Policy

Biden Orders US Troops Back to Somalia, Reverses Trump Withdrawal

“This is a step that rationalizes what was essentially an irrational arrangement that we inherited,” a senior administration official said.

Threats

New Navy Task Force to Protect Red Sea Region

Drug and weapons smuggling, as well as rocket attacks, undermine the security of the major shipping route.

Ideas

Russia’s Mercenaries Don’t Want to Control Africa. They Want to Loot It

U.S. policymakers should focus less on what the mercs are doing on the continent than what the United States could do.

Threats

Pentagon May Boost Troop Presence In Somalia

It’s “not effective” to try to deter terrorists there from bases in neighboring countries, U.S. Africa Command leader says.

Threats

Navy Puts AI, Unmanned Systems to the Test in Five-Sea, 60-Nation Exercise

Multiple scenarios will allow participants to explore the naval potential of remote sensing and more.

Threats

French, U.S. Special Forces Agree to Beef Up Partnership in Africa

The new agreement shows that counterterrorism will still be a top focus for the Pentagon.

Ideas

The Bloated Pentagon Budget Isn’t Just Wasteful. It’s Racist

In this era of racial reckoning, national security policy and defense budgets cannot be exempt from the scrutiny of their effects on communities of color.

Threats

ISIS Affiliate In Mozambique Riding a ‘Wave of Momentum’

New attacks are shutting down LNG production as Al Sunnah strengthens ties with the larger group.

Ideas

How 'Mask Diplomacy' Rescued China's Image in Africa

While Beijing was nimbly pivoting, the U.S. continued to let its relationships wither.

Ideas

ISIS and Al-Qaeda’s Sub-Saharan Affiliates Are Poised for Growth in 2021

A rundown on jihadi groups’ expansion in the Sahel and Nigeria, the Horn of Africa, and the continent’s southeastern Swahili coast.

Business

New Plane Key to Special Ops Vision for Africa, General Says 

Air Force Special Operations Command is planning flight demonstrations in coming months.

Ideas

Don’t Discount America’s Interest in Keeping Africa Safe

As the Pentagon removes more troops, consider what its modest investment has garnered.

Policy

US Has Achieved ‘Modicum of Success’ in Afghanistan, Top General Says

But years of military stalemate make negotiating with the Taliban the only option, Gen. Mark Milley says.

Ideas

As the US Slumps Away, China Subsumes African Security Arrangements

Organizations created to fight terror groups after 9/11 are becoming conduits for Beijing’s surveillance and influence.

Threats

Mozambique Is Emerging As The Next Islamic Extremist Hotspot

A terror group affiliated with the Islamic State has been stepping up tactics and claiming bigger targets.

Ideas

Is the Conflict in Libya a Preview of the Future of Warfare?

Drones. Mercenaries. Disinformation campaigns waged on social media.