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 […]
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…
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso sign Sahel security pact
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 […]
Niger hit with more sanctions as junta rebuffs latest diplomatic mission
Niamey, NigerReuters Niger was slapped with more sanctions on Tuesday, hours after its new military leaders rejected the latest diplomatic mission aimed at restoring constitutional order following a 26th July coup. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered the new sanctions through Nigeria’s central bank, aimed at squeezing those involved in the takeover, a presidential spokesperson said. […]
Essay: Niger is Africa’s fastest growing country – how to feed 25 million more people in 30 years
In an article first published on The Conversation, KAYENAT KABIR, of Purdue University, looks at how Niger will feed its growing population in the future…
Hope for jobs drives recruitment by militant groups in Africa – report
Johannesburg, South AfricaReuters Hope of employment more than religious belief is driving people to join fast-growing extremist groups in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a report by the UN Development Programme based on interviews with hundreds of former fighters. While worldwide deaths from terrorism have declined in the last five years, deaths in sub-Saharan Africa have […]
Icy winds of war buffet humanity at Christmas – Pope’s lament
Vatican CityAP Pope Francis used his Christmas message Sunday to lament the “icy winds of war” buffeting humanity and to make an impassioned plea for an immediate end to the fighting in Ukraine, a 10-month-old conflict he decried as “senseless.” At noon in Rome, Francis delivered the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” (Latin for “‘to the city […]
Explainer – Why are West and Central Africa’s floods so devastating this year?
Dakar, Senegal Reuters Unusually intense seasonal rains have drenched swathes of West and Central Africa since June, unleashing deadly floods that have affected millions and submerged farmland in 19 countries. Below are factors that are making the floods worse and data on the scale of their impact. An aerial view of the flooded Obagi community […]
Essay: Burkina Faso coup raises questions about growing Russian involvement in west Africa
In an article first published on The Conversation, scholars EMMA HEYWOOD, EMMANUEL KLIMIS, LASSANÉ YAMÉOGO, and MARIE FIERENS examine Russian influence in West Africa and the role media – particularly social media – is playing in that…
Attack on vehicle kills 35 civilians in northern Burkina Faso
Ouagadougou, Burkina FasoReuters At least 35 civilians were killed and 37 injured in northern Burkina Faso on Monday when a vehicle in a convoy hit an improvised explosive device, the interim government said in a statement. The escorted supply convoy heading to the capital, Ouagadougou, hit the IED between the northern towns of Djibo and […]