ADF

ADF STAFF Having secured most of the Cabo Delgado region, the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces plan to sever supply lines for the few terrorists hiding in the Catupa Forest as they push to rid the country of the threat entirely. With the help of Rwanda Security Forces and troops from the Southern African Development Community, Mozambique has eliminated more than 90% of terrorist operations in the Cabo Delgado region. The remaining 200 to 250 terrorists survive in small groups without a base of operations and are hiding in the Catupa Forest, according to Mozambique Defence Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Tiago…

ADF STAFF A United Nations helicopter in mid-January was conducting a medical evacuation when a technical problem forced it to make an emergency landing in an area long controlled by al-Shabaab in central Somalia. The terror group abducted six people and shot another person dead as they tried to flee. The incident underlined the struggles Somalia has faced since it asked the U.N. in September to delay the planned drawdown of 3,000 African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) Soldiers. The attack and others show that al-Shabaab still poses a threat and highlights challenges faced by the Somali National Army…

ADF STAFF In early December, a Maltese-flagged merchant ship was hijacked off the coast of Somalia. It is believed to be the first successful attack on a merchant ship in the region since 2017. Gerry Northwood, a former captain who commanded warships in the region with Britain’s Royal Navy, told Reuters the attacks indicate that pirates “think they have a permissive environment ashore.” Somalia’s nearly 3,400-kilometer coastline, which includes the Gulf of Aden, the Guardafui Channel and Western Indian Ocean waters, is extremely difficult to police. “Add to which naval patrols are thin on the ground and security on ships…

ADF STAFF On the surface, Diamville SAU is a Central African company working in the diamond trade. But Diamville is more than that: It’s the front for a Russian operation selling diamonds from the Central African Republic to finance Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Diamville operates in the Central African Republic (CAR) under the umbrella of Russia’s Africa Corps, the mercenary group formerly known as the Wagner Group. Diamond mining is part of Russia’s strategy to extract valuable resources from African countries, often in exchange for providing military aid through Africa Corps. Diamville took control of CAR’s diamond industry by…

ADF STAFF That Senegal has never had a coup or a civil war is both a source of great pride among its people and a rarity in Africa. The coastal West African country, surrounded by what recently has become known as a “coup belt” of countries that stretches across the continent, owes much of its stability to its military. Having worked with senior officers in the Army, Senegalese activist Alioune Tine says his country’s armed forces have a strong reputation on the continent and internationally for being well-trained, disciplined and principled. “There is a democratic culture, and there is also…

ADF STAFF The Somali National Army and local forces in late December recaptured Masagaway, a town in central Galmudug State, from al-Shabaab, marking a significant victory in the ongoing war. Masagaway is about 270 kilometers northeast of Mogadishu and is home to a military base. It has been the site of major battles between government forces and local militias, and had been under al-Shabaab control for four months. “The al-Shabaab terrorists have been removed from Masagaway town and operations to pursue them are going on from several fronts in eastern parts of the Galguduud region at the moment,” Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adala,…

ADF STAFF Five people were kidnapped on the Mayo Djarendi-Madingring road in northern Cameroon in early September. The abductors, known for their activity in the Mayo-Rey department, demanded a 40,000,000 Central African CFA francs (almost $67,000) ransom to release the hostages, according to the Actu Cameroun newspaper. The victims worked for the Forests and Environment Sector Program, raising concerns about the safety of aid workers and development program employees in the region. In late October, bandits kidnapped 40 people from Chad and Cameroon in the northern Cameroonian commune of Touboro. Touboro Mayor Célestin Yandal said the victims were returning home…

ADF STAFF In the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the word “Wazalendo” has become nearly as ubiquitous as the sight of armed men in fatigues. They are local militiamen who have partnered with the Congolese military (FARDC), primarily to fight the M23 rebels who have terrorized North Kivu province for nearly two years. Fighting has intensified since October 2023, and the growing number of combatants has heralded a dangerous new phase. “Before, we too were called rebels. Today, they call us Wazalendo and we don’t hide anymore,” a member of the Mazembe Mayi-Mayi self-defense group…

ADF STAFF Weighed down by the costs of war, the COVID-19 pandemic and billions of dollars in Chinese loans, Ethiopia defaulted on a loan payment recently, joining Ghana and Zambia on the list of African countries unable to pay their debts. Chinese loans constitute about half of Ethiopia’s $28 billion in foreign debt over the past 25 years. Since 2000, Ethiopia has borrowed $13.7 billion from China to build roads, railroads, water systems and telecommunication infrastructure, among other things. Most of those Chinese loans came from the Export-Import Bank of China or the China Development Bank and carry higher interest…

ADF STAFF High in the Virunga mountains in the town of Lubero, United Nations peacekeepers ceremonially lowered their flag and raised that of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). On December 26, 2023, the U.N. mission known as MONUSCO handed over control of a base it had occupied for 21 years. One resident recalled the peacekeeping force’s arrival and its efforts to secure the surrounding roads. “At the time, to get from Goma to Beni, the only way was by plane,” he told a U.N. representative. “No trader dared to use the road due to the presence of armed…