Al Qaeda

ADF STAFF In Somalia’s capital city of Mogadishu, where al-Shabaab militants continue to plot attacks, people are fighting back with security cameras. In recent months, bustling commercial centers have suffered a wave of bombings by the…

ADF STAFF The Saloum River delta in Senegal is a vast region of sun-drenched salt marshes, brackish estuaries and hundreds of islands. Bursting with wildlife and thick, green mangrove forests, it could provide the perfect cover for the…

ADF STAFF Increasing violence in Togo by extremists has stoked fears that neighboring Ghana might be the next coastal West African country in the terrorist groups’ crosshairs. The Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) militant…

ADF STAFF July 26 marked one year since Niger’s military overthrew the country’s democratically elected government. At the time, junta leaders promised to improve security and the economy, issues Nigeriens continue to struggle with today.…

ADF STAFF Northern Somalia, with its mountains, coastal towns and sparsely populated hinterlands, has felt the presence in recent months of a revitalized Islamic State affiliate (IS-Somalia) — its rise in prominence an increasing menace to…

ADF STAFF Security threats have grown steadily since Niger’s military seized control of the government in July 2023. While multiple terrorist groups have increased their attacks in the west, rebels and bandits in the east now threaten the…

ADF STAFF After attending the 2023 African Chiefs of Defense Conference in Rome, Botswana Defence Force Commander Lt. Gen. Placid Segokgo looked forward to hosting it one year later. It would be the first time the annual gathering took…

ADF STAFF Diplomats from Mali and Mauritania have been working hard to avert a border crisis between the neighboring West African countries. In April, Mauritania accused the Malian military (FAMa) and its Russian mercenary partners of…

ADF STAFF Since Burkina Faso’s ruling junta came to power in September 2022, the leadership increasingly has relied on the poorly trained and lightly armed Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP) to serve as front-line forces to…

ADF STAFF The spread of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) across Africa has many security experts concerned that it is only a matter of time before terrorists begin using armed drones to attack military and civilian targets. “The massive…