Ivory Coast

ADF STAFF Ernest Fornah, 32, is among Sierra Leone’s growing number of kush addicts. He smokes the drug four times a day and often can be found sitting with other users on streets and alleyways in Freetown, the capital. “These drugs are…

ADF STAFF Years of peace in the coastal nation of Côte d’Ivoire were interrupted in 2020 when violent extremist groups in neighboring Burkina Faso began crossing the border and staging attacks. Côte d’Ivoire reported at least 20 attacks,…

ADF STAFF Some have called it West Africa’s “Brexit.” Others referred to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger as “the three rebels” after their decision to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Whatever it’s called, the…

ADF STAFF  |  Photos by REUTERS Over the past decade, Sudan has become the third-largest producer of gold in Africa. The industry gained momentum after the secession of South Sudan in 2011 when the country turned to mining to compensate…

ADF STAFF Military logistics professionals from 13 West African nations met in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in September for the West Africa Logistics Conference hosted by the Ivoirian Armed Forces and United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).…

ADF STAFF While violent extremists plague its northern neighbors, Côte d’Ivoire has remained free of terrorist attacks for two years, thanks to a combination of military intervention, enhanced security and greater investment in areas along…

ADF STAFF Decades of warfare, corruption and ethnic conflict have left West Africa awash in small arms that continue to fuel instability and extremism across the region. Although numbers are difficult to pin down, some experts estimate…

ADF STAFF Although military and intelligence operations have weakened al-Qaida in recent years, the extremist group is trying to make a comeback, and its focus is on Africa. A recent report by Modern Diplomacy noted that the “primary…

ADF STAFF Senior leaders from land forces across Africa gathered in Côte d’Ivoire in May for the 2023 African Land Forces Summit (ALFS). It was an opportunity to discuss the shared threats they face and the need for cooperation as…

ADF STAFF Decades of simmering ethnic tensions in the northern Ghanaian town of Bawku recently boiled over into armed violence. Security forces have been deployed, and the conflict has captured the attention of the country and raised…