military

In Kigali, a quiet pledge between Somalia and Nigeria hints at a broader shift in Africa’s fight against extremism On a mild Saturday in Kigali, two senior soldiers from different ends of the continent sat down and agreed to swap hard-won lessons from the battlefield. Somalia’s Land Forces Commander, Major General Sahal Abdullahi Omar—widely known as General Khalid—met Nigeria’s Infantry Commander, Major General Usman Abdulmumin Yusuf, to map out deeper military cooperation. The plan: share combat experience, expand joint…

North Korea fires ballistic missile days before APEC leaders meet in South Korea North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, in a stark reminder that Pyongyang’s weapons programme remains central to regional security even as world leaders prepare to gather in South Korea for an APEC summit next week. What happened South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff described the projectile as an “unidentified” missile that flew eastward, saying it was North Korea’s first such launch…

Madagascar’s coup marks a bitter victory for youth protest — and a risky detour from democracy When Colonel Michael Randrianirina announced that he would soon be sworn in as Madagascar’s president, he presented the move as an answer to months of public fury. For young protesters who began taking to the streets in late September demanding water and power, the military intervention felt like a breakthrough. For many outside observers, it looked like a familiar, worrying rewind: a military hand placing itself at the centre of…

Somali Army Warns Civilians: Don’t Wear Uniforms, Don’t Touch Military Vehicles, After Militant Attack MOGADISHU — Somalia’s army has issued a sweeping warning forbidding civilians from wearing military uniforms, displaying insignia, or using vehicles tied to the armed forces, an emergency measure meant to choke off a well-known loophole exploited by militants and common criminals alike. The Somali National Army (SNA) said Saturday that anyone caught using military gear or vehicles without authorization will face “legal…

Why Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado remains a conflict zone eight years on: beyond bullets and boots October marks the eighth year since an insurgency erupted in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province, transforming a once-quiet coastal region into one of Africa’s most persistent and destabilising conflicts. Attacks continue on a near-daily basis, villagers and analysts say, even as Maputo leans heavily on military responses — deploying national forces, foreign troops and private security contractors to regain control. A…

U.S. launches fresh strike against ISIS-Somalia in Cal-Miskaad mountains MOGADISHU — The U.S. military carried out a precision airstrike late last week in the Cal-Miskaad mountain range near Bosaso, targeting fighters from the Islamic State in Somalia (ISIS-Somalia), U.S. Africa Command said Monday. The operation is the latest in a sustained campaign of air attacks that U.S. officials say are aimed at degrading the group’s ability to threaten American interests, Somali forces and regional allies. The strike, conducted in…

U.S. military chiefs visit North Western State of Somalia as Congress advances bill to deepen engagement HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Senior U.S. military officials overseeing East Africa operations met Monday with North Western State of Somalia’s new president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, in a rare high-level visit to Hargeisa that dovetailed with fresh momentum in Washington to widen America’s ties with the self-governing territory. The talks — which both sides described as focused on security…

Analysis: Egypt’s Troop Move to Somalia — A New Chapter in African Security and Influence The announcement that Egypt will send troops to Somalia under the African Union’s stabilization mission marks a notable juncture in an evolving map of regional power. At first glance it is a pragmatic step — extra boots to help a fragile state push back al-Shabab — but read more closely it is also a diplomatic and strategic signal from Cairo about where it wants to sit in the Horn of Africa and beyond. On the ground: what we know…

Estonia says Russian jets briefly crossed its airspace, raising NATO fears of spillover Estonia accused three Russian MiG‑31 fighters of violating its airspace near the tiny island of Vaindloo on Thursday, an incursion that lasted roughly 12 minutes and deepened Western worries that Moscow’s war in Ukraine could accidentally — or deliberately — spill beyond the battlefield. Moscow denied the claim, saying the aircraft remained over neutral waters. Quick scramble, sharp words Italian F‑35s operating under NATO’s Baltic Air…

Egypt announces troop deployment to Somalia, intensifying Horn of Africa contest Egypt has announced it will deploy troops to Somalia under a bilateral security agreement, a move Cairo says is intended to bolster counter‑terrorism operations and help stabilize the war‑torn Horn of Africa nation. Officials described the steps as the completion of planning for the deployment, but they provided few operational details, leaving open questions about the size, mandate and timetable of the force. What Cairo says Egyptian…