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 […]
Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on Niger army that killed dozens
Cairo, Egypt Reuters The Islamic State on Saturday claimed responsibility for an attack on Niger’s army that it said had killed 30 soldiers on Wednesday. The group said in a statement carried by its AMAQ news agency and posted on its Telegram channel that the soldiers were killed in an ambush on a convoy near […]
West decries Putin’s election win, China, India vow closer ties
London, UK Reuters Western governments lined up on Monday to condemn Vladimir Putin’s landslide election victory as unfair and undemocratic, but China, India and North Korea congratulated the veteran Russian leader on extending his rule by a further six years. The contrasting reactions underscored the geopolitical fault lines that have gaped wider since Russia launched […]
Junta-led Sahel states to form joint force to fight insurgents
Niamey, Niger Reuters Junta-led Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali have agreed to set up a joint force to tackle security threats across their territories, Niger’s armed forces chief Moussa Salaou Barmou said on Wednesday after a meeting with his counterparts. Flags of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali are seen during a demonstration that was called […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
Essay: Scramble for the Sahel – why France, Russia, China and the United States are interested in the region
In an article first published on The Conversation, OLAYINKA AJALA, a senior lecturer in politics and international relations at Leeds Beckett University in the UK, looks at why the “scramble” for the Sahel region in Africa is likely to remain intense in the coming year…
Withdrawal of French troops from Niger nearly half-complete, colonel says
Niamey, NigerReuters Another French military convoy is scheduled to leave Niger for Chad in the coming days, marking the half-way point of the promised withdrawal of the 1,450 French troops based in the West African nation, Niger Colonel Mamane Sani Kaiou said on Friday. Last week, French military convoys began leaving bases in southwest Niger […]