Final answer:
The Kanem-Bornu Empire bolstered its military and control over the slave trade with military innovations, including weapons imported from North Africa, and assistance from the Ottoman Empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Kanem-Bornu Empire maintained its control over the slave trade partly through military innovations, including weapons imported from North Africa. During the second half of the sixteenth century, the empire's leader, Mai Idris Aloma, augmented his military with firearms from that region. By forming strategic relations with the Ottoman Empire and acquiring Turkish mercenaries and advisers, Kanem-Bornu had successfully modernized its army which contributed to its power in the region and its capability to conduct deeper slave-raiding excursions against non-Muslim neighbors.