Al-Qaïda

ADF STAFF Militaries can no longer assume they dominate the skies. Extremist groups are increasingly using drones to conduct surveillance, guide mortar attacks, and deploy as miniature, airborne weapons platforms. The widespread…

ADF STAFF A report analyzing the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali concludes that it was handicapped from the start by its narrow capabilities and the Malian government’s expectations. Researchers produced the report after a…

ADF STAFF Terrorists in Benin’s W National Park have killed at least seven Beninese security forces and five rangers working with a nonprofit organization. No terror group claimed responsibility for the July 28 attack near Benin’s…

ADF STAFF Nigerien Chief of Staff of the Army Col. Maj. Mamane Sani Kiaou has worked closely with the United States military in recent months to arrange for the phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from the West African country. Kiaou and a…

ADF STAFF Violent extremist organizations from northern Benin and Burkina Faso are increasingly targeting northern Togo as conflicts from the Sahel spill into coastal countries. Four people on a tricycle in the north-central town of…

ADF STAFF The Islamic State group in Somalia’s Puntland region reportedly has gained ground from al-Shabaab, its longtime rival. The IS claims to have taken control of the Al Miskaad mountain range. The groups have vied for control of…

ADF STAFF Nearly 15 months of chaos and war in Sudan have primed the country for the potential return of al-Qaida at a time when the terrorist network is seeking to strengthen its bases across the Sahel and launch attacks on shipping in…

ADF STAFF A few kilometers from the border between Turkey and Syria, at Al-Muksourah base in the Tel Abyad countryside, Turkish military officers supervised a training course meant to prepare its participants for operations in Niger.…

ADF STAFF The United States and Niger are continuing negotiations for the withdrawal of approximately 1,000 U.S. troops located at two air bases in the Sahelian nation. After announcing at the end of April the intention to withdraw all…

ADF STAFF The W National Park is an 8,000-square-kilometer nature preserve that straddles the borders of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. It is home to an abundance of wildlife, including aardvark, baboon, endangered cheetah, African bush…