The fight against illicit drug trafficking, trading, and use received a massive boost when the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commissioned an operational facility built for the Agency by the UK Government on Monday 15th April 2024 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Speaking during the occasion monitored on Superscreen TV, the NDLEA Boss also disclosed that the agency has made arrests of 50,901 drug offenders, including 46 barons, and successfully prosecuted and secured the conviction of 9,034 of them, adding that the agency also recorded the seizure of over 7,561 tonnes of illicit substances within the last three years. General Marwa said that these successes have helped to send the right messages to drug cartels and their kingpins that Nigeria will not tolerate their criminal activities. Marwa stated this in Lagos in his remarks at the commissioning and handing over ceremony of an operational facility built and donated to NDLEA by the British government, which he commended for the generous support saying that it will further boost the capability of the anti-narcotic agency to tackle the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
According to him, “We gather here not just to commission a new building complex but to celebrate a significant milestone in our ongoing fight against the scourge of licit and illicit drug trafficking. Today, we commission the newly acquired building, a project made possible through the generous support of the British Government. I must begin by expressing our deepest gratitude to the British Government, for their unwavering commitment and invaluable contributions to our cause. From the onset of our collaboration, the UK has been a steadfast ally in our relentless pursuit to neutralize transnational organized criminal activities, particularly in the realm of illicit drug production and trafficking.” He further stated that the building complex stands not only as a physical structure but as a symbol of the enduring partnership between Nigeria and the United Kingdom in the global fight against drug trafficking. It represents the culmination of years of cooperation, mutual trust, and shared determination to combat one of the most pressing threats to our societies.
It can be recalled that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has achieved significant strides in recent times with its serial successes in curbing the rising scourge of drug abuse, illicit drug trade, and transnational trafficking of substances through its intelligence-led nationwide campaigns across Nigeria, particularly at the various land, sea, and air borders in the country. The agency has also taken its nationwide campaigns to school campuses, marketplaces, and religious organizations while also increasing its network of narco-surveillance capabilities on the highways across the length and breadth of the country.
“The significance of this project cannot be overstated. It will serve as a vital hub for data analysis and strategic planning in our efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks and apprehend those responsible. With state-of-the-art facilities and technology at our disposal, we are better equipped than ever before to tackle this complex and ever-evolving challenge head-on” the NDLEA Boss said.
Speaking further on the successes of the NDLEA, Gen. Marwa said the agency has undergone a tremendous reformation, with its metamorphosis catalyzed by partners like the United Kingdom, resulting in remarkable achievements. He said, “Our seizure of 7,560,748.5 kilograms (7,561 tonnes) not only disrupts the flow of illegal drugs but also serves as a significant blow to the criminal networks responsible for their distribution. We have taken decisive action against illicit drug crop cultivation with our search-and-destroy campaign against cannabis plantations which have led to the destruction of 1,057.33348 hectares of cannabis farms in the past three years.”
While acknowledging officials of the British government who facilitated the realization of the project, the NDLEA boss called for the strengthening of the existing partnership between Nigeria and the UK, and urged for continuous collaboration across borders and boundaries, to disrupt criminal networks, intercept illegal drugs, and bring to justice those who seek to profit from the illicit drug trade. Marwa however stated that though so much has been achieved under his leadership of the agency, the battle against illicit drugs is far from over.
Also speaking at the ceremony, British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Jonny Baxter assured of continued support to NDLEA and Nigeria stating that the UK government is delighted to have this long-standing relationship with the NDLEA. Mr. Baxter expressed continued support for the NDLEA and the Nigerian government in its quest to tackle a global menace.
The global war against suicide which was initiated by the Global Suicide Prevention Squad has moved a step further in its quest to rid India, and indeed, the rest of the world of suicide by 2025 and 2030 respectively. This time, however, the war was taken to both the transgender and law enforcement communities in India.
Transgender Communities in India
Based on the 2011 Census of India, the transgender population was 487,803. Today, it is thought be nearing the 1 million mark, if not more. According to Wikipedia, a transgender person (often abbreviated to trans person) is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through transitioning, often adopting a different name and set of pronouns in the process. Additionally, they may undergo sex reassignment therapies such as hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery to more closely align their primary and secondary sex characteristics with their gender identity. Not all transgender people desire these treatments, however, and others may be unable to access them for financial or medical reasons. Those who do desire to medically transition to another sex may identify as transsexual.
Photo: Front Row – Mr. Isaac Agarwal (Middle) with some facilitators, counsellors and advisors during the workshop
In India, transgender people face severe structural discrimination and abuse, including emotional torture and societal neglect. According to Justice KS Radhakrishnan, the transgender community in India is “…extremely vulnerable to harassment, violence and sexual assault in public spaces, at home and in jail, also by the police. Sexual assault, including molestation, rape, forced anal and oral sex, gang rape and stripping is being committed with impunity and there are reliable statistics and materials to support such activities”. Many others were often denied social amenities, including obtaining Drivers License and other social benefits. In some extreme cases, transgender people were ostracized from their communities.
Although the Supreme Court of India declared transgender to be a ‘third gender’ in Indian law in April 2014, the discriminatory culture is still embedded in the society while the systematic deprivations has led many transgender people to become suicidal with rising cases of mental illness among the communities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified stigma, particularly surrounding mental disorders and suicide, as a major impediment to the war against suicide. This means that many people thinking of taking their own life or who have attempted suicide are not seeking help and are therefore not getting the help they need. The prevention of suicide has not been adequately addressed due to a lack of awareness of suicide as a major public health problem and the taboo in many societies to openly discuss it. To date, only a few countries have included suicide prevention among their health priorities and only 38 countries report having a national suicide prevention strategy.
The WHO therefore recommended raising community awareness and breaking down the taboo as a panacea for countries to make progress in preventing suicide.
Photos: A Cross-section of transgender people listening with rapt attention during the workshop in Nahur, Mubai.
The Global Suicide Prevention Squad, in its determination to stop this ugly suicidal trend, recently held a ‘Suicide Prevention’ workshop with the transgender community in association with Karunya Trust at Nahur, Mumbai on 25th Jan 2023. According to the Founder of the Global Suicide Prevention Squad, Mr. Isaac Agarwal, “the suicide rate among this community is between 30% – 51%. By the age of 20 almost all would have attempted suicide at least once”.
The Law Enforcement Connection
Part of the government’s response to the increasing rate of suicide in India is the empowerment of strategic agencies of government to be able to deal effectively with the menace. Apart from the multi-sectoral approach by sectors such as health, education, and social services, law enforcement agencies such as the Police are also critical to, not only responding to incidents of suicides, but also deescalating suicidal red flags and managing post-incident activities, especially with the families and friends of victims and the affected communities. This is why the Global Suicide Prevention Squad extended its activities to personnel of the India Police Force on 28th January 2023, when it organized a training workshop for police officers at Kharkar Alley, Thane West, with many more already scheduled for the coming weeks and months.
A cross-section of Police Officers listening with rapt attention during the training
According to Mr. Isaac Agarwal, “The trauma and stress of responding to crises also contributes to suicide risks within the police force. Our workshops not only train them in providing support to survivors at the scene of a suicide, but also helps the officers in maintaining their own personal well being.”
Photo: Mr. Isaac Agarwal addressing Police Officers during the training program
The GLOBAL SUICIDE PREVENTION SQUAD under ‘Kinging Youth Foundation’, is on a mission to make India suicide-free by 31st December 2025 and the world suicide-free by 31st December 2030.
For more information on how to partner with them, kindly visit ispsquad.com or simply call +91 9820235134, +91 9820785150.
There is a different kind of pandemic secretly ravaging the world today and it’s not Covid-19 or any infectious disease of any sort. Neither is it war or hunger. It is SUICIDE. The alarming rates at which people of all races, religion, social status, age and education are resorting to taking their own lives either out of frustration, despair, poverty, abuse, peer pressure, or general conflicts have reached alarming scales to warrant global efforts aimed at reversing this ugly tide.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently reported that about 730,000 people commit suicide annually. The global health institution said in every 45 seconds someone dies of suicide around the world., explaining that for each suicide, approximately 135 people suffer intense grief, “resulting in 108 million people, annually, who are profoundly impacted by suicidal behaviours.” Furthermore, the WHO stated that for every suicide, there are many more people who attempt suicide. It went on to state that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds, while 77% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. These are worrisome statistics especially considering the rising cases of suicide amongst teenagers and young adults.
While there are no known single most critical cause of suicide, it has been observed that mental health challenges, peer pressures, financial difficulties, abusive relationships, dysfunctional families, bullying, proliferation of firearms, alcohol, and sexual exploitation amongst others have been indicated as contributory factors to the rising cases of suicides around the world.
Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and entire countries and has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. Suicide occurs in both low-income and high-income countries, and is a global phenomenon in all regions of the world irrespective of sex, age and religion. Although suicide is a serious public health problem, it is however preventable with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost interventions by both the public and private sectors.
Global Suicide Prevention Squad
Fortunately, there is a private sector-led global initiative to mitigate this development especially among the upwardly mobile demography, including children and young adults, which is championed by the Global Suicide Prevention Squad, led by Mr. Isaac Agarwal, based out of Mumbai, India. According to Mr. Isaac Agarwal, the Global Suicide Prevention Squad Founded since 2017 is “doing our part to solve the problem by conducting Suicide Prevention – Awareness and Training programs, for students, teachers and parents in thousands of school across India, with a goal to make India Suicide Free by 31st December 2025”. This is being accomplished through their regular suicide prevention and awareness programs where they provide expert advise, guidance, counselling and other intervention resources to young people in schools, as well as professionals in their workplaces around the world. So far, the Global Suicide Prevention Squad has reached over 500,986 people till date, saving over 21,675 lives.
Picture 1: Above: Mr. Isaac Agarwal conducting Suicide Prevention and Awareness Training for personnel of NSCDC in Port Harcourt Nigeria
According to information available on their website, the Global Suicide Prevention Squad employs a unique philosophy to pursue its goals of ending suicide in India by 2025. This philosophy is called Jeeva Mein Asha Hai which literally means “There’s Hope in Life”.
Picture 2 & 3: Mr. Isaac Agarwal and his colleague conducting Suicide Prevention and Awareness Training for young people in India
JEEVAN MEIN ASHA HAI (There is Hope in Life)
Jeevan Mein Asha Hai ( There is Hope in Life) is a initiative of Kinging Youth Foundation, which is another of their vehicles for achieving a suicide-free world. According to them “The Core Vision of this program is to have a suicide-free world by 31st December 2030. We aim to achieve the same by raising 15 million (1 crore 50 lakh) volunteers in India, 2 million (20 Lakh) in Nigeria, 80 million (8 Crore) volunteers called JEEVAN RAKSHAKS (LIFE SAVIOURS) worldwide.” Thus, with this global army of people dedicated to spreading the message of hope in life rather than despair, the Global Suicide Prevention Squad hopes to eradicate suicides in the world. They are the true Life Savers!
Become A Life Saviour (JEEVAN RAKSHAK)
A Life Saviour is Jeevan Rakshak in Hindi and according to the Global Suicide Prevention Squad, a Life Saver has three key responsibilities which includes:
1) Acting as early warning mechanisms for recognizing suicidal red flags in people in their circle of influence
2) Responding as the first line of defense against suicide by counselling the individuals at such early stages
3) Guiding them to an experts for further professional treatment via the comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program
PREVENTING SUICIDE
According to the WHO, Suicide prevention efforts require coordination and collaboration among multiple sectors of society, including the health sector and other sectors such as education, labour, agriculture, business, justice, law, defence, politics, and the media. These efforts must be comprehensive and integrated as no single approach alone can make an impact on an issue as complex as suicide. With more individual and group efforts such as those of the Global Suicide Prevention Squad, Kinging Youth Foundation, and their partners, eliminating, or at least, reducing the challenges of suicides in the world will not only be a possibility but also a reality.
For more information and enquiries on how you can partner with the Global Suicide Prevention Squad and Kinging Youth Foundation to eradicate suicidal tendencies in the world by 2030, please visit their website www.ispsquad.com or send an email to ispsquad1@gmail.com
The corona virus, otherwise known as Covid-19, caught the world unawares and literally brought it to its knees in every ramification of the word. Known to have started 2019 in faraway Wuhan China, the dreaded virus quickly spread all over the world leading to the declaration by the WHO that the situation has become a global pandemic thus necessitating a globally coordinated response to mitigate its impacts and effects across every human endeavor, including the Broadcast Media industry.
As at the last count, the global death toll of Covid-19 is alleged to have crossed the 1 million mark with the United States of America, Brazil, Spain, Italy and many other European countries sadly contributing the largest quotas. Thankfully and despite predictions that the streets of Africa and indeed Nigeria will be filled with “dead bodies” as a result of the virus, the African continent and Nigeria in particular, recorded very moderate infection and death rates. It is important to state at this point that the coordinated response to the pandemic at all levels of government in Nigeria under the auspices of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, in collaboration with the broadcast media industry helped to effectively manage the situation.
As part of strategies to combat the menace, the National Center For Disease Control and the Presidential Task Force leveraged the resources of the broadcast media to create enlightenment campaigns in the form of TV adverts, dramas, jingles and other sensitization programs at all levels. Radio and Television programs were specifically developed and produced and disseminated to the nook and crannies of the country to educate and inform the citizenry on the dangers of the virus. At sub-national levels, State Governments set up isolation centers for managing certified cases of infection as well as for containing the spread of Covid-19 and extensively utilized the broadcast media for guiding the populace accordingly. Today, the success of effectively managing the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria can be partly attributed to the efforts of the broadcast media industry in its collaboration with governments at all levels.
THE ROLE OF NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMMISSION
It is pertinent to state here that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) also played its role by providing the required guidelines for disseminating or broadcast of all information relating to the Covid-19 pandemic on TV, Radio and on other media channels in order to avoid misinformation, disinformation and spread of fake news thereby misleading the general public. For example, the NBC had warned broadcast organizations to desist from disseminating any report or information on production of Covid-19 vaccines or other curative medicines unless verified by the NCDC, NAFDAC or the Ministry of Health. In addition, only figures from the NCDC was deemed accurate for dissemination to the public. To a very large extent, media houses have kept to the NBC guidelines although many others adopted a “middle of the road” approach.
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
To address the Covid-19 outbreak during its early stages in Nigeria, the Federal Government imposed total lockdown rules on some States such as Lagos, which was deemed the epicenter, Ogun, and the FCT, while other States around the country had partial lockdown. With the lockdown restrictions came also the closure of businesses and livelihood of millions of Nigerians put at risk. Virtually every sector of the Nigerian economy was severely affected by the restrictions. Schools, Churches, Mosques and entertainment centers were not left out. Same with the Broadcast Media industry. Many lost their jobs while the lucky few got massive salary cuts. Although the Federal and State governments invested billions of Naira into getting the health sector ready to deal with the scourge, there yet remains controversy as to the quality of medical care provided during the period and even now.
Today, however, the Government at both Federal and State levels have relaxed the imposition of restrictions as well as other strict regulations. Many businesses have reopened and gradually finding their feet in the “new normal” but the devastating effect of Covid-19 and the accompanying lockdown restrictions remain a scar for many sectors of the economy, including the Media Industry.
THE BROADCAST MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES
No doubt, the broadcast media industry suffered greatly as a result of the imposed restriction during the Covid-19 which led to massive loss of revenue, disengagement of staff, and other macro and micro consequences.
For example, social distancing guidelines resulted to cancellations of live events scheduled nationwide at stadiums, arenas, theaters, resorts, theme parks and other venues. This ultimately resulted in lost revenues from ticket sales, merchandising, advertising, promotions. Another challenge arising from the social distancing regulation was the closure of some offices and operations and the need to have most of the employees work from home or remote locations thus creating a major cybersecurity risk for most broadcast organizations.
TV and Movie production outfits suffered major setbacks as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This led to postponement or outright cancellations of release dates for new contents for broadcast media organizations. Sporting contents such as football, athletics, etc. which is a big earner for many media organizations, stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Even with the relaxed restrictions, the sporting venues are still empty.
DWINDLING ADVERTISING REVENUES
Several major brands and big advertisement spenders embarked on massive budget cuts due to poor sales despite great outlook at the beginning of the year. Advertising revenues are highly correlated with the performance of the economy. As the world has become more globalized, countries’ macroeconomic performances have gradually grown more connected. This has made the world better and more prosperous; but has also increased its volatility and inherent risks. The better response to risk and volatility is diversification, which is why several commercial broadcasters have tried to diversify their revenues away from advertising and towards other funding sources such as subscriptions and content licensing. However, advertising still accounts for a large share of the media industry’s revenue. The impact of coronavirus on countries’ macroeconomic performance is and will be real and extremely damaging. In the media industry, this is leading to a sharp decrease in advertising spending.
FINANCIAL HEALTH OF BROADCASTERS THREATENED
As earlier discussed, the Coronavirus crisis has led to a sudden halt in advertising investments, an essential source of revenue for public broadcasters and the only source of financial income for private broadcasters. The existing business model is, therefore, being undermined. The situations are contrasted according to the share of advertising in the financing model:
For public broadcasters which derives between 30%-40% of its budget from advertising revenue, it is estimated that the loss will be 10% of annual advertising revenue.
For private broadcasters, the loss of revenue in March/April 2020 alone according to statistics exceeded 50% globally. Figures are circulating of revenue losses of up to 70% for April 2020. We can, therefore, expect a net decrease, without compensation, of about 10% in annual turnover.
WAVES OF REDUNDANCIES AND COST-CUTTING MEASURES
The loss of income leads to drastic savings plans, and when businesses talk about savings, most times they mean laying off employees. Here are a few examples:
ITV (United Kingdom): programming budgets cut by £100m
Channel 4 has implemented a £245m savings programme that includes a 10% reduction in staff and the elimination of programmes.
M6 (France) is launching a €100m savings plan aimed at reducing costs by 20%. This savings plan will inevitably have an impact on the other entities of the group.
RTL Belgium: the Belgian channel has already undergone significant restructuring in 2018 with the loss of 88 positions.
Back home in Nigeria, many broadcast media organizations have laid off staff but sadly this is largely unreported for obvious reasons.
THE WAY FORWARD
While the media industry may be among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis, it is also the one humanity is relying on for crucial up-to-the-minute information — and as a way to counter the isolation caused by social distancing. As past crises have proven, the media industry has shown the ability to rally, buoyed by resurgent demand during the recovery period like we are already seeing around the world.
Ultimately, consumers want to stay informed. They want to be entertained. And the media industry — encompassing the ecosystem of Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Customers (B2C) companies — continues to find novel, engaging ways to help deliver on the promise of keeping customers informed and entertained.
CREATIVE INNOVATION
Finally, this crisis is certainly going to spur some creative innovation in terms of new programming formats and workflows as demand for entertainment rises while supply shrinks dramatically. Sports broadcasters for example may be leveraging their archives to create new content for fan engagement as well as experimenting with new formats that do not rely on live production. News is already adapting to the lockdown requirements with several programs around the world gathering experts’ input through consumer video technology. These trends may also produce some lasting changes in the industry.
The coronavirus crisis has already changed the way broadcast media business is done in 2020. Those who do not prepare now will find 2021 a hard year to do business. The broadcast and media industry will be affected by the shock created by this but could take some actions to adapt to it. There is no way to be sure of the real effects of this crisis but in a time of such uncertainty it is worth looking at the glass half full and understand how we can all make the most out of the current situation.
22nd December 2022 will remain indelible in the annals of the global security profession as national security experts, including professionals from the private sector gathered to participate in the international security conference and awards organized by the prestigious International Security Organization (ISO-SEC) Switzerland.
The international conference themed “THREATS TO SECURITY: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE” held at Marriot Hotel, Zurich, Switzerland, with participants from various parts of the world. Speaking during the conference and awards, President and Founder of the International Security Organization (ISO-SEC) Switzerland, Dr. Nikolas Fokianos, said all the conference participants and awards recipients have distinguished themselves in their respective domains in National and Industrial Security, adding that ISO-SEC Switzerland will continue to promote professionalism through quality security education and training certifications at globally competitive rates.
International Security Organization (ISO-SEC)Switzerland is a registered United Nations Higher Education vendor providing Swiss standard of learning, research and certifications in the areas of Industrial and Corporate Security, Intelligence, Safety, Law Enforcement, and Military operations. Moreover, ISO-SEC Switzerland have trained thousands of security and safety professionals, including law enforcement officers and members of the armed forces, from more than 30 countries of the world.
Some of ISO-SEC’s premier certification programs and courses includes Certified Physical Security Manager (CPSM), Certified Intelligence Analyst (CINTA), Certified Threats Analyst (CTA), Certified Loss Prevention Officer (CLPO), Chief Security Officer (CSO) course and many more. See http://www.iso-sec.com for more details.
Three people dead after shooting in Iowa church parking lot (Reuters)
Violence at worship centers – including numerous shootings – has religious organizations across the country struggling with the question of the need for armed security. A violent act at a place of worship is almost always going to be one of the worst tactical situations you can create. It’s a close, crowded area where 99.9 percent of the people are innocent bystanders.
A CASE STUDY:
In late 2007, a person entered a church in Colorado Springs, Colo., and opened fire. The armed security team at the church reacted and shot the gunman. There is no doubt the actions taken by the armed security person at the church saved lives, but it just didn’t happen because the security person was armed. The Security team was aware of the potential threat because of an incident earlier in the week, and there was proper training, preparation, experienced personnel, communication and a plan in place for the threat. All of this came together. It just didn’t happen because someone at the church had a gun.
Compare the above case study with the mass shooting incidents at a Synagogue in Pittsburgh USA in October 2018 and another one at a Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand on 15th March 2019 respectively and you will realize the huge difference that preparedness and effective response planning can make for your facilities. Evidently, the only viable reason to consider arming a security staff at your place of worship is to be ready and committed to the use of deadly force in a situation when it’s called for.
Question: Is your organization willing to make that call?
Register your Security Team now for the upcoming “ACTIVE SHOOTER: PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE” Training Course organized by the International Security Organization – ISO KLG (ISO-SEC) Switzerland and help prepare your facilities, churches, mosques, Synagogues, staff and business operations against possible active shooter threats.
For more information, please contact us via +2348077098235. 🤝
African soldiers undergoing training with Soviet-era/Russian machineguns
For several years now, I have been warning African military forces about what I consider to be future defense and security problems, the failure to adapt doctrines and make doctrinal adjustments, the importance of informational dominance, and the folly of neglecting technology as a force multiplier.
Unfortunately, these warnings were never taken very seriously. The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Armed Forces in February 2022 will present Africa with numerous challenges and problems. These will not only effect daily necessities but will also have an enormous future knock-on effect African armed forces will have to contend with.
Given the huge amounts of ammunition and equipment the Russians committed to the Ukrainian front, along with the fierce resistance offered by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, equipment losses have been staggering. These losses will need to be replaced by both countries when the war is finally over.
Whereas NATO-supplied equipment has been able to exploit the vulnerabilities of Russian equipment, especially insofar as anti-armour weapon systems are concerned, it is noticeable that the Russian forces apparently have no effective counter. The war has also highlighted many innovations and how an opposing force can be attacked. The deployment of weaponized commercial drones is one example.
Equally, gaining informational dominance is critical if one needs to shape perceptions, influence public opinion, and gain the moral high ground. These are important lessons to take note of. However, what ought to be of concern to African armed forces is the fact that both countries have already delved into their first-line reserve and second-line equipment. In addition, the military industries of both countries have suffered setbacks ranging from the destruction of factories to the acquiring of microchips and other high-tech elements, materials, and parts. To rebuild their respective military industries, replace equipment losses, replenish ammunition stocks, as well as reequip their atrophied armed forces is going to take years, and at great cost.
The armed forces of many African states are equipped with Soviet-era or more recent Russian and Ukrainian equipment. Not only has the invasion highlighted the vulnerabilities of especially the older Russian equipment, it has also highlighted the folly of what appears to be Russian doctrinal stagnation. It will become increasingly problematic for African armies to acquire ammunition and spares for this equipment, or to maintain it in good combat order. But the armed challengers and AGFs will experience the same problems.
Unless African armed forces start looking at developing their own defense industries to counter current and predicted threats, they will become willing victims of the fallout of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Written by:
Eeben Barlow Political/Military Advisor/Strategist Author: Executive Outcomes, Composite Warfare, & War for Africa
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