Eric Overvest, the United Nations coordinator for São Tomé and Príncipe, thanked authorities on Friday after an attack on a military barracks, part of a reported coup attempt, was shut down. Overvest said military and judicial authorities acted swiftly and appropriately transferred the detainees after the attack. He appealed for…
Civil society organizations in Ghana are stepping up their opposition to the Agyapa Royalties deal advanced by President Nana Akufo-Addo, which would set up an offshore company in the Channel Island tax haven of Jersey. The deal, approved by parliament in 2018, was established by the Minerals Income Investment Fund…
The president of Niger is raising a few eyebrows following his comments on the death of Mali’s former prime minister. The 67-year-old Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga died in a hospital on Monday, having remained in detention under current Malian leader Assimi Goïta. Maïga was arrested in August, a year after the…
In Burkina Faso, President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré has apparently resigned following a military takeover in the troubled Sahel nation. That’s according to national broadcaster RTB, which posted a copy of Kaboré’s letter late Monday. Earlier in the day, members of the country’s defense forces said that Kaboré had been…
The African Union has suspended Mali’s membership following the second coup in the Sahel nation within the past year. The AU said it “totally rejects coups d’état and unconstitutional changes of government,” in a communique issued late Tuesday by the Peace and Security Council. The statement also called on the…
There’s a prisoner exchange in the works in Mali that would see opposition leader Soumaïla Cissé released, as well as French humanitarian aid worker Sophie Petronin, in exchange for the release of dozens of suspected fighters held by the Malian government. That’s according to Reuters, with the news agency reporting…
President Nana Akufo Addo of Ghana has been elected the new head of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and will replace outgoing chief Mahamadou Issoufou, his Nigerien counterpart. “I am fully aware of the challenges which confront West Africa,” said Akufo Addo in his acceptance speech,…
The Economic Community of West African States plans to send another delegation to Mali to address the ongoing coup, but both the new military leadership and main political opposition oppose their intervention. That’s according to reports that the Mouvement du 5 Juin-Rassemblement des Forces Patriotiques (M5-RFP) leaders are now aligned…
All eyes are on Mali as President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta announced his resignation late Tuesday, following a tense day that saw a faction of its military rebel and place the president and top officials in detention. The unfolding events are prompting the global community to appeal for calm. “I strongly…
The Malian opposition continued to demand the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta on Tuesday, rejecting a national unity plan and related measures proposed following an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) summit meeting on Mali. The Mouvement du 5 Juin – Rassemblement des Forces Patriotiques, led by Mahmoud…
West African heads of state concluded an extraordinary summit on Mali on Monday, with a plan to move beyond the current political and security crisis discussed during a video conference with embattled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. The delegation from the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by…
An escalation in the violence in Mali has the international community appealing for restraint, following weekend protests that left four people dead when security forces fired live rounds on protesters in the capital of Bamako. Reports of other fatalities came from several cities as protesters supporting the opposition 5 June…
Leaders from the 15 member nations of the West African regional body ECOWAS say they’re pushing for a unified front on improved fuel standards and vehicle emissions, as part of the effort to address climate goals. They’ve decided to establish a shared regional standard for petrol and diesel, limiting the…
The Government of Ghana has announced its full support for the new ECO currency that will replace the CFA Franc in 2020, and is urging other West African states to do the same. President Nana Akufo Addo, a champion of regional cooperation through the 15-nation ECOWAS organization and a common…
Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, speaking alongside his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, announced the reform of the long-disputed CFA franc on Saturday, a currency that is used in eight nations in West Africa. The agreement with France and the Monetary Union of West Africa (UEMOA), which is currently led by Ouattara,…