A new book, Money for Mayhem by Alessandro Arduino, reveals how drones, disinformation, and private military companies are transforming conflict across Africa, fueled by natural resources and weak governance. The continent has become a proving ground for new warfare trends, with mercenaries and emergent technologies reshaping geopolitical dynamics.

• Among the key players are Russia's Africa Corps (formerly Wagner Group), Turkish private military outfits, and Chinese security companies, all profiting from instability.
• The landscape of conflict is rapidly evolving with the widespread use of inexpensive, lethal drones, exemplified in the Libyan civil war and the conflict in Sudan, where their cost-effectiveness dramatically shifts military capabilities.
• New forms of warfare include AI-driven disinformation campaigns and deepfakes, which leverage social media to spread propaganda and hate speech at minimal cost, posing a significant cybersecurity threat.