Sponsored by Bertin Exensor
www.exensor.com
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
17 Apr 25. Former top Russian military official gets 7 years in penal colony for taking bribes. The former deputy head of the Russian army’s general staff was sentenced on Thursday to seven years in a penal colony for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. Vadim Shamarin, a lieutenant-general, is one of a string of top officials charged in a series of corruption scandals that have engulfed the highest echelons of the Russian military establishment over the past year. The prosecutions signal a drive by President Vladimir Putin to clamp down on graft, inefficiency and waste in Russia’s huge military budget as it wages war in Ukraine for a fourth year. (Source: Reuters)
17 Apr 25. Somalia: Al-Shabaab attack will increase attack risks in Mogadishu, southern regions. On 16 April, al-Shabaab attacked Adan Yabaal town (Middle Shabelle region), approximately 152 miles (245km) north of the capital Mogadishu. The outcome of the attack is disputed; clashes reportedly remain ongoing. Al-Shabaab claimed to have successfully captured the town and surrounding military cantonment sites; the Somali military (SNA) claimed to have repelled the attack. Adan Yabaal is a critical logistics hub for the SNA and contains one of the largest military bases in Middle Shabelle region. As such, its capture would represent a significant defeat for the SNA and would allow al-Shabaab to consolidate its control in Middle Shabelle and link other positions in Hiran region. Al-Shabaab is likely capitalising upon a stalling government counter-offensive exacerbated by disputes between federal and regional authorities and the relatively ineffective implementation of the newly launched African Union mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). We assess that Al-Shabaab’s expanding offensive will likely elevate the risks of attacks on government officials and military sites throughout Hiran, Middle Shabelle and possibly Mogadishu, significantly elevating bystander risks therein. (Source: Sibylline)
17 Apr 25. Ex-governor of Russia’s Kursk region held over embezzlement of defence funds. The former governor of Russia’s Kursk region, parts of which were seized by Ukrainian forces in August 2024, has been detained and charged with embezzling money earmarked for building defences, Russia’s interior ministry said on Thursday. Alexei Smirnov was head of the western region when Ukrainian troops smashed across the border in a large-scale incursion. Since then, a Russian offensive has ejected most of the Ukrainian forces. Smirnov led the region from May to December 2024, when he was replaced by Alexander Khinshtein. Smirnov was detained along with his former deputy, Alexei Dedov. A Moscow court placed Smirnov in pre-trial detention for two months. In a statement posted on Telegram, the interior ministry said the charges concerned funds that had been allocated for building defensive structures in the border province.
It said the case was related to previous arrests on abuse of office charges of three Kursk region officials and businessmen responsible for building defences. At the time, media reported that the damages related to that case were around 800 m roubles ($9.64 m). (Source: Reuters)
17 Apr 25. India offers cheap loans for arms, targeting Russia’s traditional customers.
- Summary
- Companies
- India plans to expand cheap loans, including to countries with higher political or credit risks
- Delhi sending more defense attachés abroad to help sell arms
- Ukraine invasion’s after-effects pushed some countries to consider Indian arms
- Lack of track record selling higher-end wares has delayed some potential deals
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bid to transform India into a global factory floor has produced bns of dollars of low-cost iPhones and pharmaceuticals. Now he hopes to add missiles, helicopters and battleships to the shopping carts of foreign governments. The world’s largest importer of weapons after Ukraine is expanding the ability of the state-owned Export-Import Bank (EXIM) to offer long-term, low-cost loans to clients, including those whose political or credit risk profiles may limit their access to conventional financing, according to two Indian officials and three industry sources. (Source: Reuters)
17 Apr 25. Moscow plans to use seized US-owned company to feed Russian army, document shows. Plans are afoot for an American-owned company seized by the Kremlin and placed under state control to be used to supply food to the Russian army, a document seen by Reuters showed, potentially threatening Moscow’s warming relations with the U.S. As the U.S. and the Kremlin negotiate to stop the war in Ukraine, the canned food maker Glavprodukt which was seized in October and is the only American-owned firm to be taken under state control, has been caught in the crosshairs. (Source: Reuters)
15 Apr 25. Haiti: Revised budget is unlikely to improve security force capabilities significantly. On 14 April, the Transitional Council approved a 9.4% increase in Haiti’s security budget to address the country’s deteriorating security environment. The security budget will increase from the initial 2025 allocation of HTG 35.6bn (USD 272m) to HTG 38.9bn (USD 297m). Of this, reports indicate that approximately 37% will be allocated to the Haitian security forces, 17% will fund enhanced security measures at the Haiti-Dominican Republic border and 16% will fund social programmes relating to the education, health and humanitarian sectors. However, the budget will not fund the UN-backed and Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. Since its deployment in June 2024, the MSS has suffered from sustained underfunding and understaffing, which has hindered its operational capabilities. Despite the revised budget, persistent gang attacks will increase physical security and operational risks across Artibonite, Centre and Ouest departments in the immediate term (see Sibylline Situation Update Brief – 3 April 2025). However, in the medium-to-long term, the revised budget will likely marginally increase the operational capacity of the Haitian National Police (PNH) and security forces. (Source: Sibylline)
14 Apr 25. India: Troop deployment highlights rising unrest risks, ethno-religious tensions in West Bengal state. On 13 April, the authorities deployed the paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) to Murshidabad district in West Bengal state. On 11 and 12 April, three people died in the Muslim-majority district during violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025. The bill, which increases the government’s role in regulating waqf property in India (property donated for Muslim charitable or religious purposes), became law on 5 April. There have since been demonstrations in Assam, Gujarat and West Bengal states. The police have arrested more than 150 people in connection with violent protests. The governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that more than 400 Hindus in West Bengal had to evacuate following the unrest. We assess that the heightened security force presence will somewhat contain the violence in the state in the immediate term. However, outbreaks of unrest and communal violence remain likely in the coming weeks. The BJP will also likely hold protests calling for the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, who has pledged not to enforce the waqf law in the state. (Source: Sibylline)
14 Apr 25. Sudan: Paramilitary capture of refugee camp underscores critical threats to life, human rights risks. On 13 April, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the Zamzam refugee camp, approximately ten miles (17km) south of El Fashir (North Darfur state). The RSF launched a renewed offensive on the camp on 10 April, reportedly killing hundreds of civilians and targeting NGO staff and facilities with lethal violence. The RSF will almost certainly leverage positions in the camp to facilitate a renewed offensive on El Fashir, which it has held under siege since April 2024. Local media reported that the RSF began shelling the city on 13 April. Clashes between the RSF, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and associated local militias will likely intensify in the coming days, compounding threats to life for local staff, including NGO personnel. The RSF’s ongoing siege of the city will likely limit the SAF’s capacity to re-supply local units, increasing risks of the city’s capture in the coming weeks and driving the risk of cross-border violence from armed al-Zaghawa groups in Chad. We assess that restricted access to evacuation routes will also exacerbate risks of civilian exposure to human rights abuses, particularly sexual violence. (Source: Sibylline)
14 Apr 25. China: Restrictions on rare earth exports will drive supply chain disruptions. On 13 April, international media reported that China has made little progress in setting up a licensing system for the export of restricted rare earths. On 4 April, amid the ongoing US-China trade war, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) introduced export controls on several rare earth minerals (Dysprosium, Gadolinium, Lutetium, Samarium, Scandium, Terbium and Yttrium) as well as their related compounds and rare earth magnets. Consequently, the authorities have blocked related shipments from leaving Chinese ports, though enforcement has reportedly been uneven. Firms will need a licence approved by the Chinese authorities to export the restricted items, with at least one firm reportedly being told that the licensing process could take over six weeks. Given China’s disproportionate control over the global supply of rare earths and related magnets, which are used in a broad range of manufacturing sectors, we assess that businesses reliant on these exports will likely face greater disruption risks in the coming weeks. (Source: Sibylline)
14 Apr 25. Missed opportunities haunt SA’s defence sector: Radical R&D shift needed. Many of South Africa’s current problems in the defence and security environments could have been avoided if proper and effective investments had been made over the past ten to fifteen years in the research and development of key technologies. It is therefore critical not to repeat the mistakes of the past and makes those investments in technology now in order to enhance the country’s present and future security. This was the core message that Mphahlela James Thaba, Impact Area Manager: Technology for Special Operations at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), sought to deliver during his presentation on need for technological sovereignty as well as how it can be achieved at the Public-Private Partnership for Defence and Security Conference last month.
“Investing in tomorrow’s technology today is more critical than ever. If we want to be honest now about the challenges we are facing today, I think, one of the problems is that this investment did not happen in time,” Thaba told conference attendees.
“Nations that invest in technological advancement secure their sovereignty, enhance economic prosperity, and remain competitive in an increasingly digitized and interconnected world.”
Thaba explored three primary areas impacted by technical sovereignty; namely, national security, economic development, and national competitiveness. In terms of national security, Thaba noted that technology impacts a wide array of factors ranging from military superiority to the ability to secure the national cyber space as well as supply chain security. In relation to economic development, he noted that technology plays a key determining factor on the country’s potential for industrial growth, ability to create jobs, as well as in advancing innovation and infrastructure development. Finally, he also explored the impact of technology on national competitiveness and independence, wherein technology/intellectual property is a key enabling factor. “A nation that does not concentrate on its competitiveness on the global stage cannot want to be a big player.” However, while Thaba strongly advocated for the need to enhance technological sovereignty in South Africa, he was also cognisant of the barriers to the development of a sovereign technological capability, citing the lack of funding in the military industrial space, a lack of and loss of key skills, infrastructure deficits, unproductive policies and regulations, low economic growth, and ineffective PPP arrangements. In order overcome these barriers Thaba emphasised the need for government and industry to take proactive measures “that are strategically planned and forward-looking, rather than reactive or defensive.” While also fostering a “sovereignty-oriented innovation policy, with key elements such as knowledge development, market formation, and public-private partnerships.” Notably, Thaba emphasised that while the state does have a key role to play in this, its role should not be ‘overplayed,’ as there should not be a loss of agency regarding access to critical technologies, and trade and investment policies should be coordinated to avoid protectionist tendencies. Relatedly Thaba called for the enhancement of South Africa’s ‘Infrastructure Sovereignty’ (the expansion of locally produces ICT and 5G networks), ‘Regulatory Sovereignty’ (establishing regulations for the use of foreign technologies), as well as ‘Digital and Data Sovereignty’ (locally developed AI and cloud infrastructure) as key measures to ensure South Africa is able to become a technologically sovereign nation. Thaba concluded his address by highlighting the need for PPPs in achieving technological sovereignty as well as, what he views as the critical role the CSIR can and should play in these future PPPs, through fostering innovation, knowledge transfer, and the localisation of foreign technology.
“Government, industry, and research institutions must collaborate. The drive towards technology sovereignty requires that we must be emphatic when it comes to technology transfers and strategic investment, especially when it comes to science and technology,” Thaba emphasised. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
11 Apr 25. Panama-US: Expanded defence agreement will elevate risks of regional tension. On 10 April, Panama and the US announced an expanded defence agreement allowing the US to deploy military personnel in Panamanian facilities adjacent to the Panama Canal. US military personnel will be permitted to conduct exercises, training and ‘other activities’. However, the deal does not permit the US to construct its own military bases. Reports also indicate that the Panama Canal Authority and the US are discussing a ‘cost-neutral’ scheme for US warships and auxiliaries transiting the canal. On 8 April, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US would take back the canal ‘together’ with Panama, affirming Panama’s sovereignty over the canal. In the near term, an elevated US military presence in the country will increase domestic unrest risks; demonstrations are likely in major urban centres. Additionally, the heightened international attention on the canal will increase compliance and reputational risks for the maritime logistics sector in the short-to-medium term. In the longer term, we assess that increasing US pressure on China’s perceived regional influence will elevate risks of regional tension. (Source: Sibylline)
11 Apr 25. Sahel: Joint force is unlikely to improve regional security outlook. From 8 to 11 April, military representatives from the Alliance of Sahelian States (AES; Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger) met in Burkina Faso, in the capital Ouagadougou, to discuss the formation of a joint security force. The AES announced the formation of the 5,000-troop force in January that would deploy ‘within weeks’; no active deployments have been observed to date. The meeting underscores efforts to expand AES co-operation; since 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have conducted several joint counter-insurgency operations, including successful drone strikes targeting transnational militant groups. The formation of a joint security force would likely improve security force co-operation and moderately bolster efforts to secure key regional highways. However, as the security forces of all three nations lack the capacity to defend peripheral positions in rural areas, we assess that the joint force is highly unlikely to significantly improve regional security. The force will also highly likely employ indiscriminate counter-insurgency tactics, increasing human rights concerns and risks of violence along ethno-religious lines, sustaining critical threats to locally engaged staff. (Source: Sibylline)
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Founded in 1987, Exensor Technology is a world leading supplier of Networked Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) Systems providing tailored sensor solutions to customers all over the world. From our Headquarters in Lund Sweden, our centre of expertise in Network Communications at Communications Research Lab in Kalmar Sweden and our Production site outside of Basingstoke UK, we design, develop and produce latest state of the art rugged UGS solutions at the highest quality to meet the most stringent demands of our customers. Our systems are in operation and used in a wide number of Military as well as Homeland Security applications worldwide. The modular nature of the system ensures any external sensor can be integrated, providing the user with a fully meshed “silent” network capable of self-healing. Exensor Technology will continue to lead the field in UGS technology, provide our customers with excellent customer service and a bespoke package able to meet every need.
A CNIM Group Company
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————