Armed groups’ evolving tactics and alliances will test the resolve of West African countries to cooperate with AES states. Recent attacks in Central Sahel reflect a worrying evolution of the terror threat in West Africa. The situation demands more from the region’s states and partners than declarations of solidarity with those affected. Active security cooperation…
As Islamic State affiliates extend their reach, states must find ways to share intelligence and cooperate, despite political fractures. Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has resolved to send 100 fighters to reinforce Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) in Ménaka near Mali’s border with Niger, defectors communicating with current fighters told ISS Today. This comes…
Jihadist groups are no longer content with launching attacks in West Africa and the Sahel: they administer territories, control trade routes, exploit new technologies and are gradually pushing their influence all the way to the Gulf of Guinea. Faced with this change, government responses are struggling to keep up, while a timid dynamic of regional…
Western forces have largely beat a hasty retreat from Africa’s coup-prone Sahel region in recent years. In 2022, French forces departed Mali as insurgents made incursions into the capital, Bamako. A United Nations peacekeeping mission also left, with the security void filled by Russian forces. Burkina Faso and Chad followed suit, ordering French troops out…
In a closed-door meeting, President Adama Barrow received the United States (US) Embassy Charge d Affaires, Eugene Young, in Banjul. Their discussion centred on the friendship and partnership between the US and The Gambia in various areas of development, including migration, business opportunities, transitional justice, and support through multilateral organisations such as the International Monetary…
Malaria is one of the deadliest yet preventable diseases in the world. In 2024, it was estimated to claim about 610,000 lives, according to the World Health Organization. Africa bears the brunt of this burden, accounting for 95% of global cases and deaths. Children under five are especially affected, with roughly one child dying every minute. The disease is estimated to cost Africa…
Washington — The World Bank Group has supported new Country Partnership Frameworks (CPF) with Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger for the 2026-2031 period. These frameworks aim to stimulate job creation, especially for youth and women, by strengthening human capital, infrastructure, and agricultural productivity, while supporting targeted reforms and private sector development. Grounded in the…
Can the security-for-minerals approach yield win-win outcomes for Sahelian states beyond diplomatic recognition? In February, United States (US) Senior State Department Official Nick Checker visited Bamako to reaffirm Washington’s respect for Mali’s sovereignty, and reset bilateral ties after ‘past policy missteps’ through renewed security and economic cooperation. Similar messages were conveyed to Nigerien Prime Minister,…
Addressing the terrorist threat should not justify dismantling the governance architecture the AU has painstakingly built over two decades. Responding to growing terror threats and prioritising the restoration of constitutional order are often competing imperatives in countries going through transitions. African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf raised this point at a 30 September…
Nearly four million people across Africa’s vast semi-arid Sahel region have been uprooted by a volatile mix of conflict, hunger and climate change, the UN warned on Friday, describing an unfolding protection and survival crisis that is pushing families to flee repeatedly. The figure represents a two-thirds increase in displacement over the past five years,…
