Africa Defense Forum
ADF is a professional military magazine published quarterly by U.S. Africa Command to provide an international forum for African security professionals. ADF covers topics such as counter terrorism strategies, security and defense operations, transnational crime, and all other issues affecting peace, stability, and good governance on the African continent.

Students Tackle Kenya’s Ventilator Shortage

ADF STAFF Not long after COVID-19 began spreading in March, 16 students from different disciplines at Kenyatta University came together to make a difference. They wanted to address the shortage of ventilators, which are critical in…

Viewpoint

U.S. Africa Command Staff Modern conflicts rarely end with the signing of a treaty or a formal surrender. Some insurgent groups fight until the last gasp, while others hide among civilians. Ethnic tensions can simmer for generations…

Children of the Gun

ADF STAFF M.K. was an unruly child, by his own admission.  The Idgwi island boy was not a good student. He didn’t listen to his parents or teachers. At age 13, he traveled to Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) North…

The Building Blocks of Unity

Lt. Gen. Molla Hailemariam is ground force commander of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF). His military career began in 1981 when he joined the struggle against the country’s ruling Derg regime. After Ethiopia’s return to civilian…

A Revolution in Process

BRIG. GEN. (RET.) KHALIFA NAFTI/TUNISIAN AIR FORCE More than eight years after the Arab Spring protests of 2011, many people in North Africa are still striving for freedom and dignity. The stability and security many hoped for during the…