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UNBELIEVABLE: 5 - Caught on Camera

West African group Ecowas turns 50 amid struggle to stay united

Celebrations marking 50 years of the Economic Community of West African States – known as Ecowas – began in Ghana this week, but the mood was far from jubilant. The region’s main political and economic bloc finds itself at a crossroads after losing three key members.

Radio France Internationale

West Africa’s bold trade experiment turns 50: an Ecowas report card

The Economic Community of West African states (Ecowas) is set to mark 50 years in May 2025. It was established in 1975 by 16 member states. Though seven of the founding leaders had ascended to power through coups d’état, the initial focus was economic growth and regional trade and cooperation.

The Conversation

Burkina Faso junta says foiled plot to sow 'total chaos'

Burkina Faso's military junta claimed Monday to have foiled a "major plot in the making" aimed at "sowing total chaos", saying it believed the masterminds were in neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire.

Radio France Internationale

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Algeria closes airspace to Mali aircraft as drone row escalates

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger recall ambassadors to Algeria amid deteriorating relations and shooting down of Mali drone.

Al Jazeera

Sahel alliance recalls ambassadors from Algeria after the downing of a Malian drone

A military alliance between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger has withdrawn their respective ambassadors from Algeria in response to the downing of a Malian drone this week

The Independent UK

Sahel ministers in Russia for talks after breaking with western allies

The foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are in Moscow for their first official talks with Russia, as the three Sahelian countries work to strengthen ties with Moscow after cutting relations with France and its allies.

Radio France Internationale

Livestock Theft Is Central To Jihadist Economy In West Africa

Musa was asleep in the village of Dusuman in northeast Nigeria when he was awoken by a sharp burst of gunfire and Boko Haram stole his main source of livelihood -- his livestock.

International Business Times

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Burkina Faso pardons 21 soldiers involved in failed 2015 coup

Twenty-one soldiers, convicted for their role in the failed coup d'état in Burkina Faso in September 2015, have received a presidential pardon.

Radio France Internationale

Niger junta sets out five-year transition to constitutional rule

Niger's ruling junta said there would be a five-year transition to constitutional rule starting from Wednesday, in an announcement during a signing ceremony for a new transition charter.

Radio France Internationale

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso withdraw from French language body

As French-speaking countries celebrate International Francophone Day, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have this week announced their withdrawal from the International Organisation of Francophonie, which organises the event as part of its mission to celebrate French language around the world.

Radio France Internationale

Video of Burkina Faso massacre appears to implicate government-allied militia, watchdog says

Human Rights Watch says video footage circulating on social networks of a recent civilian massacre in Burkina Faso appears to implicate government-allied militia

The Independent UK

How drones killed nearly 1,000 civilians in Africa in three years

Use of unmanned aircraft has surged across Africa, often resulting in mass civilian deaths, new report finds.

Al Jazeera

Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré is making waves in west Africa. Who is he?

Captain Ibrahim Traoré is the interim leader of Burkina Faso, having taken over the position following a coup which he led against Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Damiba in September 2022. The 37-year-old captain had supported Damiba, his commanding officer, in a putsch earlier that year against former president Roch Marc…

The Conversation

Is Nigeria in danger of a coup? What the country should do to avoid one – political analyst

African countries have had nine successful military coups since 2020. In west and central Africa, there have been at least 10 coup attempts in the same period. Those of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gabon and Guinea were successful. A number of social, economic and political factors have been identified as…

The Conversation

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The Conversation

Ecowas breakup could push up food prices and worsen hunger in west Africa

The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) lost three of its founding members on 29 January 2025. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger comprised 16% of the bloc’s population of 424 million and 7% of its economy.

The Guardian - UK

‘What a project, what a challenge!’: Africa’s leading architect gives Thomas Sankara a proper place of rest

Pritzker prize-winner Francis Kéré has designed a memorial to honour ‘Africa’s Che Guevara’, Burkina Faso’s visionary president who was assassinated in 1987

The Conversation

Why is there so much gold in west Africa?

Militaries that have taken power in Africa’s Sahel region – notably Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – have put pressure on western mining firms for a fairer distribution of revenue from the lucrative mining sector.

The Conversation

Power vacuum in west Africa’s Sahel: 3 ways China could fill the gap as west exits

With France fast losing its influence in west Africa’s Sahel region and an unpredictable US president in power, will China fill the vacuum?

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The Conversation

Why Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger’s new plan to tackle extremist violence is likely to fail

The military-led nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger officially withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) on January 29. They had announced their intention to leave one year ago, shortly after establishing a new defence pact called the Alliance des États du Sahel (AES).

The Guardian - UK

‘We water, rest, water’: the green belt of vegetable plots cooling a city

A green belt circling the capital of Burkina Faso is preparing the country for the climate crisis

The Independent UK

What's ahead for a 50-year-old West African bloc after 3 junta-led countries left the group?

A 50-year-old West Africa regional bloc is facing significant challenges after three junta-led countries — Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso — formally left the group, known as ECOWAS

The Conversation

Burkina Faso’s nature reserves are worth protecting – but people have to be part of the plan

Burkina Faso is a west African dryland country known for its diverse ecosystems, including savannas, forests and wetlands. Large herbivores like elephant, giraffe and hippopotamus, and predators like lions, leopards and the African lynx, roam the country’s savannas. Many bird species use the country as a stopover or wintering ground,…