPA). This comes after a September joint ground patrol in the same area. The countries, separated by the Senegal River, have established closer collaboration as terror groups in western Mali try to exploit weaknesses and push toward the coast. In July 2025, the terror group Jama’at…