The African Connection

We share news and analysis on African security issues & relevant continental geopolitical information.

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

#Somalia expels #Ethiopia's amb. following tensions of latter's political-economic agreement with #Somaliland.
Question remains how will 🇸🇴🇪🇹 tensions go.
Could extremist Jihadists elements be involved in stoking them, as they have done in #WestAfrica?

https://t.co/urRJ2UuPGl

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

#Togo in political crisis following suspicions against Pres. Gnassingbe of trying to stay in power by delaying elections and changing the presidential system to parliamentary.

We hope that the 🇹🇬 crisis will be peacefully resolved

https://t.co/bnQybtEzZv

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

30 years later, present and former world leaders including 🇺🇸🇿🇦🇨🇿🇪🇹🇲🇬🇲🇷 travelled to Kigala to commemorate #Kwibuka30 in #Rwanda

The victims of #RwandaGenocide will never be forgotten

https://t.co/do2JJclOGE

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

Even a year on, #Sudan remains another forgotten war by the intl community, with millions displaced, unstable security in East Africa, and not a word from the West, unlike the #GazaWar & #UkraineWar

https://t.co/3UEgzXT9qZ

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

From #BokoHaram to #Hamas, kidnapping has become the terrorist's currency, enabling them to shape both local & world politics and conduct geopolitical extortion.

Continuing to shed light onto them is the first step in resolving this threat.

https://t.co/91j6JXex9O

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

Al-Aqsa Foundation in #SouthAfrica, suspected of funding #Hamas, had had its banking activities shut down back in 2013 in 2 🇿🇦 banks.

AAF claims not to fund the group, however these past closures + 🇺🇸 sanctions cast doubt over said claims

https://t.co/dhBYzKGphl

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

🇳🇪🇲🇱🇧🇫 have created a task force to tackle jihadists and insurgents
While we hope this joint-junta force return some stability to #Sahel & #WestAfrica, the unpredictable nature of the regimes may prove challenging, as is 🇷🇺's presence in the area.
https://t.co/SJMAujVEU9

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

We wish everyone a calm and safe Ramadan
رمضان كريم

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

200 people (mostly women & children) kidnapped by Islamic extremists in north #Nigeria according to 🇳🇬 locals.

#WestAfrica continues to face cruel hardship and we hope that local and regional security forces help rescue the innocents.

https://t.co/Avm09RWbP2

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

#Sudan while still suffering from war is also impacted from the Red Sea crisis from attacks by #Houthis on trade, delaying important medicine/food for 🇸🇩 by months.
Sudan & Africa are just as affected by radical Iranian-proxies as the West and ME.
https://t.co/Fw2LcvlbAY

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

An interesting development: #ECOWAS lifts 🇬🇳&🇲🇱sanctions and the heaviest 🇳🇪 sanctions. No known lifting of 🇧🇫 sanctions for the moment.

Could this be a positive sign for the resumption of dialogue among the #WestAfrica states?

https://t.co/jbvxFdTPtx

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

Hopefully good news for #Senegal's democracy.

With a majority of presidential candidates agreeing to not hold 🇸🇳 elections after April 2, there is a chance for stability to remain in #WestAfrica.

https://t.co/XKq81j7qNk

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

Somali pirates indeed seem to have been inspired by the #Houthi raids, with a "novel" record of attacks in 2023.
Another effect of #Iran's terror export on #Africa? Time will tell if the pirates remain deterred by nearby warships.
https://t.co/iVF8xuG40d

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

#Egypt stands to bear most of the brunt from #Houthi attacks on the Red Sea. Even with tourism/exports, it will take time before the African and Arab regional power will shake off the Iranian-proxy, who act akin to the well-known Somali pirates.

https://t.co/TRnYBlT4Mx

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

#Senegal's election delay to December has those opposed to the delay warning that the West African democracy is in danger.
With #ECOWAS also in favor of keeping the elections as is, worried eyes are also now on 🇸🇳 and its future.
https://t.co/Jqn2GkxewN

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

#WestAfrica crisis sadly continues with 🇲🇱's leave from ECOWAS.

Withdrawing from the bloc complicates communication between both sides and puts 🇲🇱's standing in question. Is the junta capable of leading in this situation?
As always, time will tell.
https://t.co/YuP4of5wJm

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

#Sudan remains suffering from atrocities perpetrated by reported #RSF militias, who have targeted boys to ethnically cleanse the darker-skinned Masalits.

Further death and destruction sadly expected from #Sudan_War_Updates unless intl community steps up.

https://t.co/aFdDuioUXS

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

#Russia delegation was received last week by #Niger to "strengthen military cooperation", a day after they went to #Mali to talk development & energy.

🇷🇺🇳🇪rapprochement is another sign of #Sahel power play. With 🇳🇪🇧🇫 also leaving G5 Sahel, 🇷🇺's #WestAfrica presence increases.

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

Guinea-Bissau now also allegedly facing a "coup attempt" according to President Embalo who dissolved 🇬🇼's parliament.

Yet another #WestAfrica and #ECOWAS nation risking national instability?
Will outside players (and the #Sahel juntas!) take advantage of the unrest?

[The African Connection @ThinkTAC2022]

🇺🇸 officially labels the #Niger events as a coup and suspends military aid/training.
How will 🇳🇪 junta react to the decision remains to be seen. US may shift to focusing on surveilling 🇳🇪 and combatting terror elements elsewhere in the #Sahel.
https://t.co/8JsEoMWWzL