Africa Defense Forum - Africa Defense Forum

ADF STAFF The Nile River, the world’s longest, meanders northward through the eastern half of Africa, bringing power, agriculture and, at times, recreation to the millions of people who live at or near its banks. A little recreation and…

Secret Chinese Criminal Societies Make Millions Poaching Abalone ADF STAFF A net full of abalone isn’t much to behold. Their gray shells are covered with algae, and when cracked open they reveal a sea snail and an iridescent interior. But…

REUTERS Abla Ogodo used to walk 10 kilometers to fetch water for her family. Now that a new well in her village runs on solar power, she does not have to go anywhere. The United Kingdom-based power company BBOXX, in partnership with…

ADF STAFF In a 12-hour stretch, Ethiopians fanned out across the country and planted 353 million trees. The reforestation campaign known as “Green Legacy” is an initiative led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.  The country believes it set…

ADF STAFF Netflix has commissioned its first African animated series from South Africa’s Triggerfish Animation Studio. Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema created the series after winning a competition to find talent from across the…

REUTERS The NBA will invest millions of dollars in Basketball Africa League, its first professional league outside North America, and will be active in its operation. The NBA, in partnership with the International Basketball…

CLUES This area covers more than 3 million hectares. Wind, along with river and ocean currents, carried materials thousands of kilometers to form these desert dunes. The area includes gravel plains, coastal flats, rocky hills, a…

As China’s influence expands, so does its traditional medicine. That’s bad news for endangered animals in Africa. ADF STAFF China’s extensive “One Belt, One Road” policy is intended to spread the country’s influence from East Asia to…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Children at Lazare camp in war-ravaged Central African Republic draw scenes from daily life. They draw armed men. Armored vehicles. And they use red. Lots of red. “Their problem is that they suffer daily exposure to…

ADF STAFF The second-biggest uncut diamond in history has been unearthed from a mine in Botswana. The 1,758-carat diamond is about the size of a tennis ball. The biggest diamond ever discovered is the 3,106-carat Cullinan, found in…