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In Burkina Faso, a million children out of school due to insecurity – UNICEF

Schoolchildren who fled from attacks of armed militants in Sahel region attend a class in Dori, Burkina Faso, on 24th November, 2020

Dakar, SenegalReuters More than one million children and 31,000 teachers have been unable to return to their classrooms in Burkina Faso due to violence and insecurity as the West African nation starts another academic year on Monday, UNICEF said. Schoolchildren who fled from attacks of armed militants in Sahel region attend a class in Dori, […]

Burkina Faso junta says it thwarted coup attempt

A man holds his national flag as people gather to show their support to the Junta leader Ibrahim Traore and demand the departure of the French ambassador at the Place de la Nation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on 20th January, 2023.

Dakar, SenegalReuters Burkina Faso’s military junta on Wednesday said a coup attempt had been thwarted the previous day by security and intelligence services, without providing specifics on what had happened. In a statement it said officers and others had planned to destabilise the country with “the dark intention of attacking the institutions of the Republic […]

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso sign Sahel security pact

Colonel Assimi Goita, leader of Malian military junta, looks on while he stands behind Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou during a photo opportunity after the Economic Community of West African States consultative meeting in Accra, Ghana, on 15th September, 2020

Bamako, Mali Reuters Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, three West African Sahel nations ruled by military juntas, signed a security pact on Saturday promising to come to the aid of each other in case of any rebellion or external aggression. The three countries are struggling to contain Islamic insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State […]

Burkina Faso says 53 soldiers, volunteers killed in clashes with militants

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Reuters Seventeen soldiers and 36 volunteer fighters have been killed in heavy clashes with militants in northern Burkina Faso, the army said on Tuesday, the worst attack in months in the West African country that for years has been overrun by hardline militants.  Burkina Faso has been battling armed groups, some with […]

West African leaders to meet on Niger after junta defies deadline

Members of a military council that staged a coup in Niger attend a rally at a stadium in Niamey, Niger, on 6th August, 2023.

Niamey, NigerReuters West African leaders on Monday scheduled a summit for Thursday to discuss the Niger junta’s rejection of an ultimatum to reinstate the ousted president, spurring international hopes of a resolution without the use of force.  The Economic Community of West African States had told leaders of the 26th July coup to stand down […]

West African leaders plan possible Niger intervention as deadline looms

Thousands of anti-sanctions protestors gather in support of the putschist soldiers in the capital Niamey, Niger on 3rd August, 2023

Abuja, Nigeria/Niamey, Niger Reuters West African defence chiefs have drawn up a plan for military action if Niger’s coup is not overturned by Sunday, the regional bloc said on Friday, after mediation failed in a crisis that threatens regional security and has drawn in global powers. The Economic Community of West African States has given […]

France evacuates citizens from Niger after neighbours warn of war

Nigerien security forces launch tear gas to disperse pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside the French embassy, in Niamey, the capital city of Niger, on 30th July, 2023.

Paris, FranceReuters France began the evacuation of hundreds of French and European citizens from Niger on Tuesday, a day after neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso said any outside intervention to restore the ousted government would be seen as a declaration of war. A military junta overthrew Niger’s democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and his government […]

Explainer – How the military coup in Niger threatens stability in West Africa

Hundreds of supporters of the coup gather and hold a Russian flag in front of the National Assembly in the capital Niamey, Niger, on 27th July, 2023

Reuters Niger’s regional and international partners are scrambling to respond to a military coup which political analysts say could have grave consequences for democratic progress and the fight against an insurgency by jihadist militants in West Africa.  Here is what is at stake.  “Only hope” for stability on SahelNiger became a democratic outlier in West […]