Since late December 2025, US Africa Command has been conducting airstrikes in northern Nigeria alongside the Nigerian military, targeting ISWAP and Boko Haram fighters. The campaign escalated in May 2026 into a joint offensive combining special forces raids with...
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Sahel: How Gold and Jihadist Violence Are Redrawing the Guinea-Mali Border
Along the border between Guinea and Mali, two forces are reshaping the landscape: armed jihadist groups pushing south from the Sahel, and a rapidly expanding gold economy that reaches from small riverside pits to industrial mines. Together, they are transforming...
Behind the Algeria-Mali Rapprochement: Security, Trade and a Sahel Reorder
For 15 months, Algeria and Mali were locked in a diplomatic standoff that froze airspace, stalled ambassadorial contacts, and deepened mistrust over how to handle the war in the Sahel. In early July, Bamako and Algiers jointly moved to restore relations, with the...
North Africa and the Sahel on Alert Over Locust Upsurge
An upsurge of desert locusts is taking shape in Northwest Africa, with Morocco currently facing the highest pressure while Algeria, Mauritania, and Sahel countries prepare for possible summer migrations. Recent reports from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization...
Mali’s Jihadist-Separatist Alliance Pushes Toward Anéfis as Fighting Enters Its Sixth Day
A jihadist-separatist alliance has opened a new front in northern Mali, ambushing a Malian-Russian convoy near Anéfis and pushing to seize the strategic town, while Bamako continues to insist its forces retain control even as fighting has spread to Gao, Sévaré, Konna,...
Mali: Bamako Under Siege
For years, Mali's conflict has been defined by territorial control, military offensives, and shifting alliances among jihadist groups, separatist movements, and government forces. Recent developments suggest that the conflict may be entering a different phase, a more...
Sahel: How Gold and Jihadist Violence Are Redrawing the Guinea-Mali Border
Along the border between Guinea and Mali, two forces are reshaping the landscape: armed jihadist groups pushing south...
Behind the Algeria-Mali Rapprochement: Security, Trade and a Sahel Reorder
For 15 months, Algeria and Mali were locked in a diplomatic standoff that froze airspace, stalled ambassadorial...
North Africa and the Sahel on Alert Over Locust Upsurge
An upsurge of desert locusts is taking shape in Northwest Africa, with Morocco currently facing the highest pressure...
Mali’s Jihadist-Separatist Alliance Pushes Toward Anéfis as Fighting Enters Its Sixth Day
A jihadist-separatist alliance has opened a new front in northern Mali, ambushing a Malian-Russian convoy near Anéfis...
Mali: Bamako Under Siege
For years, Mali's conflict has been defined by territorial control, military offensives, and shifting alliances among...
German Think Tank Accuses the UAE of Destabilizing Africa
By Maïssata Koné-Dubois, Mondafrique: In an explosive report, the German think tank Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik...
Mali: After Kidal, The War Comes to Bamako
Mali’s military government is facing one of its most serious crises since taking power. On April 25 and 26, fighters...
Mali: Russian-linked Forces Under Drone Pressure in Northern Mali
Russian-linked forces in Mali are increasingly coming under attack from armed groups that are adapting to the drone...
Niger Turns to Local Self-Defense Units to Contain Growing Insecurity
Niamey's decision to formalize local self-defense units called Domol Leydi is the latest sign that Niger's security...
West Africa: Jihadist Attacks Intensify in Northern Benin Amid Cross-Border Insurgency Pressure
Armed attacks attributed to Sahel-based jihadist groups have intensified in northern Benin in recent weeks,...
Desert Locusts Stir Fresh Worries in North-West Africa
Agricultural authorities in several parts of North and West Africa are maintaining surveillance for desert locust...
Mali Army, Russian Allies Accused of Executing Civilians Near Mauritania Border
Malian troops and their Russian allies are accused of executing refugees and civilians near the Mauritanian border,...
Niger: Armed Attacks Target Military Bases in Tahoua
In the early hours of March 9, 2026, armed militants launched coordinated assaults on military facilities in Tahoua, a...
Trump Sends Controversial Envoy to South Africa at a Diplomatic Low Point
The arrival of Leo Brent Bozell III as the new U.S. ambassador to South Africa comes at a moment of visible diplomatic...
Algeria and Niger Relaunch Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline After Diplomatic Freeze
Algeria and Niger have formally reset strained bilateral relations and announced the operational relaunch of the...
Algeria and Niger Restore Ties, Signaling a Shift in Sahel Diplomacy
After nearly a year of tensions, Algeria and Niger have formally reset their relationship. On February 12, 2026, both...
Nigeria: More than 160 people killed in Muslim communities in Kwara State
Nigeria’s Woro massacre in early February 2026 was a large‑scale attack on two mainly Muslim farming communities that...
Niger: Roadside Bomb Kills Civilians Near Baroua in Diffa Region
An improvised explosive device struck a mixed transport vehicle near Baroua in Niger’s Diffa region at around 9:30...
Flashpoints: In Southern Chad, A Local Clash Reveals Deeper Fragility
Clashes in southern Chad between government forces and a little‑known rebel movement offer a window into how local...
Local Conflicts: State-Imposed Land Pact Struggles to Calm Tensions in Brakna, Mauritania
Authorities in Mauritania’s Brakna region have brokered a fragile peace deal aimed at ending a violent land dispute...
Niger Airport Attack Deepens Sahel’s Security and Diplomatic Strains
An overnight assault on Niger’s main international airport has prompted a partial drawdown of U.S. diplomatic staff...
Defense: Mauritania and Spain Use Naval Exercises to Bolster Atlantic Maritime Security
Mauritanian and Spanish naval forces have conducted joint exercises off the coast of Nouadhibou, underscoring a...
UAE Regional Influence Under Strain Amid Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Maghreb Frictions
Across several regions, the United Arab Emirates is facing visible diplomatic and political friction with key Arab...
Mali: Gold Mining Site in Sikasso Region Hit by Armed Group
Armed attackers struck the Morila gold mine in southern Mali during the night of January 4 to January 5, 2026, causing...
Burkina Faso: Deep Supply Weaknesses in Ouagadougou Amid Seasonal Butane Shortages
Gas shortages in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, have become a recurring issue at the end of each year. The...
Sahel: Jihadist Attack Kills Local Prefect in Southwestern Niger
A jihadist attack in Niger targeted the residence of the prefect (governor) of Torodi during the night of Sunday,...
Flashpoints: How Emirati and Qatari Competition Is Redrawing the Red Sea Map
Charlotte Touati - Mondafrique: Two competing poles are now clearly taking shape in the contest for control over...
Flashpoints: Benin-Niger Tensions Deepen as Diplomatic Relations Deteriorate
Relations between Benin and Niger have entered a new period of strain following reciprocal diplomatic expulsions. In...
Irregular Migration to Spain Falls Sharply in 2025 With Decline in Atlantic Crossings
After reaching a historic high in 2024, irregular migration to Spain fell sharply in 2025. Official data show a...
How the US Intervention in Venezuela is Reviving Global South Fears of Power Politics
The US raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is resonating across Africa as part of a broader pattern...
Burkina Faso Faces New Security Tensions Amid Coup Allegations
Burkina Faso experienced a sudden spike in political and security tension overnight in early January, with coordinated...
Nigeria: Questions Mount Over U.S. Airstrikes in Northern Nigeria
By Leslie Varenne, MondAfrique: The American strikes carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day raise serious questions....
U.S. Immigration Policy and the Changing Landscape of Africa-U.S. Travel
As the United States prepares to implement a new round of immigration and visa policy changes in 2026, the effects are...
Sahel: Rising Attacks on Military and Economic Targets Deepen Mali’s Instability
As the year closes, Mali’s security environment shows no sign of improvement , marked by coordinated jihadist...
Sahel: Niger Declares General Mobilization Amid Escalating Jihadist Violence
Niger’s military-led authorities have announced a nationwide general mobilization that allows for the requisitioning...
Nigeria’s Conflict Goes Global With Washington Entering the Fight
The United States’ Christmas Day airstrikes in northwestern Nigeria mark a rare but consequential shift in the...
Trump’s Expanded Travel Ban Targets Several African States
Washington’s latest expansion of its travel‑ban system has thrust a cluster of African states; including Mauritania,...
Sahel: Violence in Northern Mali Drives New Wave of Displacement Into Mauritania
More than 3,300 people have fled northern Mali over the past month, crossing into Mauritania to escape escalating...
Mauritania Arrests Anti‑Corruption Figure Mohamed Ould Gadda
Mauritanian authorities have arrested former senator Mohamed Ould Gadda, now heading the anti‑corruption NGO...
Sahel: French Special Forces Accused of Direct Role in Benin Coup Response
A recent account by the head of Benin’s Republican Guard alleged that France played a role in an attempted coup in...
Niger Moves Uranium From SOMAÏR Mine Despite Arbitration Ruling
Niger’s decision to move uranium from a disputed mine in the country’s north is deepening its confrontation with...
Benin Soldiers Mount Brief Coup Attempt
Benin’s government says it has put down a brief but serious military uprising after soldiers appeared on state...
Mauritania: Medical Equipment Contract Controversy Deepens in Mauritania
A medical procurement deal in Mauritania has turned into a governance controversy, after an investigation by...