ADF

ADF STAFF Purple-hued sunsets and the mists of the mighty Mosi-oa-Tunya greeted commanders from across the continent as they gathered in Livingstone, Zambia, for the 12th African Land Forces Summit from April 22-26. The theme, “Regional Solutions to Transnational Problems,” belied the serene setting of the Zambezi River as it crawled toward its destiny at Mosi-oa-Tunya, known to many as Victoria Falls, one of Earth’s seven natural wonders. In addition to the natural backdrop, the summit also commenced against the backdrop of regional challenges such as continuing violent extremism in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, chaos in the Sahel, and armed…

ADF STAFF Sweat beaded on George Kowukumeh’s forehead as he strained to pull a fishing net ashore in Accra, Ghana. A longtime fisherman, Kowukumeh was dismayed with his haul. He has felt the emotion often in recent years, as total landings of small pelagic fish, a staple of the national diet, fell by 59% between 1993 and 2019. The trend continues due to the continuous influx of large foreign industrial trawlers — mostly Chinese — that indiscriminately catch all manner of marine life, as well as changes in the ocean’s temperature. “The catch today is disappointing and full of garbage,” Kowukumeh…

ADF STAFF Rwanda has pledged to send more troops to Mozambique’s embattled Cabo Delgado province where terrorists have unleashed a fresh wave of attacks in recent months after suffering military losses to international forces. The Rwandan troops will arrive to help avoid a security gap as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) leaves the province. In March, 300 rebel fighters reportedly seized and occupied the coastal town of Quissanga, a district capital. Insurgents beheaded three members of the security forces on nearby Quirimba Island the following day. The new attacks have hit areas that were relatively…

ADF STAFF Drones have been a consistent part of the year-long conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and fighters with the paramilitary Rapid Support Force. In recent months, however, the SAF’s drone attacks have become more precise and deadlier, experts say, thanks to the addition of Iranian technology. In response, the RSF has increased its own use of drones against military and civilian targets associated with the SAF. As they have been since the beginning of the conflict on April 15, 2023, Sudan’s civilians are frequently caught in the middle. “In recent weeks, the Army has begun to use…

ADF STAFF Landlocked countries in Africa pay higher prices for goods and often struggle to meet the needs of citizens. This situation fuels resentment and can lead to cross-border conflict. Kenyan Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi believes something must be done to address the concerns of the 378 million people living in 16 landlocked countries in Africa. In a recent speech at the United States International University, Nairobi, Mudavadi called for the creation of a working group to address the unique challenges faced by these nations. “The geo-strategic constraints that landlocked countries…

ADF STAFF Just a few kilometers from one of the world’s most deadly hotspots for militant violence — the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) — the people of Burundi are struggling with an insurgency of their own. Increasing attacks by the RED-Tabara rebel group have revealed a pattern of killing civilians and claiming credit for the attacks on social media but denying civilians were involved. The offensive has elicited outrage from a broad spectrum of Burundians. “The government of Burundi once again deplores the behavior of Rwanda which maintains, trains and arms the terrorist group RED-Tabara,” government spokesman…

ADF STAFF The African Union named Senegalese human rights expert Adama Dieng to a newly created post: special envoy for Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities. It’s an intimidating job considering the violent conflicts raging across the continent. The announcement was made on April 7, a day on which leaders across the continent and the world gather in somber reflection to observe the anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Normally, African Union chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat marks the event at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This year, however, he attended the 30th anniversary ceremony in Kigali, the Rwandan…

ADF STAFF As kidnapping for ransom has become a source of income for terrorists and criminals in parts of the Lake Chad Basin, authorities say that several hundred victims remain in captivity. A new report from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) recommends a three-pronged effort to stop the attacks. Some of the governments in the region already are cooperating. In early April, Cameroon said it had received five civilians from Chadian authorities. The civilians were abducted this year from Cameroonian villages near the Chadian border. Victor Boukar, one of the former hostages, told Voice of America (VOA) that heavily…

ADF STAFF A new four-part investigation by the Pulitzer Center Rainforest Investigations Network and The Africa Report shows how trees felled in the Democratic Republic of the Congo make their way across borders with the help of official corruption and a lack of oversight. The report details how mahogany and other species of trees are transported into Kenya and Uganda. A substantial amount of the DRC’s wood makes its way to furniture manufacturers in those two countries. The investigation shows how the industry thrives on corruption. “If you want to be in the timber trade, you need to know a…

ADF STAFF Although many Rwandans feel their country has made significant progress since the 1994 genocide, tensions between Hutu- and Tutsi-led rebel groups continue to this day and have fueled violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over a four-week period in February and March, ethnic violence in the eastern DRC forced about 250,000 civilians to flee to Goma, capital of the North Kivu province. The conflict has hampered humanitarian efforts — the Tutsi-led M23 rebel group attempted to down a United Nations observation drone near Goma in February — and caused food prices to soar. The M23…