Morocco Buys Chinese Wing Loong II Military Drones

 

The Royal Moroccan Army has finalized the acquisition of military drones from China in a continued effort to arm and bolster its air defense capabilities.

Moroccan has procured Wing Loong II medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) among other military systems.

Wing Loong II drones are developed by Chinese Chengdu Aircraft Design & Research Institute, originally intended to bolster surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

However, Wing Loong II has been fitted with notable capabilities such as an air-to-ground attack capability besides enhanced to fly for a maximum of 20 hours.

Also, armed with turbocharged engine that allows the Wing Loong II drone to have a maximum speed of 370 kilometers (229 miles) per hour.

Sources within the Royal Moroccan Military report that the Wing Loong II UAVs expected replace an older type of Chinese drone in the country’s military inventory.

Morocco has increased interest in procuring military drones. The country has been investing huge amounts of money for its military modernization program aimed at countering future threats.

 Photo/COURTESY: Bluebird Aero Systems

Last month, Morocco procured 150 drones from Israeli firm BlueBird Aero Systems for reconnaissance, surveillance, air defense, and emergency missions.

The EAC Starts Deployment Of Regional Troops To DRC With Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) Expected In Bunagana, Near The Border With Uganda

 

DRC President Félix Tshisekedi has announced that his country is preparing to receive the East African Community (EAC) regional force that is set to be deployed in the eastern region to aid in the fight against Jihadis and rebels. According to Tshisekedi the Kenyan contingent is expected to deploy and had been dispatching their logistical support systems during the last week of September.

The regional force is expected to be deployed in the Ituri, North, and South Kivu Provinces where the rebels are active and have caused the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent civilians. The Kenyan contingent will be the second after Burundian troops that deployed into South Kivu in August.

According to preliminary intelligence, the aforementioned Kenyan contingent is projected to be in charge of a hot zone in Bunagana, near the border with Uganda. The area has been under the M23 rebels since June 14 in the group’s renewed fighting.

The regional forces are expected to be made up of contingents from Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, Burundi, and Tanzania. At this moment, while Rwanda is a member of the EAC, there have been tensions between her and DRC in which Kinshasa has accused Kigali of supporting M23 rebels, allegations that Rwanda denies.

While the deployment of a regional force has been lauded especially due to the growing threat from ISCAP, all eyes will be on the force as people wait with batted breath to see if they will redeem the military presence. The public sentiment on military intervention has been very negative as the civilians have been protesting the presence of the UN peacekeepers. Therefore, while they will be fighting rebels and terrorists they are expected to work towards winning the civilians who are very fundamental in aiding in identifying and flashing out rebels, terrorists as well as their supporters and sympathizers.

  A huge explosion went off this morning in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, hardly a day after another blast brought down a hotel hosting government officials in Jowhar, Hir-Shabelle state.

The explosion, which reverberated across several neighbourhoods in Banadir region, took place in Ali-kamin neighbourhood of Warta-Nabada district in Banadir region.

Initial reports indicate that the explosion targeted ATMIS troops who were travelling along the Ali Kamin intersection in the Wartanabad district of Banadir region.

Eyewitnesses said a remote controlled landmine hit one of the army’s vehicles resulting in casualties, although no independent body has yet confirmed the claims.

The AU troops are said to have responded with an artillery of fire immediately the explosion went off and later proceeded with their journey after calm was restored. 

.In a similar news, The Somali Federal government on Sunday evening airlifted some of the victims who were wounded in the Jowhar bomb attack to Mogadishu for further medical treatment.

A Somali government delegation led by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Khadija Mohamed Diriye was at standby to receive the victims at the Aden Abdullahi airport.

According to the region’s State president Ali Gudlawe, three people, a soldier and two civilians were killed and 7 others including two regional ministers were wounded in the Sunday terror attack.

HirShabelle spokesperson, Da’ud Haji Irro said that the regional Minister of Women and Health was among those wounded in yesterday’s explosion.

A truck loaded with explosives was driven into a hotel known as Nur Dob, usually frequented by Hirshabelle State government officials.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they had targeted the hotel where the region’s senior officials were staying.

Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Brief for East and Central Africa (Somalia, Mozambique, DR-Congo, Tanzania, Uganda): Tracking Islamic State Terrorists In June 2022

 

INCIDENT REPORT

MOZAMBIQUE

• 30^th June- A Christian was attacked and killed by militants in Namuka village in the Ancuabe district.
• 29^th June- Militants attacked and took temporary control of a military base in Mandiba, Nangade district where they later released photos of weapons and ammo seized during the assault.
• 28^th June- jihadists attacked Nakosa village in Ancuabe district where at least one person was killed.
• 28^th June- militants attacked a bus in Mocimboa da Praia where they killed and wounded seven people.
• 28^th June-Christians were attacked and their homes burned in Kisanga Village, Kisanga area.
• 26^th June- several Christians were injured after militants attacked and burned their homes in Tandako Village, Macomia.
• 25^th June- militants ambushed a passenger bus traveling on Palma-Mueda road near Njama village in MDP.
• 24^th June- ISM attacked and burned houses in Nambini village, Macomia.
• 24^th June- 1 Christian was beheaded and homes burned after terrorists attacked Machicame village in Ancuabe district.
• 24^th June- Mahecane village in Ancuabe was attacked by militants who terrorized the residents and burned several houses.
• 23^rd June- Civilians in Nkoe Village, Macomia fled after an attack by ISM militants who burned houses and a church.
• 22^nd June- militants attacked and burned homes of Christians in Cvana village in Ancuabe
• 22^nd June- militants attacked and captured two people and burned their motorcycles on the road to Nkoe village in Macomia.
• 20^th June- a Mozambican military barracks in Mombi Jo village in Nangade was attacked, and weapons and ammo were seized.
• 21^st June- militants attacked and burned down houses in Nagera village which is located between Metuge and Mecufi regions.
• 18^th June- several people were beheaded and two churches burned down in an attack in the Gangolo village near Nangade.
• 19^th June- 2 Christians were beheaded and two churches burned down in Mancaya village in the Ancuabe district.
• 18^th June- at least 5 people were beheaded and homes razed in Mangelio village near Muidumbe district.
• 18^th June- 1 person was killed and homes razed, and a church burned after militants attacked Nanoa village in Ancuabe.
• 18^th June- militants attacked Christians in the village of Niquita, Ancuabe district
• 17^th June- ISM militants attacked Lurio village in the Memba region of Nampula Province.
• 16^th June- 4 people were beheaded by militants and bodies were left on the road in Malamba village in Nangade.
• 15^th June- IS-MOZ attacked Mieze town in the Pemba district as the group continues to advance south.
• 14^th June- 2 Christians were beheaded and a church burned to the ground after militants attacked Mankani and Mikolini villages in the Shior Area.
• 13^th June- two Christian men were captured and beheaded in Nipataku village in Ancuabe district by IS-MOZ terrorists.
• 13^th June- IS-MOZ claimed an attack in the Chiúre district where they are said to have killed 2 people and 70 houses.
• 10^th June- a Mozambican military patrol was attacked by militants armed with automatic weapons; two soldiers were killed and several others were wounded. The militants made away with weapons and ammo.
• 9^th June- insurgents appeared at the village of Ntutupue, about 55 km west of Pemba, where local sources report that they encountered two civilians, beheaded one, and instructed the other to report what had happened.
• 9^th June- a Christian village was attacked where militants massacred two people and burned 20 of their houses. The attack occurred in the village of Namilombe, in the Macomia district.
• 9^th June– insurgents and security forces clashed outside Quinto Congresso where two soldiers were killed and several others injured and weapons and ammo seized.
• 8^th June- militants attacked Grafex company, a graphite factory in Silava Macua, Ancuabe district. They beheaded two guards at the company.
• 7^th June- civilians were forced to flee after militants attacked and burned houses in Chai in Macomia.
• 5^th June- many homes were burned to the ground after militants attacked Nandoli village as the group appears to have extended its operations in the Ancuabe district of CD.
• 1^ST June- Jihadists ambushed a dried fish truck, and kidnapped and murdered several passengers, in Inidade, Mocímboa da Praia, Cabo Delgado.

TANZANIA

• 22^nd June- Militants reportedly attacked Chiumo village in the Mtwara region.
• 19^th June- 4 people were killed, and several houses were razed in Michenjele village in the Mtwara region.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

• 30^th June- 5 people were killed and 6 motorbikes burned after militants attacked a group of Christians with machine guns in Kiyala Village along the Beni-Kasindi road.
• 29^th June- a Congolese soldier was assassinated and his weapon stolen in Visiki village in Southwest Beni.
• 27^th June- ISCAP militants attacked and executed civilians in 4 villages; Manzumbu, Mamove, Babila, and Babombi villages in Beni.
• 27^th June- 7 people were killed, and homes burned in an attack in Mabo village in Beni.
• 26^th June- 6 people were killed and houses burned following an attack in the Kisima area in Beni.
• 26^th June- militants attacked Bakasi village, Beni killing seven people and burning several homes.
• 25^th June- 10 killed and 3 others injured in an ISCAP attack in Sambuku village in Beni.
• 25^th June- militants killed a Congolese army officer with automatic weapons on the road between Kilia and Bweriri in the Ronsuri area in Beni.
• 22^nd June- ISCAP militants targeted Christians with automatic weapons, killing a Congolese policeman and burning 4 houses in the Mabasele area, located west of Oicha City, Beni.
• 22^nd June- 2 people were killed, houses and vehicles burned and shops were robbed in Mabasele in Oicha city, Beni.
• 22^nd June- a vehicle convoy was ambushed in Makisabo village along the Beni-Kasindi road; 5 people were killed and 4 cars burned.
• 18^th June- 2 people were killed and 6 others wounded after an ISCAP cell attacked a passenger bus on Nyamabage-Rusizi road.
• 15^th June- 2 people were killed and at least 20 houses burned by militants in Mambelenga village in Walese Vonkutu, Ituri.
• 15^th June- two people were killed and several homes burned in an attack in Mamiki near Oicha city in Beni.
• 14^th June- a Congolese soldier was killed and his weapon seized following an attack by ISCAP in Tinambo village near Oicha in Beni.
• 13th June- ISCAP DR-Congo attacked a FARDC Camp at Makembe in northern Kivu in the area bordering Uganda.
• 12^th June- at least 10 people were brutally killed with machine guns and 8 motorcycles burned in an attack in Urouro and Opira villages, in the locality of Mayimoya, the territory of Beni.
• 8^th June- A Ugandan Army foot patrol was targeted by ISCAP militants with machine guns in Kenya Mbhuli Village, in the Rwenzori sector, Beni. Several of the soldiers were killed and wounded in the attack.
• 5^th June- At least 20 people were massacred and their houses razed to the ground by ISCAP jihadists in the village of Bwanasura in Otomabere in the territory of Irumu in Ituri Province.
• 4^th June- a Congolese military barracks in Erengeti, Beni was attacked by militants; a rocket launcher, a mortar, and ammunition were seized. The militants also burned the barracks.
• 1^st June- 3 people were killed and 5 houses burned in an ISCAP attack in Kabalwa village in the Rwenzori sector.

SOMALIA

• 3^rd June- a police checkpoint was attacked with a hand grenade in Hilwa, Mogadishu. One person was injured in the attack.

ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION

MOZAMBIQUE

In Mozambique, attacks appear to indicate that the insurgents are working towards capturing southern territory and closer to Pemba. Pemba has long been considered to be a haven in the province, but the recent bout of armed incursions in surrounding towns and villages has changed the risk status of Pemba. The militants have been moving in smaller cells that are mostly used for stealth operations which often include killings, looting, and arson before retreating to the forest. The recent attacks and propaganda images come as intelligence indicates that the militants have been establishing bases in the forest between Meluco and Macomia districts.

Additionally, contrary to the information released by Mozambique’s official channels, HUMINT indicates that the group is well prepared, with supplies and numbers, and appears to be gearing itself to advance further south into Pemba. Pemba is the main command and logistical hub SAMIM. While the militants appear to be headed south it is crucial to note that with the attention of the allied troops scattered, areas in the north and central that have been liberated from the militants are left vulnerable to resurgence and reoccupation by the militants.

The terror organization which was recently rebranded to Islamic State Mozambique (IS-MOZ) has been making waves with an increased number of attacks across most of the districts in Cabo Delgado. As evidenced by the incident reports herein, the number of attacks has increased with the majority of the attacks being on Christian targets, churches as well as arson attacks on the villages. While on the surface it appears that the militancy is expanding its territory, it is a strategic move by the newly minted IS-MOZ to stretch thin the already inadequate security resources in the province.

In late June Mozambican authorities in Sofala arrested and detained for questioning five individuals; three Somalis and two Kenyans on suspicion of having links to the insurgency in Cabo Delgado. The arrests come as the insurgency is believed to be receiving recruits from across the East African region as reinforcements. Intelligence indicated that in June when the resurgence of IS-MOZ began the militancy was expecting reinforcement from Kenya and DRC and crossing into CD through Mtwara.

In June, Islamic State-MOZ claimed the first attack in Nampula Province which occurred in Mithope village in Memba where at least a dozen militants attacked and looted before retreating. The group tends to conduct such attacks when establishing new territories and as such the attacks are both logistical as well as tactical to test the security forces while at the same time instilling fear among the residents.

It appears that IS-MOZ is working overtime to rebrand as an independent Mozambique province since it has been part of the Central African province. It has been seeking to claim headlines and has received praises from ISIS-Central. It is especially observed in the brutal pictures of attacks in the past few weeks which have heightened the threat by the group and continue to spread fear not only in Cabo Delgado but also in neighboring provinces.

• 

• 

DRC

Intelligence indicates that the increasing attacks in Ituri are being launched and coordinated from new bases that have since been erected in Monge hill and other strongholds in several villages in Walese Vonkutu chiefdom. ISCAP has set up new positions in the western part in Mutueyi, Kasoko, Akwekwe, Ntume, and Monge on the hill of Butani called Madina 2″.

Tensions continue to rise between Rwanda and DRC as Kinshasa accuses Kigali of deploying at least 500 troops on its soil. The accusation comes amid a sharp deterioration of relations between the countries over the recent resurgence of the M23 militia in the DRC’s volatile east.

MONUSCO provided technical and scientific police in Beni, North Kivu, with equipment to prevent bomb attacks in the city. They include 40 telescopic mirrors for the search and inspection of vehicles but also a hundred portable metal detectors that will aid in the fight against ISCAP.

The East Africa Community (EAC) passed the decision to deploy a Kenya-led regional force to the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo in order to restore peace and stabilize the region. Intelligence Analysts maintain that while the regional force is necessary especially as ISCAP and M23 seem to have resurged, the tensions between DRC and Rwanda could hinder the success of the force. Additionally, in recent years the discontentment of the civilians in North Kivu and Ituri is at an all-time high, and as such a military solution that is not backed by political, social, and reconciliation strategies will almost certainly fail.

Islamic State Mozambique Continues To Employ Attack Tactics Directed At Stretching And Exhausting The Security Forces’ Resources And Morale In Cabo Delgado

The Islamic State Mozambique (IS-MOZ) continued with its violent campaigns in the vast province of Cabo Delgado after the militants attacked locations in Meluco and Macomia districts.

In Meluco, terrorists burned several houses in Iba village. While a unit of the Defense and Security Forces had been deployed from Macomia to Iba, the group had already abandoned the village. Terrorists also attacked Chocomo village for the second time within a month burning houses as most of the village was deserted by civilians for fear of an attack.

In the past two weeks, attacks by the insurgency have become more sporadic and stretched over large areas. While the initial speculation was that the group was expanding and seeking to expand its territory it is gradually becoming a battle strategy.  The current pattern of insurgency activities is increasingly shifting by guerilla raids on remote, vulnerable targets across multiple districts. This is a strategy that is geared at stretching and exhausting the security forces’ resources.

is it true that MUSEVENI is looking at the conflict in DRC as an opportunity .Is uganda treacherous towards DRC in respect to the M23 attacks in Rutshuru....

 Uganda expanded its area of influence at the expense of Rwanda, which had not been consulted and took umbrage... and woke up the M23 rebels. And the war has resumed in eastern Congo," said a Western diplomat based in Kampala.

For Congolese fleeing armed groups, Uganda is a valuable refuge. It is also one of the few countries in the world to pursue a policy of open borders for refugees from neighbouring countries. "It is the country in Africa that hosts the most refugees (1.5 million), and they have complete freedom of movement, the right to work, access to health and education. Everything but the right to vote," said Philippe Kuessan of UNHCR's Uganda office.

"President Museveni, in power since 1986, likes to show the world that his country is an oasis of stability," said a Western diplomat based in Kampala.

But why pursue such a policy?

« President Museveni, in power since 1986, likes to show the world that his country is an oasis of stability," said a Western diplomat based in Kampala. "This is true, except that he is also involved in the problems ravaging neighboring countries, both in South Sudan and Congo, where he takes advantage of the instability to carry out lucrative trafficking. After a suicide attack by the Islamist terrorist group ADF in its capital last October, the Ugandan government asked Kinshasa to be able to send troops to Congo to hunt down its fighters. This allowed Uganda to expand its area of influence at the expense of Rwanda, which had not been consulted and took umbrage... and woke up the M23 rebels. And the war has resumed in eastern Congo... »

In addition, Ugandan troops, who had already fought in the DRC in the early 2000s, behave in Congo as in conquered territory: illegal exploitation of resources (wood, gold, coltan...), massive violations of human rights denounced in particular by Amnesty International. Which contribute to the flight of Congolese civilians to Uganda... A lasting solution to such humanitarian tragedies should therefore first require a genuine political dialogue for peace.

"Where are all these young refugees going?"

Moreover, while Uganda generously opens its borders to refugees, it is mainly international humanitarian donors who are footing the bill. "The Ugandan government is promoting the settlement of refugees in impoverished areas of the country where it has invested little," said one humanitarian actor. "Because he knows that foreign partners will develop infrastructure that will greatly benefit local populations: schools, health centers, water supply. »

Moreover, as Human Rights Watch explains, "Uganda's 2021 elections, again won by President Yoweri Museveni, were marred by violence and repressive tactics. Security forces arbitrarily arrested and beat opposition supporters and journalists, killed protesters, and disrupted opposition rallies. »

« Museveni can brandish the one and a half million refugees his country is sheltering to avoid being too accountable to the international community for human and political rights. " says Ugandan journalist Ignatius Mujisha Bahizi. "And it's good to welcome refugees, but you have to be able to take care of them. There are already not enough secondary schools for Ugandan citizens: where will all these young refugees go? The situation is really tense... »

Journalist at the World Service

By Véronique Kiesel/Le Soir

Puntland armed Forces Seized a Boat Packed with Weapons on Shores of Gulf of Aden Meant for Al-Shabaab

 

Puntland Security Forces (PSF) successfully seized a boat packed with assortment of weapons on the shores of the Gulf of Aden in the city of Bosasso, Puntland region, Somalia.

Smugglers doing business with Al-Shabaab using small boats have been sneaking weapons into Puntland and finally landing into the hands of the Al-Qaeda aligned Al-Shabaab.  In recent months, the coastal areas in Puntland, northeastern Somalia has witnessed a surge in the smuggling of illegal weapons from war-torn Yemen.

At least two boats packed with weapons were sighted on the shores along Bandar-Bayla coast in Karkaar. Acting on intelligence from locals, PSF were able to swiftly seize the two boats and arrested 19 sailors on board, three of whom were foreigners and 16 Somalis.

Puntland Maritime Police Force [PMPF] confirmed of the confiscation of weapons including AK-47s. Its unfortunate some of the weapons might have been looted by the locals as the authorities. The uncontrolled purchase of firearms has been a major boost for Al-Shabaab in Somalia.

 Authorities further noted that the boats were carrying the weapons to the Al-Shabaab-controlled coastal town of Harar-Dhere in the Mudug region, central Somalia. The reports of Al-Shabaab getting weapons from Yemen have been in the public domain for a long. Those arrested to be probed on aiding the Al-Shabaab militant group acquire the illicit weapons.

IS IT TRUE THAT A UGANDA SOLDIER SHOT DOWN TWO CONGOLESE SOLDIERS..

A n uncontrolled element of the Ugandan UPDF army opened fire on two elements of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo FARDC in the rural commune of Bulongo in the Rwenzori sector in Beni territory on Monday, July 4.

This information is confirmed by the spokesman of the FARDC UPDF joint operations Colonel MAK AZUKAY who indicates that the two FARDC soldiers died on the spot. The perpetrator of this act was directly arrested by these comrades-in-arms.

The causes and circumstances that led this Ugandan soldier to shoot the two Congolese soldiers are not yet revealed. The Congolese and Ugandan army have opened an investigation, says Colonel Mak Azukay.

It should be noted here that it is since November 2021 that the Ugandan updf army has been conducting joint operations with the Congolese army, the FARDC for the total neutralization of the ADF rebels and their auxiliaries in the beni and Irumu region.

LIST OF WEAPONS GERMANY GAVE TO UKRAINE

 

The list of the German weapons and equipment provided to Ukraine

Germany’s government published for the first time the list of weapons it has provided Ukraine to aid its defense against Russia’s invasion.

As the self-propelled howitzers arrived in Ukraine IN MID JUNE, the German government published its first full list showing both the equipment it said it had already sent to Ukraine, and items it had pledged that were still being arranged. 

Lethal and non-lethal military support services delivered:

• 3,000 Panzerfaust 3 cartridges plus 900 grips
• 14,900 anti-tank mines
• 500 STINGER anti-aircraft missiles
• 2,700 STRELA flying fists
• 16 million rounds of handgun ammunition
• 50 bunker fists
• 100 MG 3 machine guns with 500 spare barrels and bolts
• 100,000 hand grenades
• 5,300 explosive charges
• 100,000 meters of detonating cord and 100,000 detonators
• 350,000 detonators
• 23,000 combat helmets
• 15 pallets of clothing
• 178 motor vehicles (trucks , minibuses, SUVs)
• 100 tents
• 12 power generators
• 6 pallets of material for explosive ordnance disposal
• 125 binoculars
• 1,200 hospital beds
• 18 pallets of medical supplies, 60 surgical lights
• Protective clothing, surgical masks
• 10,000 sleeping bags
• 600 shooting glasses
• 1 radio frequency system
• 3,000 field telephones with 5,000 reels of field cord and carrying equipment
• 1 field hospital (joint project with Estonia)
• 353 night vision goggles
• 4 electronic anti-drone devices
• 165 binoculars
• Medical supplies (including rucksacks, first-aid kits)
• 38 laser range finder
• Fuel diesel and petrol (current delivery)
• 10 tons of AdBlue
• 500 pieces of wound dressings to stop bleeding
• 500 pieces of food rations
• Food: 2,025 pallets (68 truckloads) with 360,000 rations one-pack (EPa)
• MiG-29 spare parts
• 30 armored vehicles
• 7 Panzerhaubitzen 2000 including adaptation, training and spare parts (joint project with the Netherlands)

Lethal and non-lethal military support services in preparation/implementation:

• 10,000 rounds of artillery ammunition
• 53,000 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition
• 5.8 million rounds of handgun ammunition
• 5,000 combat helmets
• 8 mobile ground radars and thermal imaging devices
• 8 recon drones
• 10 protected vehicles
• 7 jammers
• 8 electronic anti-drone devices
• 4 mobile, remote-controlled and protected demining devices
• 65 refrigerators for medical supplies
• 1 vehicle decontamination point
• 100 auto injectors
• 14 anti-drone sensors and jammers
• 10 anti-drone cannons
• 32 Recon Drones
• 54 M113 armored personnel carriers with armament (systems from Denmark, conversion financed by Germany)
• 30 GEPARD anti-aircraft tanks including around 6,000 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition
• Air Defense System IRIS-T SLM
• Artillery detection radar COBRA
• 80 Toyota pickup
• 3 MARS multiple rocket launchers with ammunition
• 100,000 first aid kits
• 22 trucks