Author: James Okafor
James Okafor
James Okafor is a defence and security analyst with over 14 years of experience covering sub-Saharan Africa's military affairs, peacekeeping operations, and defence procurement. A former strategic communications consultant for regional security bodies, he has reported from conflict zones across the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and the Great Lakes region. His analysis has been cited by think tanks including the African Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS) and various NATO-affiliated research institutions. James holds an MA in International Security Studies from the University of Pretoria and a BA in Political Science from the University of Lagos. He specialises in drone warfare, naval modernisation, arms trade dynamics, and the growing role of private military contractors on the African continent.
Vessels connected to Russia’s widely sanctioned “shadow fleet” are abusing continental shipping registries to continue exporting oil and fund Moscow’s war with Ukraine. Russia uses African…
Nigeria’s battle with terrorism is colliding with a rapidly expanding digital ecosystem, and video-sharing platform TikTok is emerging as terror groups’ app of choice. The Islamic…
No longer simply a way to produce propaganda, AI has become a key tool for terrorist groups who use it to plan attacks, teach how to…
On October 7, 2025, a group of heavily armed men in military fatigues visited a mosque in Mocímboa da Praia, a coastal town in Cabo Delgado…
Armed pirates in mid-August boarded and seized a cargo vessel about 4 nautical miles off the Somali coast. About a month earlier, pirates seized a Tanzanian-flagged…
Experts and officials are grappling with the future of African peacekeeping operations amid a new reality of rising terrorism and shrinking international funding. Financial support and…
Sahel terrorists are targeting gold mines and surrounding communities in search of revenue, recruits and weaponry such as explosives. In some cases, the terrorists have built…
ADF STAFF Industrial development is booming across much of Africa, and with it comes the use of hazardous chemicals and other sensitive material. Terrorist groups covet…
ADF STAFF In June, soldiers from Mali and Niger graduated from special forces training in Isparta, Türkiye, becoming the latest example of the Turkish military’s growing…
ADF STAFF As it seeks to expand its territory, the Sahelian terror organization Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin has launched violent attacks in the border areas of…