Security in Africa: US, China, and Russia

The Voice of America posted on 25 October 2019 a text titled "VOA Interview with US AFRICOM Spokesman" by Carla Babb.

This in-depth interview with Africa Command Director of Public Affairs Col. Chris Karns focused on US competition with China and Russia in Africa. Col. Karns said that defeating violent extremist organizations and training African partner forces to do so on their own is something that the United States brings to Africa that China and Russia are not willing to do at the level and quality that the United States military is able to do. He also noted that in this era of global power competition, the United States does not want to create an opportunity "to make Russia or China great."

Extremism and terrorism in Africa

The Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington published a solid study on extremism and terrorism in Africa titled "Africa's Fragile States: Empowering Extremists, Exporting Terrorism" dated August 2010. Authored by Zachary Devlin-Foltz, it includes a brief analysis of the situation in Somalia.

Response to the assassination of Said Tahlil Ahmed, director of the 'Horn Afrik' radio station

The cowardly attack (see Al Jazeera's story here) early in February on Said Tahlil Ahmed, director of Horn Afrik radio station in Mogadishu, is another setback for peace in Somalia and the establishment of a governmental administration that makes a serious effort to unite Somalis for building a better future. I am convinced that the vast majority of Somalis strongly oppose political assassinations, suicide bombings, and use of land mines by a small minority that is trying to achieve power by any means available to it. The long list of attacks in Somalia on independent journalists is especially reprehensible. The message being conveyed is that political extremists can only have an impact by engaging in cowardly acts. I don't believe Somalis will rally to this cause. Image: "Journalist Said Tahlil Ahmed was killed by gunmen in Somalia, according to a colleague who was with him." Source: CNN.