The Sahel nation of Burkina Faso registered the world’s largest decline in overall freedom, largely due to the two coups experienced in 2022, according to a newly released annual report from the Freedom House organization in the United States. Tunisia, Guinea and Mali also registered some of the highest declines…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Assimi Goïta, the interim leader of Mali, during his visit to Bamako on Tuesday, during a diplomatic trip that’s drawn concern over the security role of Russian fighters in the Sahel nation and Moscow’s bid for wider influence on the African continent. “We…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Côte d’Ivoire has been one of the Top 10 nations to contribute troops to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali, but the government has announced it’s pulling out of the mission in a letter sent to the UN. The letter, according to Radio France International (RFI), confirms Abidjan’s decision…
Germany has suspended its participation in MINUSMA, the United Nations mission in Mali, after a rotation flight carrying soldiers to and from the Sahel nation didn’t receive overflight and landing rights from the government. “Once again, the Malian rulers have denied MINUSMA overflight rights,” said German defense minister Christine Lambrecht….
Mauritania is facing its worst drought conditions since 2012, and faring more poorly than all Sahel nations that have seen rainfall deficits across the last decade, according to a new report from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). At least 34 of 48 regions are…
The Human Rights Watch organization says some 300 people in the Malian town of Moura died at the hands of Malian armed forces and the Russian soldiers fighting with them. The executions represent the worst such incident ever reported during the long fight in Mali, which spans a decade and…
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…
The Ukrainian government says Khalifa Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army, plans to send fighters from his divided North African nation to support the Russian side in its invasion of Ukraine. “The transfer of military mercenaries is likely to be carried out at the expense of a private military…
The United States has broadened its efforts to place sanctions against Russian elites in connection with the armed conflict in Ukraine, this time adding a group of individuals that includes Pevgeniy Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin was previously targeted by the U.S. Department of Treasury for…
President Emmanuel Macron of France, joined by the leaders of Ghana and Senegal, made the long-awaited announcement on pulling out troops from Mali on Thursday. “In the Sahel as in the Gulf of Guinea, the expectations of our partners have changed,” said Macron. “The sensitivity of public opinion in the…
The Gambian ambassador to the United States, Dawda Docka Fadera, traveled to New York City to assist fire victims from his nation on Monday. He said the Gambian nation was in shock after hearing news of the fire, and that President Adama Barrow had asked him to convey his condolences….
Russian troops have been deployed in Mali, where they will serve as military trainers for the Malian defense forces near the city of Timbuktu. That’s according to a government spokesman cited by Reuters and other international news agencies. Witnesses living in the region told Reuters they had seen uniformed Russian…
Senegalese foreign minister Aissata Tall Sall recently called on China to become more involved in the Sahel region, specifically expressing a hope that Beijing will be a “strong voice” in combatting the rising tide of terrorism in the region. The appeal certainly has its logic, given Beijing’s expanding influence in…
The Russian foreign ministry confirmed reports that Mali plans to hire contractors with the Wagner Group to fight extremism in the Sahel, but insisted again that the private company is not operating under Moscow’s control. The remarks from Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov followed questions about the presence of Wagner…
Weapons from Serbia and other European nations are being used by extremists in the Sahel and supporting armed conflict, according to a new Amnesty International report. The global NGO said it reviewed more than 400 pieces of digital media from Burkina Faso and Mali, including verified photos and videos posted…