Responding to societal conflicts with security force is reactive—addressing symptoms and risking escalation. Community-based conflict mediation is about giving communities the skills to stop conflict before it becomes violent. It's cheaper, safer, and more citizen-centric. 1/2

Through a shadowy network of online recruiters and Africans under duress, Russia has quietly assembled an extensive social engineering and human trafficking pipeline to lure thousands of Africans into the front lines and factories supporting Moscow’s war effort. Here's what we know … 1/6

Russia has built a deceptive recruitment pipeline that preys on African job seekers and students, channeling them into Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. What first appeared as isolated cases has now been exposed as an extensive and systematic trafficking network. 1/2

“He didn’t know it was a job on the front line. Otherwise, I would never have allowed him to go. He’s my only boy.”

5 Facts to Know: Russia’s Deceptive War Recruitment of Africans Thread:

Global demand for critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth metals has risen sharply due to their importance in advanced digital technologies, defense and aerospace manufacturing, renewable energy systems, and high-performance electronics. 1/4

The Ebola outbreak in Eastern Congo is spreading faster than we thought, and conflict is a major complication in prevention and response. Left: the areas already affected by conflict and forced displacement. Right: the areas affected by the Ebola outbreak. (Images: Al Jazeera, WHO) 1/3

The growing access to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Western Indian Ocean is transforming maritime security across East Africa’s coastal regions and elsewhere. 1/8

The ambition, coordination, and operational reach of West Africa's insurgent groups is increasing. Legacy force structures designed for conventional warfare are no match for the dispersed, fast-moving insurgent threats confronting multiple West African countries.

The suspension of another 247 associations in Burkina Faso underscores how far Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s junta is willing to go to control the political and information space. africacenter.org/dai...

5 Facts to Know: UAVs and Maritime Security in the Western Indian Ocean 1️⃣ 🌊 Strategic trade is at risk. The Western Indian Ocean connects trade through chokepoints such as the Bab al Mandeb Strait & the Mozambique Channel—corridors that collectively carry roughly 25% of global maritime traffic.

Global shipping is in flux. Our latest spotlight looks at how the proliferation of drones in the Indian Ocean is improving surveillance capabilities but also aiding malign actors to disrupt global shipping—revealing a critical gap in the maritime security architecture. africacenter.org/spo...

The authoritarian approach to governance favors using security forces to solve all problems, from fighting insurgencies to silencing critics. It sees citizens as irrelevant at best and enemies at worst—because ultimately it is the regime they are securing, not their people.

The Nacala Corridor offers a model for externally financed critical mineral development in Africa that can more equally benefit international and African partners. This in turn promises a more stable supply chain for critical minerals.

L'expérience du Sénégal en Casamance montre que l'instauration d'un climat de confiance entre les forces de sécurité et les communautés locales est un moyen pratique essentiel pour obtenir leur coopération et prévenir toute mobilisation vers la violence. africacenter.org/fr/...

The deterioration of security in western Mali has prompted Dakar to elevate eastern Senegal to a top security priority. The Senegalese military has expanded its footprint in the region, including establishing one of the country’s largest military bases in Goudiry.

Malian junta officials are accusing Russia of “betrayal” following the withdrawal of Russian paramilitary forces and the fall of Kidal. While the junta surely feels abandoned, this framing obscures a more fundamental betrayal.

"Our army isn't capable of protecting us—how are we going to get back home?" The people of Bamako find themselves surrounded, blockaded, and isolated by the actions of an unelected government they have no voice in.

Malian junta officials are accusing Russia of “betrayal” following the withdrawal of Russian paramilitary forces and the fall of Kidal. While the junta surely feels abandoned, this framing obscures a more fundamental betrayal.

As Mali goes, so goes the Sahel? The military coups in Mali were followed by coups in Niger and Burkina Faso—all purportedly in the name of security. We now have several years of data on the success of these violent experiments. 1/3

تورط تشاد المتزايد في الحرب الأهلية السودانية يزيد من حدة عدم الاستقرار الداخلي ويعرض البلاد لتنافسات إقليمية متزايدة بالإضافة إلى المنافسة الجيوسياسية. africacenter.org/ar/...

🚨Nouvelle analyse : Attaques au Mali Les attaques au Mali s’inscrivent dans une trajectoire prolongée de dégradation sécuritaire Les attaques synchronisées perpétrées par des islamistes militants et des séparatistes dans tout le Mali reflètent une détérioration constante de la sécurité.

5 Facts to Know: Mali Attacks 1️⃣ Coordinated nationwide strikes. Simultaneous attacks on April 25-26 targeted strategic military and political sites spanning 1,500 km, from the capital Bamako and the military hub of Kati to central and northern regions, including Kidal.

🇲🇱 Mali: What to Know About This Weekend’s Attacks 1️⃣ Part of a widening JNIM offensive These attacks are not isolated. Africa Center maps from: September 2025 September 2024 July 2023 August 2022

Gunmen across Mali today made a coordinated attack on the capital, Bamako, and other locations across the country. apnews.com/article/m... 1/3

Irregular militant groups in West Africa are evolving. Militants have exploited tactical deficiencies—specifically in mobility and intelligence—to expand their reach in the Sahel. The solution: Integrated tactical units. See our latest Security Brief on how: africacenter.org/pub...

5 Facts to Know: Building Trust to Buttress Senegal’s Security 1️⃣ Militant threats are reaching Senegal’s borders ⚠️ Sustained attacks by the JNIM coalition in western Mali, including an assault less than 1 km from the border, have brought the Sahelian insurgency to Senegal’s doorstep.

The deterioration of security in western Mali has prompted Dakar to elevate eastern Senegal to a top security priority. Senegal's experience in the Casamance offers useful lessons that can be applied in the east. Here are 5 key takeaways: 1/7

Senegal’s experience from the Casamance reveals that security agencies’ trust-building with local communities is a vital practical means of gaining cooperation and preempting mobilization to violence.

The ADF militia in eastern Congo is one of the oldest, yet least understood militant groups in Africa. This Spotlight from 2019 is a reminder to be skeptical of anything it says about itself—including claims of ties to outside groups for attention and recruitment.

China controls over half of global critical minerals production and produces nearly 70% of rare earth minerals and over 90% of high-strength rare earth permanent magnets.

The best time to stop a conflict is before it starts. Our new Africa Security Brief looks at how to reduce the triggers of societal conflict in Africa through proven community-based conflict mitigation techniques—and how to scale them nationally. africacenter.org/pub...

Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger continue to face intense pressure from militant Islamist groups, driven by the Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) coalition, which has been linked to 78% of the fatalities in the region last year. 1/2

State-owned enterprises are central to Chinese policy in Africa. Chinese SOEs wield significant leverage that can constrain African agency and priorities—especially in contexts where political will to protect public interests and enforce local laws and regulations is weak. africacenter.org/spo...

Conflicts can have national or international implications, but most conflict events occur at a community level. Response and prevention should happen at the local level too—but that doesn't mean it can't be scaled up for wider effect. africacenter.org/pub...

Mineral development models that focus narrowly on the extraction and transportation stages can exacerbate instability. The Nacala Corridor offers an alternative model that works for all parties. africacenter.org/spo...

5 Facts to Know: The Nacala Corridor Model for Mineral Supply Chains 1️⃣ An integrated, end-to-end supply chain model 🔗 The Nacala Corridor is designed as a complete mineral supply chain—linking extraction, processing, transport, and export rather than focusing only on moving raw materials.

Much societal violence in Africa and elsewhere is triggered by … … competition over land and water … boundary disputes … ethno-religious mistrust … other community-level grievances When stoked, these can easily lead to broader conflict. 1/4

En Afrique, les morts imputables aux groupes islamistes militants continuent d’atteindre des niveaux records. Les 23 968 morts enregistrées en 2025 constituent une augmentation de 24 % par rapport à 2024 et reflètent une augmentation de la violence. africacenter.org/fr/...

Mozambique saw a dramatic reduction in militant Islamist violence in 2023, coinciding with the deployment of SADC forces. Unfortunately it has been rising ever since. Currently, Mozambican security forces are only supported by a contingent of Rwandan troops. africacenter.org/spo...

While the Sahel saw the most fatalities linked to African Islamist groups, Somalia saw the sharpest increase. With the recent addition of Islamic State violence, Somalia suffered a record 4,561 deaths in 2025. africacenter.org/spo...

Global demand for critical minerals and rare earth metals has risen sharply due to their importance in advanced digital technologies, defense and aerospace manufacturing, renewable energy systems, and high-performance electronics. 1/4

Africa saw record levels of militant Islamist group activity last year, resulting 23,968 fatalities—a 25% increase over 2025. The region driving this is the Sahel, where 41% of those deaths occurred, and half of *those* deaths happened in Burkina Faso. africacenter.org/spo...

The fight against militant Islamist groups in the Sahel is significantly hampered by the number of citizens killed by the military juntas ruling over them. In Mali and Burkina Faso, this has even been used by JNIM as leverage for recruitment. africacenter.org/spo...

Renaud Agbodjo is the leader of Benin’s largest opposition party, Les Démocrates. He was seen as a formidable opponent with considerable name recognition, but voters in Benin did not see him on the ballot today. Our spotlight explains why: africacenter.org/spo...

Benin's president is stepping down, but that doesn't mean tomorrow's elections is an equal playing field. Read all about who's running and—just as significant—who wasn't allowed to run in Benin's election:

The small but strategically located East African nation of Djibouti held presidential elections today, in which 77-year-old President Ismail Omar Guelleh expects to gain a sixth presidential term in office—a result nearly assured by the imbalanced electoral playing field. africacenter.org/spo...

**In the news:** A new report finds that Burkina Faso’s army is responsible for the majority of civilian deaths in the country’s conflict. 🧵

Facts to Know: The Widening Scope of Africa’s Militant Islamist Threat ⤵️ 1. Violence is at record levels ⚠️ Militant Islamist groups were linked to 23,968 fatalities in 2025—a 24% increase from the previous year and on par with the highest levels ever recorded in Africa.

In 2025, Africa saw 8,375 violent events linked to Islamist groups—the highest ever reported on the continent. The Sahel continues to suffer the highest number of fatalities, while Somalia saw the sharpest increase over 2024. africacenter.org/spo...