ADF

ADF STAFF On the border of Benin and Burkina Faso, the disputed Kourou-Koualou area hosts a wide-ranging market of illicit activities that fuel insecurity and help extremism spread south from the Sahel. Like its neighbors along the Gulf of Guinea, Benin is threatened by the extremism that has made the countries along its northern border — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger — the global epicenter for terrorism. So far, Benin has largely fended off those threats, but experts say the government must do more to counter the illicit activities, such as fuel trafficking, that could undermine that success. “We see…

ADF STAFF An unspecified number of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Soldiers were killed and injured during a suspected al-Shabaab attack in Lamu County’s Boni Forest on September 10. The Soldiers were patrolling along Milimani-Baure Road when their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device (IED), Kenya Ministry of Defence Spokesman Brig. Zipporah Kioko said in a report by Kenyan newspaper The Daily Nation. Hours before the attack, a contractor suffered head and spine injuries when his vehicle ran over an IED al-Shabaab was suspected of planting nearby. IEDs, such as roadside bombs, have become al-Shabaab’s preferred weapon. They killed 20…

ADF STAFF Community fighters are taking the lead in Somalia’s fight against al-Shabaab as the government switches tactics against the group. The Somali government launched the second phase of operations meant to eliminate al-Shabaab in August. The clan militias, locally known as “Ma’awisley,” will focus on the central Hirshabelle and Galmudug states. The government pays the fighters monthly stipends and may eventually integrate them into the national Army. Former national intelligence chief Brig. Gen. Abdirahman Turyare is helping mobilize the local fighters. “The current mobilization is different from the mobilization that was taking place in the past few months, which…

ADF STAFF Weeks after the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the future of the mercenary operations led by Russia’s notorious Wagner Group remains uncertain. Prigozhin’s death “represents an inflection point in Russia-Africa relations,” according to Joseph Siegle, director of research at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Can Russian President Vladimir Putin maintain the Wagner Group in Africa without Prigozhin and the network he built? Does the military seek to command the group, or will Wagner simply be absorbed by another existing Russian mercenary company led by a different oligarch? Leaders in Central African Republic (CAR), Libya, Mali and Sudan continue…

ADF STAFF Plagued by weak governments, riven by internal strife and scarred by violence, the Sahel region now ranks as the world’s epicenter for terrorism, even as other parts of the world have seen it decline in recent years, according to the Global Terrorism Index. “Terrorism is becoming more concentrated,” said Steve Killelea, founder and executive chairman of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), which produces the yearly index, also known as the GTI, based on data from 163 countries. It has become particularly concentrated in Sahel countries, which account for 43% of all terrorism deaths worldwide, compared to…

ADF STAFF Senegalese President Macky Sall’s announcement in July that he would not seek a third term in office was met with a mix of relief and pride in a country known for its democratic traditions. “A time bomb was just deactivated,” prominent Senegalese human rights advocate Alioune Tine told The New York Times. “It’s a huge relief for Senegal and the African continent.” Senegal, the only West African country that never has had a coup or a significant terrorist attack, long has been a pillar of regional stability. But cracks in the pillar have begun to show. Tensions have…

U.S. Africa Command Staff Investing in air power is never simple. Budgets are tight, and demands come from many directions. Aircraft are costly, hard to maintain and require extensive training to operate. But countries that make smart investments find that it pays off. Countries with strategic airlift use it to quickly respond to domestic and regional crises. Air forces with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities can pinpoint the location of enemies and target a ground-based or aerial response. Militaries flying light attack aircraft are well suited to the close-air support operations needed to defeat insurgencies.  Countries also are showing that…

Brig. Gen. Papa Souleymane Sarr has been chief of staff of the Senegalese Air Force since November 2020. He entered the Air Force in 1985, attending Le Cours Spécial de l’École de l’Air in France, where he earned his pilot rating and a degree in engineering. He was awarded the United Nations Medal and the French Aeronautical Medal of Honor for his service with the U.N. He has commanded at all levels of the Air Force, including head of the Operational Wing, Air Force Intelligence, Air Force Instruction and commandant of the Air Force Academy. He served as co-host of…

Voice of America As the fight against violent extremists in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province continues with a regional military force, the country has authorized the creation of local militias to help. The government in Maputo approved the decree on April 5, 2023, after having secured parliamentary approval for the move in November 2022. The Defense Ministry admitted that the Mozambican Army alone could not deal with the militants. Mozambique has been fighting militants linked to the Islamic State group in Cabo Delgado since 2017. The local self-defense militias already help the Mozambican armed forces and military contingents from Rwanda and some…

As Malawi was confronting what would end up being the deadliest cholera outbreak in its history, another menace waited offshore: Cyclone Freddy. The storm came aground in Madagascar and Mozambique in late February 2023. After gaining strength over the Mozambique Channel, it hit land again, affecting Malawi in March. Its rising waters and high winds made it one of the deadliest storms to ravage the country in the past two decades, Reuters reported. By mid-April, more than 1,000 had died because of the storm, according to President Lazarus Chakwera. It affected more than 2 million people and displaced more than…