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DARK SECRETS: 2 | Rare Historical Photos

Why an armed group linked to al-Qaida is gaining ground in Mali

Mali’s military regime is coming under increasing pressure from Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an armed group linked to al-Qaida that now controls large swathes of territory across the Sahel region of western and north-central Africa. The group is blockading major highways in Mali and torching tanker lorries, with…

The Conversation

Jihadists have blockaded Mali’s capital. What’s at stake

A coalition of jihadist groups affiliated with al-Qaida have laid siege to landlocked Mali’s capital. For over a month, they have attacked convoys supplying Bamako with fuel, putting considerable pressure on the military junta that has been ruling the country for five years.

The Conversation

In The Sahel, No Reprieve Under Jihadist Blockade

Islamist militants still severely impact large swathes of Burkina Faso and Mali, imposing roadblocks, launching attacks and cutting off supply lines as they expand their decade-long presence, according to residents' testimonies.

International Business Times

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Should Boko Haram fighters be given a second chance in society? We asked 2,000 young Nigerians

Across the world, the question of how to deal with former fighters remains urgent. From Nigeria and Iraq to Syria and the Sahel, governments are wrestling with how to bring people who once fought for violent groups back into society. Reintegrating ex-fighters – after appropriate punishment – is unavoidable. This…

The Conversation

Sahel-based jihadists are extending their reach. Can a fractured region push back?

Counterinsurgency approaches have splintered in west Africa at the same time as terror threats have shifted southward

The Guardian - UK

Sahel juntas in online bid to disrupt polls in Côte d'Ivoire

With less than a fortnight to go before presidential election in Côte d'Ivoire, three other west African states – all ruled by military juntas – have been waging a disinformation campaign to disrupt the vote.

Radio France Internationale

West Africa’s trade monitoring system has collapsed - why this is dangerous for food security

A decade ago countries in West Africa set up a unique trade monitoring mechanism. Its purpose was to track intra-regional trade in agricultural products and livestock in the region. But the system was closed down in 2022 due to a lack of funding by regional organisations.

The Conversation

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Africa’s ‘great green wall’ is stalling: in Senegal very few planted areas show progress

Africa’s Great Green Wall project began as an ambitious plan to build a 15-kilometre-wide band of trees across the north of Africa. The African Union launched the project in 2007 with plans for the trees to extend for 6,000 kilometres through 11 countries in the Sahel, restoring 100 million hectares…

The Conversation

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger jointly announce withdrawal from the ICC

The three member states of the Alliance of Sahel States have announced their immediate withdrawal from the Rome Statute and the International Criminal Court, accusing the ICC of practising “selective justice”. The declaration was made simultaneously on Monday in the capitals of Bamako, Niamey and Ouagadougou.

Radio France Internationale

Ansaru terror leaders’ arrest is a strategic change for Nigeria: what could happen next

Attacks by non-state armed groups are a security challenge in the Sahel, including Nigeria.

The Conversation

Armed men on motorbikes keep conflict in motion in the Sahel

In Benin and across West Africa, riders viewed with suspicion as motorcycles now synonymous with armed fighters.

Al Jazeera

NGOs Caught Between Juntas And Jihadists In Turbulent Sahel

NGOs in the violence-wracked Sahel region are dangerously caught between military juntas who accuse them of being spies, and jihadists who view them as symbols of Western influence.

International Business Times

Sahel countries navigate uncertainty following split from Ecowas bloc

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso face the task of untangling themselves from West Africa’s main regional bloc, Ecowas, after officially cutting ties this week. The six-month window to reverse their withdrawal expired on Tuesday. With no sign of a return, both sides must work out what the split means for…

Radio France Internationale

Agadez: The ancient Sahelian city forced to change amid trying times

A once thriving Saharan tourist city with a rich but fading heritage faces harsh realities two years since Niger’s coup.

Al Jazeera

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Radio France Internationale

Two years after Niger coup, human rights situation has 'spiralled'

The coup in Niger of 26 July, 2023 destabilised the Sahel region, and West Africa as a whole. Two years on, human rights activists say the situation has worsened and continue to call for the release of former president Mohamed Bazoum.

Al Jazeera

‘No one is safe’: Civilians, foreigners caught in escalating Mali violence

Indian nationals abducted while Mali’s army and armed groups clash, raising concerns crisis could resonate beyond Sahel.

The Guardian - UK

Who are JNIM, the jihadist ‘ghost enemy’ gaining momentum in the Sahel?

Islamist extremist group has capitalised on instability to control a swath of the region

Radio France Internationale

Libya's Al-Khadim airbase becomes a hub for Russian arms in the Sahel

Amid renewed relations with Libya, Russia is relying on the Al-Khadim base near Benghazi to strengthen its military presence in the Sahel region of Africa. RFI journalists were able to trace the itinerary of a Russian cargo plane from Syria to Libya, one of many flights operating on this route.

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The Independent UK

A confidential brief to the ICC accuses Russia-linked Wagner of promoting atrocities in West Africa

The International Criminal Court is reviewing a confidential legal report asserting that the Russia-linked Wagner group has committed war crimes by spreading images of apparent atrocities in West Africa on social media

International Business Times

Sahel Juntas Pile Pressure On Foreign Mining Firms

Army strongmen who have seized power in coups across Africa's Sahel region since 2020 have ramped up pressure on foreign mining companies in the name of greater control over their countries' riches.

Al Jazeera

Wagner vs Africa Corps: The future of Russian paramilitaries in Mali

As mercenaries leave Mali, experts say remaining Kremlin-controlled Africa Corps is more than just ‘Wagner rebranded’.

The Conversation

Togo’s citizens want to leave Ecowas – new survey suggests why

A survey of Togolese citizens recently looked into perceptions of their government’s handling of the terrorist threat in the northern region and of the Alliance of Sahel States – Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The survey was carried out by Afrobarometer, an independent, pan-African research network, in partnership with the…

The Independent UK

US military shifts messaging in Africa, telling allies to prepare to stand more on their own

The U.S. military is backing off its usual talk of good governance and countering underlying causes of African insurgencies

The Conversation

Funding terror: how west Africa’s deadly jihadists get the money they need to survive

The west Africa–Sahel region has seen a proliferation of militant Islamist groups since the 1990s.

Euronews

EU and African Union ministers pledge to boost cooperation on peace, security and economy

The last time that foreign ministers from both continents met, Russia had not launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war in Sudan had not begun, and France had not lost its influence in Africa's Sahel region, where its military departed from last year.

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