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,...
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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...
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 accuses Abu Dhabi of being a major force behind instability across Africa. [Full report here] Until the Sudan war, the United Arab Emirates had...
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 from the Front de libération de l’Azawad, known as the FLA, and jihadists from the Groupe de soutien à l’islam et aux musulmans, or JNIM, launched...
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 age. Two recent incidents in the Kidal region, a March 30 strike near Anéfis and an April 7 attack on a camp in Aguelhok, are evidence of a clear...
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 crisis has worsened, moving beyond a conventional counterterrorism problem and into a broader struggle for territorial control. The government says the...
Mauritania: Water Scarcity Sparks Protests in Chami
Residents of Chami, a mining hub in western Mauritania, have taken to the streets to protest severe and prolonged...
Mauritania Battles Dual Outbreaks Amid Sahel’s Shifting Climate
Mauritania is contending with concurrent outbreaks of diphtheria and Rift Valley fever that have left at least 36...
Sahel Displacement Hits 4 Million: UN Warns of Growing Crisis
By MondAfrique: On October 10, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) sounded the alarm: around 4...
Sahel: Restoring the world heritage site of Bandiagara in Mali
The UN's culture organisation will restore the world heritage site of Bandiagara, in central Mali, which has been hit...
Sahel: Niger hit by devastating floods, nine killed
Niamey, July 21, 2020 - Heavy floods in Niger have claimed nine lives and destroyed more than 2,000 homes , affecting...
Sahel braces for more warming and a wetter climate
The annual mean global temperature is likely to be at least one degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels in each of...


