Somalia

ADF STAFF With thousands of adherents spread across the Sahel and Somalia, al-Qaida and the Islamic State group (IS) have reached an unprecedented threat level in Africa even as they appear to be in steep decline in the Middle East.…

ADF STAFF The Kenya Defence Forces in January received 6,730 pieces of advanced protective equipment valued at Sh220 million ($1.38 million) from United States Africa Command. The donation included soft body armor, ballistic helmets…

ADF STAFF After years of dormancy, the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) is ready to deploy its collective military, police and civilian specialists when called upon, the force’s leadership announced recently. Speaking during the annual…

ADF STAFF Three military-led countries — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger — dealt a blow to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) when they announced that they will leave the regional bloc. It was one of several blows that…

ADF STAFF Somaliland is an autonomous breakaway state in northern Somalia that has persistently pursued independence for 33 years. It has state institutions, a military, and functioning political and economic systems. The United Kingdom…

ADF STAFF More than a dozen bombings in and around Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, in November and December 2023 revealed a clear pattern — telecommunications company Hormuud Telecom was being targeted. Bombs killed at least three employees…

ADF STAFF What began as Ethiopia’s aspiration to regain access to the Red Sea turned into a threat of force against its coastal neighbors in late 2023 and is now fueling fears of war. Last year, critics in the Horn of Africa region…

ADF STAFF A United Nations helicopter in mid-January was conducting a medical evacuation when a technical problem forced it to make an emergency landing in an area long controlled by al-Shabaab in central Somalia. The terror group…

ADF STAFF In early December, a Maltese-flagged merchant ship was hijacked off the coast of Somalia. It is believed to be the first successful attack on a merchant ship in the region since 2017. Gerry Northwood, a former captain who…

ADF STAFF The Somali National Army and local forces in late December recaptured Masagaway, a town in central Galmudug State, from al-Shabaab, marking a significant victory in the ongoing war. Masagaway is about 270 kilometers…