Africa Africa: War and the Supernatural – Former Congolese Soldiers Recall the Ritual Practices Used to Prepare for Battle [ad_1] War takes a toll on soldiers' bodies and minds. To prepare for battle, soldiers are taken through various forms of training. Part of this training aims to strip candidates of their civilian values and inculcate military culture. While armies have access to an array of contemporary strategies and weaponry during training, one element isn't often discussed: the rituals incorporated in training and those performed before engaging in warfare. Rituals include the magico-religious practices performed for various purposes, such as […] todayOctober 23, 2024 1
Africa Africa: Civilian Support for Military Coups Isn’t a Bug – It’s a Feature [ad_1] In September 2024, authorities in Benin detained the country's former sports minister and a prominent businessman for allegedly plotting a coup against the West African nation's president, Patrice Talon. Had a putsch materialized, Benin would have joined a growing list of African countries to have experienced a military coup over the past four years. Dubbed an "epidemic of coup d'états" by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the resurgence of military takeovers has left many observers perplexed. For one, the […] todayOctober 23, 2024 2
Africa Africa: AU Urges Dialogue, ‘Rejects Military Solutions’ in Sudan [ad_1] El Fasher / Adré / Port Sudan / Entebbe — The African Union's Peace and Security Council* (PSC) has called on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces to immediately lift the siege on North Darfur's capital of El Fasher, ensuring safe humanitarian access. Following its 1235th meeting on 9 October 2024, the PSC condemned the escalating violence and humanitarian crisis across Darfur, describing the situation as an "unprecedented catastrophe." The council's communique reaffirmed the African Union's (AU) commitment to supporting […] todayOctober 16, 2024 3
Africa Africa: VOA Exclusive – Africom Chief On Threats, Way Forward for Us Military in Africa [ad_1] Pentagon — U.S. Africa Command chief Gen. Michael Langley is starting to reshape the U.S. military presence on the continent following the U.S. military withdrawal from Niger. Uncertainty about the next phase of the counter-terror fight in West Africa stems from America's lost access to two critical counter-terror bases in Niger. In the east, international participants and troop numbers for the new African Union Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) have yet to be finalized less than three months before the […] todayOctober 3, 2024 2
News Nigeria: Army Sweeps Gold Medals At Armed Forces Games [ad_1] The Nigerian Army emerged as champions at the Armed Forces Games, clinching 172 gold medals at the sporting event held over the weekend in Kaduna. The champions' total haul reached 264 medals, including 60 silver and 32 bronze in the games, which kicked off on September 23. The Nigerian Air Force finished second with 33 gold, 103 silver, and 51 bronze for a total of 87 medals while the Nigerian Navy secured third place with 18 gold, 43 silver, […] todayOctober 2, 2024 5
Africa Africa: Once More Into the Breach – SADC Troops in DRC [ad_1] SADC's second military intervention in eastern DRC in a decade raises many questions. The long-simmering conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is starting to boil over again. On 2 February, a South African Airforce Oryx helicopter participating in MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC, was seriously damaged by ground fire and some of its crew and a medical officer were injured. This week, missile, mortar and artillery fire were exchanged in the Goma area […] todayFebruary 10, 2024 3
Africa Africa: Greenpeace Africa Statement On South Africa Navy Marine Blasts [ad_1] Underwater blasting and detonation of explosives by the South Africa Navy began at the Marine Protected area of False Bay, which hosts a sizable colony of endangered African penguins. The underwater blasting raises deep concerns about the possible harm to marine creatures in False Bay. In response to the incident, Dr. Aliou Ba, Ocean Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa said: "We express our support to all the communities of Simon's Town who have experienced this sad event last week. Our […] todayFebruary 8, 2024 3
Africa Africa: South Africa’s Military Is Expected to Do More Than Ever With Tighter Budgets – How the Force Has Declined Over 30 Years [ad_1] The South African National Defence Force marks 30 years this year, having been established on 27 April 1994. It's as old as the country's constitutional democracy, the result of a negotiated political settlement that ended apartheid. The defence force consists of the army, air force, navy, and military health service. It's an amalgamation of the former apartheid era South African Defence Force, the militaries of the former nominally independent Bophuthatswana, Transkei, Ciskei and Venda, and the former liberation armies […] todayFebruary 5, 2024 2
Africa Africa: Floods Derail AU Mission Exit Plan in Somalia [ad_1] Mogadishu, Somalia — The rotation of the African Union force in Somalia was delayed by at least one month due to floods, as troops remained marooned in military bases that they were meant to leave more than four weeks ago after El Niño-induced rains submerged roads, and airstrips and cut off major supply routes of the Horn of Africa country, The EastAfrican has learned. The Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis) expected […] todayFebruary 5, 2024 3