As summit host, Spain urges NATO to watch its southern flank Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is certain to dominate an upcoming NATO summit in Madrid The Independent UK · Jun 26, 2022
Mali in national mourning over civilian massacres in Sahel Suspected jihadists massacred more than 130 civilians over the weekend in neighbouring central Mali towns, the latest mass killings in the Sahel region. Mali's junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita has decreed three days of national mourning. Radio France Internationale · Jun 21, 2022
France Claims Capture of Senior ISIS Figure in Mali French troops in Mali have captured a senior member of the Sahel affiliate of the ISIS group, the French military said Wednesday. The arrest comes as France prepares to complete its withdrawal from Mali after almost a decade of battling insurgency in the country with the French-led Barkhane anti-insurgency force,… Asharq Al-Awsat · Jun 16, 2022
UN: Sahel violence could drive more refugees toward Europe The head of the U.N. refugee agency says Europe should be more much worried than it is that larger numbers of people from Africa’s Sahel region could seek to move north The Independent UK · Jun 16, 2022
French military captures Islamic State group leader in Mali The French military on Wednesday said it had captured a top-ranking member of the Sahel affiliate of the Islamic State group. Radio France Internationale · Jun 15, 2022
France announces capture of senior Islamic State figure in Mali France announced on Wednesday that soldiers from its operation battling Islamist militants in the Sahel region of West Africa had captured Oumeya Ould Albakaye, a senior Islamic State figure in Mali. Reuters · Jun 15, 2022
Algerian President in Italy Discusses Energy, Renewed Clashes in Libya Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune discussed in Italy the European need for gas, the renewed clashes in Libya, illegal migration, the instability in the Sahel region, and the war on terrorism. Earlier, Tebboune announced that his country was determined to adopt the Italian experience to establish small and medium enterprises. The… Asharq Al-Awsat · May 26, 2022
Chad urges Mali junta to reconsider withdrawal from anti-militant force Chad's interim president Mahamat Idriss Deby has urged Mali's military junta to reconsider its decision to withdraw from a five-nation military force fighting Islamist militants in the Sahel region. Reuters · May 20, 2022
Burkina Faso: Eleven soldiers dead in attack on army base The country has become the latest epicentre of a shifting conflict in the Sahel. Al Jazeera · May 20, 2022
UN: 18 million facing severe hunger in West Africa's Sahel The U.N. is warning that 18 million people in Africa’s Sahel region face severe hunger in the next three months The Independent UK · May 20, 2022
UN: 18 million people facing severe hunger in Sahel region It cites the effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine, COVID-19 pandemic, climate-induced shocks and rising costs as reasons. Al Jazeera · May 20, 2022
UN cutting refugee rations in Africa's Sahel amid 'alarming' food insecurity Food rations for refugees and displaced people are being cut by up to half in parts of the Sahel due to a massive funding shortfall with millions set to go hungry as prices rise and climate shocks hit yields, U.N. agencies said on Friday. Reuters · May 20, 2022
COP15: 'Great Green Wall' still touted as the Sahel's desertification solution Lack of communication, funds, and coordination are among the greatest challenges the Great Green Wall Initiative has encountered, 15 years after its launch by the African Union to combat desertification in the Sahel. Radio France Internationale · May 19, 2022
Mali government pulls military out of regional G5 Sahel force Since 2012, armed groups have sought to unseat government in Bamako, which has now been overthrown twice by the military Al Jazeera · May 16, 2022
Foreign Affairs · May 12, 2022 North Africa’s Frozen Conflict How the Biden Administration Can Resolve the Dispute Over Western Sahara
Al Jazeera · May 11, 2022 Togo: Eight soldiers killed in attack by suspected ‘terrorists’ Security experts have warned that armed groups across the Sahel could spread operations to coastal states like Togo.
Al Jazeera · May 9, 2022 Analysis: Can Niger become the main Western ally in the Sahel? Niamey has consistently presented an image of a friendly and reliable partner to the international community.
The Conversation · May 5, 2022 Enablers of political extremism: a checklist for West African countries The Sahel – the region just south of the Sahara – is home to the world’s fastest growing extremist group, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin or JNIM, and the most deadly group, Islamic State in West Africa, according to the 2022 Global Terrorism Index.
Asharq Al-Awsat · May 2, 2022 UN Chief Urges Swift Return to Civilian Rule in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali UN chief Antonio Guterres called Sunday for the military juntas in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali to hand power back to civilians as soon as possible and reminded the world to deliver on "climate emergency" promises. Speaking after meeting Senegalese President Macky Sall in Dakar, he said they had agreed…
Reuters · Apr 28, 2022 Africa's most vulnerable hit by Russia's war in Ukraine, says IMF Russia's invasion of Ukraine has delivered a further "huge negative shock" to sub-Saharan Africa, driving food and energy prices higher and putting the most vulnerable people at risk of hunger, the head of the IMF's Africa Department told Reuters.
Reuters · Apr 22, 2022 Niger debates deployment of more European special forces on its territory Niger lawmakers started debating on Friday a bill to approve the presence of more European special forces to help stem a jihadist insurgency across the Sahel, a deployment rejected by some parties that oppose Western military influence.
The Conversation · Apr 13, 2022 Ukraine war: the key role played by volunteer militias on both sides of the conflict One of the features of modern warfare is the role played by non-state militias, and Ukraine is no exception. Reporting of the war has highlighted the role of the Wagner Group on the Russian side, for instance. This 6,000 strong mercenary force, which is usually based in Africa and recently…
Al Jazeera · Apr 12, 2022 ISIL 2.0: How the group became a franchise Since its 2019 defeat, ISIL has morphed into a series of affiliates taking hold in Afghanistan and Africa’s Sahel belt.
Radio France Internationale · Apr 12, 2022 EU to end military training mission in Mali The European Union has announced the end of its military training missions in Mali, saying the ruling Malian junta is not able to guarantee that Russian military contractors would not interfere in the work. But the block said it would keep a military presence in the Sahel region.
France 24 · Apr 12, 2022 EU halts military training in Mali, German foreign minister to hold talks with junta The EU will halt military training missions in Mali but will keep a presence in the Sahel, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday, citing concerns over "interference" and civilian killings committed by Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was headed to the country for…