Russia

ADF STAFF In Africa, the Russian mercenary outfit formerly known as the Wagner Group left a trail of allegations of massacres, executions, torture, rape and theft. Because Russia has partnered with a handful of repressive authoritarian…

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 When reports surfaced in late April that the Burkinabe Army massacred hundreds of civilians, its military-led government sprang into action. It suspended a host of media outlets, blocked websites, and shut down radio and…

ADF STAFF Two Gulf countries are playing an outsized role in Sudan’s civil war as they compete for diplomatic and military influence. Rivals Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been accused of making Sudan’s conflict more…

ADF STAFF U.S. and Nigerien officials have agreed on a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and opened the door for future collaboration between the two countries on development and security issues. After five days of discussions,…

ADF STAFF Russian authorities in late April arrested a high-ranking defense official on charges of large-scale bribery. An investigation that led to the arrest of Maj. Gen. Timur Ivanov unearthed a trail of corruption and the Kremlin’s…

ADF STAFF Russia faces fresh allegations of flooding Libyan markets with counterfeit banknotes in another bid to further destabilize the country. The Kremlin has a documented history of sending counterfeit currency to Libyan National…

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 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 More than 100 Burkinabe soldiers on motorbikes, in pickup trucks and at least two armored cars entered the village of Nondin in the country’s northern Yatenga province between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. on February 25. The…