insert_link Africa M23 Rebel Group Expands Control in Eastern DRC with Capture of Kalembe The M23 rebel group has captured the town of Kalembe in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, further extending its influence in the area, according to an official and a former lawmaker, as seen by Reuters. The Tutsi-led M23 has been conducting an insurgency in the conflict-ridden eastern region since 2022. Both Congo and the United Nations have accused neighboring Rwanda of providing support to the group through its own troops […] todayOctober 22, 2024 4
insert_link Africa Mali is still unsafe under the military: why it hasn’t made progress against rebels and terrorists By Oluwole Ojewale, Institute for Security Studies; Freedom C. Onuoha, University of Nigeria, and Samuel Oyewole, University of Pretoria The scale of casualties suffered by the Wagner group and Malian forces during a recent assault in the Tinzaouaten region reveal vulnerability in Mali’s counterinsurgency posture. The attack was reported in the media as the biggest loss for Russian paramilitaries in several years of operating in Africa. Although there […] todayAugust 9, 2024 21
insert_link Africa Suicide bombings in Nigeria: tactic is back after a four-year break – security researcher offers 3 possible reasons By Al Chukwuma Okoli, Federal University Lafia Nigeria’s first suicide bombing since 2020 took place in June 2024 with four coordinated attacks that killed at least 30 people. The attacks took place in Gwoza, a town in Borno State, north-east Nigeria. Gwoza was once the seat of the Islamic Caliphate declared by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014. Boko Haram is an extremist sect which aims for […] todayJuly 16, 2024 17
insert_link Africa Boko Haram and western education: the surprising views of some Nigerians who left the insurgency group By Hannah Hoechner, University of East Anglia and Yagana Bukar, University of Maiduguri The world has come to associate the insurgency in north-east Nigeria with the slogan “western education is forbidden”. This is how “Boko Haram” – the name given to the insurgents – is commonly translated from the Hausa language into English. But “Boko Haram” is not what the insurgents call themselves or would […] todayJuly 2, 2024 18
insert_link Africa Over 80 killed in Eastern Congo Attacks More than 80 people have been killed in a spate of attacks over the past week in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Local authorities have blamed the killings on members of an Islamist militia known as the Allied Democratic Forces. Chris Ocamringa (Otchamringa) has more from Kinshasa. todayJune 10, 2024 36
insert_link World Jihadism in Mozambique: southern African forces are leaving with mixed results By Thomas Mandrup, Stellenbosch University The Southern African Development Community (SADC) military mission in Mozambique (Samim), which was deployed on 15 July 2021 to fight the Islamic insurgents terrorising the northern Cabo Delgado province since 2017, is scheduled to end by June 2024. Mozambican security forces will then take full responsibility for security. We asked military science and defence expert Thomas Mandrup, who has published a paper […] todayApril 8, 2024 17
insert_link Africa Twin rate cuts set Mozambique apart as African currency rally By Seth Onyango, bird story agency Mozambique’s central bank has decisively cut its benchmark lending rate to 15.75% from 16.5%, setting a precedent as the first African country to slash rates twice in 2024. The move highlights Maputo’s aggressive push for economic growth amid a wider trend of cooling inflation and currency stability against the US dollar across Africa. Rate cuts in the southeastern African nation, prompted […] todayApril 8, 2024 30
insert_link Africa Niger has cut military ties with the US: why this is bad for the Sahel’s security By Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University Niger – a landlocked country of 25 million people in one of the most unstable parts of the world – recently announced it was suspending military cooperation with the United States. For over a decade, Niger has been one of America’s most reliable allies in the Sahel. The Sahel region, which stretches across Africa from the Atlantic to the Red Sea, is […] todayMarch 20, 2024 16
insert_link Africa Thousands displaced in Mozambique due to unrest A new outbreak of unrest in northern Mozambique by jihadist insurgency has forced thousands to flee their homes, according to UN figures and sources in Cabo Delgado province. The AFP news agency reports that an alert from the UN migration agency IOM said recent attacks in the Macomia, Chiure and Mecufi districts had displaced 13 088 people - most of them children - by bus, canoe, and on foot. todayFebruary 22, 2024 8