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DARK SECRETS: 2 | Rare Historical Photos

Kidnapping for ransom in the Sahel: analysis of 24 years of data shows a new trend

Kidnapping for ransom has a long history in the west African Sahel. In 1979, a rebel group led by Chad’s future president Hissène Habré kidnapped a French archaeologist and a German medical doctor in the north of the country. The kidnappers asked for the release of political prisoners, among other…

The Conversation

Benin’s failed coup: three factors behind the takeover attempt

Military elements attempted to topple Benin’s government in early December 2025. However, unlike other coups across the Sahel and west Africa since 2020, this bid triggered a military response from Benin’s neighbours.

The Conversation

Deadly conflict in the Sahel sends herders fleeing to Africa's coastal cities

West Africa's cattle herders are being stripped of their animals by extremist-linked armed groups as the deadly conflict in the Sahel region grows

The Independent UK

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Guinea-Bissau’s military takeover highlights the nation’s sorry history of coups and a deepening crisis across the region

Army generals in Guinea-Bissau seized power on Nov. 26, 2025 – the eve of a scheduled official declaration of the winner in the West African nation’s presidential election.

The Conversation

Simon Rietbergen obituary

Other lives: Expert who worked to protect endangered forests, especially in Africa

The Guardian - UK

Nigeria’s new terror threat: JNIM is spreading but it’s not too late to act

The Sahel region, south of the Sahara, is notorious for being the global epicentre of terrorism. With a combined population of 75 million people, the region has accounted for more fatalities than any other on the African continent since 2021.

The Conversation

Africa’s drone wars are growing – but they rarely deliver victory

In the last decade, armed drones have become one of the most visible symbols of modern warfare. Once the preserve of advanced militaries, armed drones are now widely available on the global arms market. Countries such as Turkey, China and Iran are producing lower-cost models and exporting them. In Sudan’s…

The Conversation

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Mali’s economy near standstill amid JNIM fuel attacks

An ongoing fuel blockade initiated by the JNIM jihadist group in Mali has brought the landlocked Sahel nation’s economy to a near standstill. In an effort to isolate the capital, Bamako, and exert pressure on the ruling junta, the militants have intensified their attacks on fuel tankers, prompting Western governments…

Radio France Internationale

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

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

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

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

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The Conversation

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

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…

Radio France Internationale

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.

The Conversation

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.

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Al Jazeera

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.

International Business Times

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.

Radio France Internationale

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…

Al Jazeera

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.

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

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