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,…
Solidarity events in Kenya and Tanzania marked two years since the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States, celebrating the Sahel’s bold anti-imperialist stance and vision for sovereignty. Across East Africa, solidarity with the people of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) is gaining momentum, as activists, intellectuals, and workers draw inspiration from the revolutionary…
The film highlights popular resistance and new development paths in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. The documentary “Sahel: Homeland or Death” (“Sahel: La Patrie ou La Mort”), produced by BdF, premiered this Tuesday, September 16, in São Paulo. The film examines grassroots resistance and the new development trajectories being charted in Burkina Faso, Niger, and…
The African Union is uniquely positioned to lead coordinated responses that disrupt criminal networks, strengthen border security and cut arms flows. The Sahel region faces complex security crises driven by violent extremism, farmer-herder conflicts and banditry. Extremism is the major driver of violence. According to the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, the Sahel accounts for 51%…
In Africa’s Sahel region, deepening violence and poverty – driven by displacement, hunger and terrorism – are stripping women and girls of their right to safety, education and a viable future. Risks to women and girls across this vast region are severe and systemic, as political instability, environmental collapse and a declining international presence take…
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, presented this Thursday to the United Nations Security Council the latest report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), covering the period from 1 April to 31 July 2025….
