Shield and Alert: Sahel Bound

An illegal gold mining network, comprised of Chinese, Chadian, and Nigerien nationals, has been dismantled in southern Libya, local authorities have said in a statement. The network, led by a Libyan man, was mining four large sites in the southern desert, said the...

A court in Mauritania's capital Nouakchott on Monday sentenced former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to five years in prison for having abused his position to amass an ill-gotten fortune.  Aziz, who ruled the pivotal country between North Africa and sub-Saharan...

Niger's military leaders said Monday that they were ending two European Union security and defence missions in the country, after earlier in the day agreeing to strengthen military cooperation with Russia.  The Nigerien foreign ministry said that it was ending the...

Mali's army has retaken the town of Kidal from Tuareg-dominated rebels. Here we look at the significance of the place which has for years been a northern stronghold for the separatists. - Where and what is Kidal? - Kidal occupies a special place in the geography and...