ADF

Nearly three decades after Egypt launched its first satellite into orbit, the African Space Agency opened its doors in Cairo with a mission to expand the continent’s presence beyond Earth. “Space activities across the continent have been very fragmented,” said Meshack Kinyua, the African Union’s space applications training officer. “The [agency] … places all African Union members on an equal footing regarding access to gathered data based on their needs.” At least 21 African nations have space programs. Most of those have started during the past 25 years as the cost of developing and launching satellites dropped. Since Egypt launched…

The Senegalese Armed Forces is taking aim at illegal logging and trafficking to slow the theft of its precious natural resources.  In May 2025, it announced that Operation Faxass in Military Zone 6 had seized 344 trunks of illegally harvested timber taken from the forests of Pata and Guimara. The operation’s name means “theft” in Wolof. “The army is demonstrating its determination to curb this traffic, which fuels a lucrative cross-border trade, often orchestrated by well-organized networks operating between Senegal and Gambia,” the news website Dakaractu reported. “Operation FAXASS, beyond its immediate effects, sends a clear message: the forests will…

In a symbolically important display, Libya’s Criminal Investigation Department destroyed 2 tons of ordnance, explosives and other war remnants collected from the Al-Heera area.  The move is part of an effort to restore safety to the country after years of conflict. Combatants including mercenaries from Russia’s notorious Wagner Group placed land mines and improvised explosive devices in civilian areas they occupied.  Between 2020 and 2025, these types of explosives killed at least 125 people and injured more than 300 people in Libya. “Each incident carries immense human and psychological weight,” said Fatma Zourrig, head of the Mine Action Programme for…

Nigerian military engineers returned a twin-engine turboprop Dornier DO-228 to the air after it had been grounded for 23 years.  Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, Nigeria’s chief of air staff, commended the efforts of five engineers and 40 technicians who worked for four months on the project. “It is not just an operational gain, it is a testament to the Nigerian Air Force’s (NAF) commitment to self-reliance and resource optimization,” he said.  The plane previously was operated by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and had remained unused at a facility in Kaduna since 2001. The NAF now plans to…

The Economic Community of West African States has observed its 50th anniversary as one of the continent’s most successful economic blocs and a major force in regional cooperation and peacekeeping. The community, known as ECOWAS, observed its anniversary in mid-2025. Sixteen member states established it in 1975.  Within three years of its founding, the bloc’s mandates were expanded to encompass political and security objectives. These additions were necessary as West African countries adapted to shifting socioeconomic and security challenges, which have come to include terrorism threats.  “We are confronting the greatest challenges we face today, terrorism, climate change and unconstitutional…

After a meeting in Tanzania, the African Union Council has recommended improving relations with regional economic communities, strengthening its prevention mechanisms and refining its mediation tools. The council focused on promoting and defending AU shared values and established instruments for guaranteeing continental peace, security and stability. The three-day session in Arusha included orientation for new members of the Peace and Security Council. Nigerian Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, emphasized the philosophy of “African solutions to African problems,” underscoring the council’s pivotal role in advancing the AU’s peace agenda. The council also discussed Agenda 2063,…

The 2026 African Air Chiefs Symposium will include a live-fly exercise, a first for the intracontinental organization. In past years, the symposium has been limited to indoor “tabletop” demonstrations. A live-fly exercise is a real-time, full-scale training event designed to simulate combat scenarios and refine aircrew readiness. Such exercises involve flying aircraft in real-world conditions, often involving multiple nations and simulating various operational challenges. The chiefs of Africa’s air forces made the decision during their 2025 meeting in Zambia. Co-hosted by the Zambia Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Europe-Air Forces Africa, the 2025 event saw more than 240 participants…

Simon’s Town, home port to the South African Navy submarine component, has hosted the first joint operational sea training for underwater craft with India. The two-week training session included collaboration in establishing what South African Chief Petty Officer Nkululeko Zulu termed a “block training programme,” according to defenceWeb. It was designed to test and evaluate the operational readiness of submarine platforms in service with both navies. “The collaboration between the Indian and [South African] Navy for work-up of ships and submariners has shown immense progress in the last two years,” Indian Rear Adm. Srinivas Maddula told Sailors after training, defenceWeb…

It was almost inevitable that Phoenician settlers would establish a trade center more than 2,200 years ago in what is now the Tunisian port city of Tunis. The Phoenicians named it Carthage, which means “new town.” It juts into the central part of the Mediterranean Sea, and its sailing access to ports along the European and African coasts made it critical to trade routes. It also made Rome and Carthage competitors in a rivalry that lasted for centuries. The Phoenicians, from what is now Lebanon, chose their maritime colonies carefully, focusing on the quality of their harbors and how well…

CLUES This area is considered the heartland of the Kingdom of Kush. The site includes pyramids, temples, palaces and industrial areas. The architecture reflects Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Sub-Saharan African influences through what was a major trade corridor. Though not an island, its name comes from its proximity to the confluence of the Atbara, Blue Nile and White Nile rivers. ANSWER  The Island of Meroe, Sudan