ADF

ADF STAFF The concepts of service and leadership were foremost in the mind of Zambian Army Sgt. Maj. Monday Nonde as he participated in the recent African Senior Enlisted Leaders Conference (ASELC). The conference focused on the empowerment of non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and the professional development of enlisted forces. “Servitude and leading through example are the best methods of leadership for achieving goals and objectives,” the Zambian Army’s seniormost NCO said during a panel discussion. Nonde was among the more than 125 military leaders from 27 African countries who took part in the 5th ASELC from September 10 to 13…

ADF STAFF Ethiopia recently completed the fourth and final filling of its huge Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). However, the controversy the dam has created with Egypt and Sudan remains unresolved. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the end of the multiyear effort to fill the dam’s enormous reservoir on September 10. Ahmed’s statement provoked a testy response from Egypt, which has opposed the dam on the Blue Nile since before construction began in 2011. “Ethiopia’s unilateral measures are considered a disregard for the interests and rights of the downstream countries and their water security as guaranteed by principles of…

ADF STAFF Somalia has asked the United Nations to delay a planned drawdown of 3,000 African Union peacekeepers for three months to allow its security forces time to regroup after a series of extremist attacks. The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which is mandated by the U.N. Security Council, took over for the African Union Mission to Somalia, also known as AMISOM, in April 2022. ATMIS completed the first phase of the drawdown of 2,000 troops on June 30 and was due to withdraw more September 30, reducing its military personnel to 14,626. But Reuters has reported that…

ADF STAFF Shipowners operating in the Gulf of Guinea received a piracy alert in late June after a Swiss bulk carrier vessel was boarded and some of its crew injured during a pirate attack off Conakry, Guinea. Four criminals with weapons boarded the ship and stole money from a safe before fleeing, according to TradeWinds, a shipping news source. It was one of the latest piracy incidents recorded in West Africa after years of declining attacks, including 81 in 2020, 34 in 2021 and just three last year. To address piracy, illegal fishing and other sea crimes, Benin, Nigeria and…

ADF STAFF As the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) grinds on, Sudan’s de facto leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, spent several weeks in August and September traveling outside Sudan to buttress relations with neighboring countries and allies in the Persian Gulf. Al-Burhan also visited the annual gathering of heads of state at the United Nations General Assembly, where he gave a speech. His rival Hemedti also released a video message. Each blamed the other for starting the conflict that has riven their country while pledging themselves to finding a peaceful resolution. Al-Burhan’s…

ADF STAFF The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is home to some of the world’s most sought-after minerals. Four-fifths of the world’s cobalt, a critical component in batteries used in electric vehicles and electronic devices, is in the DRC, along with more than 70% of global production. The DRC also holds the world’s seventh-largest reserves of copper and is the third-largest producer. The country and its people should be on verge of an economic boom. The constitution states that: “All Congolese people have the right to enjoy the national wealth.” But there is a dark side for the Congolese…

ADF STAFF The United States in mid-September committed $80 million to the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) to supply four Bell 412EP helicopters to help the country respond to crises. The grant includes three years of service, parts and training. U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), announced the donation in September at the 2023 Africa Senior Enlisted Leaders Conference in Lusaka, Zambia. Zambia and AFRICOM hosted the event. The helicopters will help Zambia continue to support domestic needs, enhance regional security and participate in United Nations peacekeeping missions. Zambia Air Force Maj. Gen. Oscar Nyoni…

ADF STAFF The Ghana Navy in early September commissioned six vessels into service as it faces multiple maritime security challenges. The United States government donated four of the vessels. They include two 27-meter Marine Protector class patrol ships, which are former U.S. Coast Guard vessels, and two 12-meter Defender class patrol boats. The vessels were commissioned during a ceremony at Sekondi Naval Base attended by Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghanaian defense leaders and members of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). “I am aware of the enormous responsibility on the Navy in seeing to it that the maritime spaces of Ghana…

ADF STAFF The earthquake that struck Morocco this month created an opportunity to ease tensions between the kingdom and its neighbor, Algiers, which broke off diplomatic ties in 2021. The magnitude 6.8 quake killed more than 2,000 people and left thousands more homeless in the community of Amizmiz. As relief efforts began, Algerian authorities opened their airspace to planes headed to Morocco and offered to send three military aircraft loaded with humanitarian aid and support personnel to help Moroccans recover. The Moroccan government turned down the aid, however, saying it wasn’t needed. The moment represented a fleeting improvement in relations…

ADF STAFF Solidarity lives on both sides of the border between Nigeria and Niger, where most people belong to the Hausa ethnic group and cherish their historical and economic ties. The specter of regional conflict has loomed since a military junta detained and ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum in late July. Some in the Hausa community, an ethnic group that makes up more than half of Niger’s population and also are the dominant ethnic group in northern Nigeria, are looking for ways to use these ties to avoid conflict. “We speak Hausa! We are from the same root,” Nigerien citizen…