ADF

ADF STAFF Mozambican authorities are worried that timber smuggling in Cabo Delgado province is funding terror groups such as Ansar al-Sunna, which has led an insurgency there since 2017. The province is rich in valuable wood species such as umbila, pau preto, pau ferro and chanfuta, but illegal timber smuggling has accelerated deforestation, robbing the government and people of much-needed natural resources and about $1.95 million per month, according to the country’s National Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment Report. Weak monitoring of conservation areas and local logging companies renting their licenses to foreign corporations, mostly Chinese, make it easier for timber…

ADF STAFF Ugandan security forces are on high alert after members of the Allied Democratic Forces terrorist organization entered the country from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in mid-March. The Ugandan People’s Defence Forces said the group likely is led by Ahamed Mahamood Hassan, also known as Abu Waqas, a Tanzanian-born bomb expert, and might be planning attacks in urban areas, places of worship, schools, and public events around Kampala and the Mount Rwenzori region. “We call upon on all civilians to be vigilant, identify and report any suspicious individuals or packages to avoid being victims of [Allied Democratic…

ADF STAFF Since the notorious Russian mercenary outfit formerly known as the Wagner Group began reorganizing under the control of the Russian Defense Ministry in 2023, controlling gold mining sites in Mali has been a priority. Russian mercenaries arrived by helicopter near the rural village of Intahaka in the Gao region on February 9 and seized Mali’s largest artisanal gold mine. With the help of the Malian military, the mercenaries secured the site by forcing out a Tuareg rebel group. Control of the sprawling site, which can accommodate as many as 4,000 miners, has changed hands several times in recent…

Many African countries are battling the scourge of illicit trafficking. The illegal trade of drugs, weapons, minerals and wildlife fuels instability. It also deprives states of tax revenue and destroys irreplaceable natural resources.  The networks span the globe. South American drug traffickers use West Africa as a route to move narcotics to Europe and Asia. Chinese mafia organizations move timber, wildlife and minerals from Africa to Asian markets. The Russian Wagner Group has brokered deals with host governments to let it exploit natural resources in exchange for promises of security.  A report by the transnational crime research organization ENACT found…

In the aftermath of World War II, nations gathered in an attempt to rebuild their war-torn societies. A new global system was born, and this great body, the United Nations, was established as a symbol and protector of the aspirations and finest ideals of humankind. Nations saw that it was in their own interests to help others exit the rubble and wasteland of war. Reliable and significant assistance allowed countries emaciated by war to grow into strong and productive societies. The period was a high-water mark for trust in global institutions and the belief that humanity had learned the necessary…

ADF STAFF Even though violent extremists plague its northern neighbors, Côte d’Ivoire has defended itself from terror attacks thanks to military intervention, enhanced security and investment in border areas. “The goal is to reverse perceptions among border communities that the state has abandoned them,” analyst William Assanvo wrote for the Institute for Security Studies. “Doing so will reduce the risk that they are exploited by insurgents.” Several Gulf of Guinea countries have similar dynamics: Wealth and economic investment is concentrated along the coast while the north tends to be poorer and less developed. That imbalance generates resentment that puts regions…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo called for a “global coalition of democracies” to fight violent extremist groups in West Africa that have been spreading south from the Sahel toward Ghana and its neighbors. “The menace caused by terrorism is such that we must share the burden of the fight,” Akufo-Addo said in an October 2023 Washington, D.C., speech at the U.S. Institute for Peace. “This is a time for a global coalition of democracies, a coalition of the willing, determined to banish the specter of terrorism and violent extremism.” With extremists controlling large swaths of Burkina Faso, Mali and…

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The group of the world’s 20 leading economies has welcomed the African Union as a permanent member, a powerful acknowledgement of Africa as its 54 countries seek a more important role on the global stage. “Congratulations to all of Africa!” said Senegalese President Macky Sall, the previous AU chair who helped push for membership. The AU had advocated for full membership for seven years, spokesperson Ebba Kalondo said. South Africa had been the bloc’s only G20 member. Permanent G20 membership signals the rise of a continent whose young population of 1.3 billion is set to double by…

ADF STAFF | Photos by AFP/Getty Images Omdurman National Bank (ONB) ranks among Sudan’s largest financial institutions. It has branches across most of the country and was the first Sudanese bank to introduce ATMs. Founded in 1993, the bank sits at the center of an expansive web of companies that reaches into every corner of the national economy, a fact that benefits its largest shareholder, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Through a network of military foundations, Sudan’s army covertly owns 87% of ONB, which holds $950 million in assets and is a major force in Sudan’s financial system.  In 2015,…

ADF STAFF With great fanfare, Kenya launched its upgraded e-Citizen digital platform in 2023. The system offers access to 5,000 government services from more than 100 ministries and agencies, marking a leap forward in the ability of citizens to get digital access to their government.  “Not many countries can achieve what we have achieved,” Kenyan President William Ruto said. “Whenever I talk to other leaders, they wonder how Kenya can digitize this number of government services. It was possible because we have creative, innovative, hard-working young people in the republic.” Just three weeks later, a hacker collective calling itself Anonymous…