Sahel

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The UAE’s Growing Role in African Conflict Zones$

Saudi–Emirati tensions over Yemen open a wider question: to what extent is the UAE using proxy actors, media leverage, and selective alliances to reshape crisis zones from Libya and Sudan to the Western Sahara file, often in ways that cut across Algerian and broader...

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 of people, property, and services as part of their campaign against armed jihadist groups operating across the country. The decision comes amid...

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 internationalization of Nigeria’s long-running security crisis. While the Nigerian military has conducts on the regular basis aerial bombardments against...

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 violence and severe disruptions to daily life. The displacement highlights the continued deterioration of security conditions in Mali’s northern regions...

Mauritania Arrests Anti‑Corruption Figure Mohamed Ould Gadda$

Mauritanian authorities have arrested former senator Mohamed Ould Gadda, now heading the anti‑corruption NGO “Transparence Totale,” in a move that has drawn criticism from parliamentarians and opposition figures over due‑process guarantees and the treatment of...

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 Benin, triggering a legal and political debate in Paris. In an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI), Colonel Dieudonné Djimon Tévoédjrè...

Niger Deepens Strategic Ties with Russia After Break from FranceF

Civil nuclear cooperation and uranium development signal a shift in Niamey's global posture In a development that further signals Niger’s departure from its traditional Western orbit, Niamey hosted a high-level Russian delegation on July 28, 2025, led by Russian...

Jihadist Expansion Threatens Coastal West AfricaF

The Sahel is confronting an intensifying insurgency that continues to evolve in scale and complexity. Armed groups such as the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) are adapting and adjusting their...

Mali’s Airports Are Battling a Flow of CocaineF

Mali’s airports, from the bustling hub in Bamako to smaller regional ones, have become a key front in the battle against the flood of cocaine pouring into West Africa. While international help and modern tools like AI and trained dogs have led to some big busts, things aren’t easy.

Sahel: Russia Replaces Wagner in Mali Under Pressure from Algeria, Touaregs BraceF

With Wagner stepping aside, the Africa Corps is moving in, bringing structure and legitimacy to Moscow’s support for Bamako. Touareg leaders, fearing a more efficient and state-backed force, have begun testing quiet understandings with jihadist factions like GSIM. It’s not a formal alliance, but a sign of growing desperation in a region where alliances shift quickly and survival often overrides ideology.