Reflections on 60 Years of Strengthening Military Professionalism in Kenya
Kenya has made a purposeful and sustained effort to create a culture of military professionalism within its armed forces since independence. This process has included continuous efforts to upgrade its professional military education system. It has been further supported by the active engagement of the Kenyan Parliament and provisions adopted in Kenya’s 2010 Constitution. While every country’s path to establishing military professionalism is unique, Kenya’s ongoing effort to inculcate and strengthen a culture of military professionalism holds lessons that may be applicable elsewhere. To gain a deeper understanding of Kenya’s experience, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies spoke with several current and former Kenyan officers to gain their perspectives on how the Kenyan Defence Force’s culture of military professionalism has evolved: General (retired) Robert Kibochi, former Chief of the Defence Forces (May 2020-April 2023); Lieutenant General (retired) Njuki Mwaniki, former Chief of the Army (November 2010-July 2011); Colonel James Kirumba, former student at the National Defense University in Washington, DC (August 2023-June 2024). Africa Center for Strategic Studies
‘Each of Us Is Afraid’: Guinea’s Junta Leader Tightens Grip as Opposition Lies Low
Across Guinea’s capital, Conakry, billboards and posters proclaim the people’s loyalty to the vision of Mamady Doumbouya, the general who has led the west African country since a coup in September 2021…For many in Guinea’s political opposition and civil society, the reverential messaging is a distraction from the junta’s increasingly authoritarian exercise of power and an ominous sign that Doumbouya has no intention of relinquishing power. “Each of us is afraid for his own safety,” said Abdoulaye Kourouma, the head of the opposition Rally for Renaissance and Development party. “Whether you are a scientist, a university scholar, a leader of opinion, a very good journalist, no one speaks today.”…More than 50 parties were dissolved last year by the junta and several media licences revoked. The activists Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah have been missing since July, when they were arrested after calling for protests; their colleagues fear they may no longer be alive. The Guardian
Sudan Army Nears Biggest Victory of Civil War with Assault on Capital
Sudan’s army is edging closer to recapturing the country’s capital Khartoum in what allies of its leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said would be their most significant victory in two years of brutal civil war. The army claimed to have recaptured nearly all of Khartoum North, across the Blue Nile river from the city centre, during intense fighting with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti. A former military officer in touch with units on the ground said Sudanese Armed Forces were now within 2km of the presidential palace, with RSF resistance concentrated in the partially destroyed city centre in the south. The army claims to have captured all but a small part of Kafouri, the once-affluent northern part of the city where the RSF had its stronghold…The recapture of Khartoum would be a huge victory for the SAF but would leave the country split between army-controlled areas of the east and the west, including Darfur, most of which is controlled by the RSF. Financial Times
Sudan’s ‘Tagadum’ Coalition Officially Dissolved over Parallel Government Plan
The Coordination of the Civil Forces Alliance “Tagadum”, a prominent Sudanese civilian coalition, has officially announced its dissolution following internal disputes over the formation of a parallel government in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The anti-war coalition, led by Abdallah Hamdok, held a meeting on Monday to discuss “the issue of legitimacy (in Sudan) and the position on the concept of establishing a government as one of the accepted means of dealing with this issue.” Calls to form a parallel government in RSF-controlled territories led to divisions among the coalition’s blocs. The Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), which includes armed groups in Darfur and groups from eastern Sudan, along with some civil society bodies and organizations, supported it. Sudan Tribune
At Least 55 Civilians Killed by Militia Fighters in Northeastern Congo
Militia fighters killed at least 55 civilians in an attack on a cluster of villages and a camp for displaced people in northeastern Congo, local authorities said Tuesday…Armed men from the CODECO militia attacked the Djaiba group of villages, which is also home to a camp for the displaced, in the province of Ituri Monday night, Antoinnette Nzale, the leader of the camp, told The Associated Press…The Cooperative for the Development of Congo, or CODECO, is a loose association of militia groups mainly from the ethnic Lendu farming community. The group’s attacks killed nearly 1,800 people and wounded more than 500 in the four years through 2022, according to the African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism…“Almost the entire village was attacked,” Nzale said, adding that the U.N. peacekeeping force known as MONUSCO and Congolese government troops intervened but were overwhelmed by the more numerous attackers. AP
Islamic State Attacks Military Bases in Somalia’s Puntland with Car and Motorbike Bombs
The Islamic State armed group attacked military bases in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland state overnight with suicide car and motorbike bombs, a military official said on Tuesday. Puntland announced a major offensive against Islamic State and a rival Islamist group, al Shabaab, in December and claims to have since killed dozens of foreign fighters, captured several IS bases, and forced a senior commander to surrender…The Islamic State faction in Somalia has become an increasingly important part of its parent organisation’s worldwide network in recent years, and was the target of U.S. air strikes earlier this month. Reuters
Authorities in Somalia Warn against Financing Terrorism
Somalia’s government Saturday sent stern warnings to businesses and individuals that pay extortion money to al-Shabab, saying the full force of the law would be brought against traders and individuals who pay the militant group. Presenting a unified front, Somalia’s Minister of Internal Security Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail and Minister of Religious Affairs Mukhtar Ali Robow joined the government’s attorney general and the deputy minister of information at a joint news conference in Mogadishu, Somalia. They said, any business found to have paid or collaborated with al-Shabab in any way would “face legal action,” including having their government-issued trading permits revoked…Saturday’s government warning follows the conclusion of the 7th Prosecutors’ Conference of Somalia in Mogadishu this week, which marked a significant step in the nation’s fight against terrorism financing. According to a government statement, this year’s conference focused on addressing the financial networks that support extremist groups, a critical challenge in ensuring national security and stability. VOA
South Sudan: Kiir Fires Two VPs, Spy Chief in Major Reshuffle
South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has announced sweeping changes within his government, firing two vice presidents appointed under the terms of a peace agreement, along with the intelligence chief. The announcement was made late on Monday by state broadcaster SSBC. The decrees, which provided no reasons for the dismissals, confirmed the replacement of long-serving Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga with Dr. Benjamin Bol Bel, a close ally of Kiir…In a surprise move, Kiir also dismissed General Akec Tong Aleu, the Director-General of the Internal Security Bureau of the National Security Service, and appointed Gen. Charles Chiek Mayo as acting chief of the bureau until a permanent replacement is found…Reacting to President Kiir’s decision to remove officials representing the SPLM-IO, Pouk Both Baluang, the acting press secretary in the office of First Vice President Riek Machar, stated that the decrees relieving Yolanda Awel as National Minister of Health and Alfred Futuyo Karaba as Governor of Western Equatoria State were unilateral actions. Radio Tamazuj
Ebola Cases in Uganda Rise to 9, while 265 Others Are Being Monitored under Quarantine
Ebola cases in Uganda have risen to nine, while 265 other people were being monitored under quarantine, health authorities said Tuesday. The nine include the first victim, a male nurse who died the day before the outbreak was declared on Jan. 30. That man remains the only fatality…Kampala has a highly mobile population of about 4 million, and officials are still investigating the source of the outbreak. Tracing contacts is key to stemming the spread of Ebola, which manifests as a viral hemorrhagic fever…There are no approved vaccines for the Sudan strain of Ebola that is infecting people in Uganda. But authorities have launched a clinical study to further test the safety and efficacy of a trial vaccine as part of measures to stop the spread of the current outbreak. The last outbreak of Ebola in Uganda, which began in September 2022, killed at least 55 people by the time it was declared over four months later. AP
Campaigner for Migrants in Libya Says His Phone Was Targeted in Spyware Attack
An Italy-based human rights activist whose work supports the international criminal court in providing evidence about cases of abuse suffered by migrants and refugees held in Libyan detention camps and prisons has revealed that Apple informed him his phone was targeted in a spyware attack. David Yambio, the president and co-founder of Refugees in Libya, has been a critic of the Italian government’s migrant pact with the north African country and its recent controversial decision to release Osama Najim, a Libyan police chief wanted by the international criminal court (ICC) for suspected war crimes, including torture, murder, enslavement and rape. Yambio, 27, was an alleged victim of Najim’s abuses during his detention at the notorious Mitiga prison near Tripoli…Yambio has described the Italy-Libya migrant pact, which involves Italy funding the Libyan coastguard to capture people in the Mediterranean and bring them back to the north African country, as “a death sentence”. The Guardian
Fears Grow for Health of Social Media Influencer Arrested on Live TV in Sierra Leone
Hawa Hunt, a dual Canadian and Sierra Leonean citizen, was arrested on 22 December while starring in House of Stars, a reality TV show, for comments she made on social media about the president of Sierra Leone and the first lady in May 2023. In a 25-minute video, Hunt, a 42-year-old fitness and wellbeing influencer who has more than 100,000 followers across Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, criticised Julius and Fatima Maada Bio. She faces two counts of “transmitting insulting messages via a computer system” in accordance with the Cybersecurity and Crime Act 2021…Alicia [Hunt] believes her mother’s arrest is politically motivated. She said her mother and Fatima Maada Bio went to school together and had engaged online before. The Guardian
Why the African Continent Has a Role to Play in Developing AI
Heads of state, top government officials, and scientists from around 100 countries have gathered in Paris for a two-day international summit on developing artificial intelligence (AI). Decisions are expected to be reached on AI’s real-world impact and how to take it forward together. The African continent has an important role to play, a Cameroonian AI specialist tells RFI. According to the African Union, AI is a “strategic asset pivotal to achieving the aspirations of Agenda 2063” (The Africa We Want) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To get a sense of where the continent is, RFI spoke to Paulin Melatagia, head of the research team on IA and data science at Yaounde I University. RFI: Do you think the African continent has already begun its transformation? Paulin Melatagia: Yes, I believe the continent has already started its transformation. There are a lot of initiatives across the continent – lots of startups and many public organisations are beginning to invest in the development of AI applications, notably in the fields of health, transportation, and agriculture. They’re being proposed almost every month as part of competitions and hackathons to address Africa-specific issues. RFI
AI and Inequality: Women Most Likely to Be Affected in Africa, Expert Says
[VIDEO] Founding CEO of the Global Center on AI Governance Rachel Adams spoke to FRANCE 24 about how artificial intelligence could exacerbate inequality across Africa, with women likely to be the most affected. “One of the major routes of inequality is around people’s access to work and labour opportunities,” Adams said. Highlighting Africa’s largely informal economy, she noted that those most likely to be affected by AI job displacements are those with the least formal skills, particularly women. France 24