Hundreds rally in Niger’s capital to push for US military departure
Niamey, Niger Reuters Hundreds took to the streets of Niger’s capital on Saturday to demand the departure of US troops, after the ruling junta further shifted its strategy by ending a military accord with the United States and welcoming Russian military instructors. Marching arm in arm through central Niamey, the crowd waved Nigerien flags in […]
Essay: West African trade bloc, ECOWAS, shaken as three member states withdraw and form their own alliance
OLUMBA E EZENWA and OLAYINKA AJALA, in an article first published on The Conversation, take a look at what’s happening in West Africa…
West African bloc lifts sanctions on junta-led Niger
Abuja, Nigeria Reuters The West African regional bloc said on the weekend it would lift strict sanctions on Niger as it seeks a new strategy to dissuade three junta-led states from withdrawing from the political and economic union – a move that threatens regional integration. Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States met […]
Senegal’s Sall promises to hold delayed presidential vote as soon as possible
Dakar, Senegal Reuters Senegalese President Macky Sall on Friday said he would fully abide by a court decision that overturned the postponement of the presidential election to December, pledging to hold consultations to organise the vote as soon as possible. A bill that pushed back the 25th February poll and plunged the country into electoral […]
Junta-led Sahel states confirm plan to form tri-state confederation – ministry
Reuters Junta-led Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger plan to proceed with the establishment of a confederation, the Malian foreign ministry said on Thursday, as the three countries deepen ties via an alliance that threatens broader West African integration. The neighbours in the impoverished Sahel region announced in January they would quit the Economic Community of […]
Three Senegal opposition lawmakers arrested after disputed vote delay
Dakar, Senegal Reuters Three Senegalese opposition lawmakers were arrested on Tuesday amid the fallout from parliament’s move to delay a presidential vote by 10 months that prompted West Africa’s economic and political bloc to call for the re-establishment of the electoral calendar. Lawmakers late on Monday approved a last-minute amendment to hold the vote on […]
Senegal parliament to debate extending President’s mandate as protests break out
Dakar, Senegal Reuters Senegalese police on Sunday cracked down on protests against the postponement of the presidential election, as parliament prepared to debate a bill that would reschedule the vote for August and extend President Macky Sall’s mandate. Sall announced on Saturday the 25th February vote would be delayed to an unspecified date due to […]
Three West African junta-led states quit ECOWAS regional block
Niamey, Niger/Bamako, Mali Reuters Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, three West African states led by the military, said on Sunday they are immediately leaving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional economic bloc that has been urging them to return to democratic rule. The decision by the three, announced in a simultaneous […]
West Africa’s ECOWAS rejects Niger junta’s proposed three-year delay for elections
Abuja, NigeriaReuters West Africa’s main regional bloc, ECOWAS, has rejected a proposal by Niger’s military junta to hold elections within three years, extending a political impasse that could trigger a military intervention if no agreement is reached following a July coup. ECOWAS and other international powers have been seeking diplomatic solutions to the 26th July […]
West African bloc says “D-Day” set for possible Niger intervention
Accra, Ghana Reuters West Africa’s main regional bloc on Friday said it had agreed an undisclosed “D-Day” for a possible military intervention to restore democracy in Niger if diplomatic efforts fail, stressing that it would not hold endless dialogue with the defiant junta. The comments came at the end of a two-day meeting of West […]