Sahel

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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 public mobilizations in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso following warnings of a possible attempt to destabilize the country’s transitional...

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 being felt across Africa and parts of the Middle East. What began as a technical overhaul of screening and enforcement procedures has evolved into a...

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...

Ethnic Targeting in West Africa and Sahel: The Forgotten Plight of the FulaniF

What’s happening to the Fulani in the Sahel isn’t just war — it’s collective punishment. This is the story no one wants to tell.

Mauritania: Ex-President Verdict Puts Mauritania’s Legal System Under SpotlightF

Mauritania’s high-profile corruption trial of former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has sparked a bigger conversation across West Africa, as his 15-year prison sentence has drawn widespread attention—not just for the verdict itself, but for what it reveals about how justice works in Mauritania.

Guinea’s Mining Purge Echoes Mali’s Playbook, With Different GoalsF

Guinea’s junta has launched a sweeping crackdown on mining permits, abruptly revoking over 100 licenses for bauxite, gold, iron ore, and diamond projects in a bold move to “clean up” the sector. The decision targets firms accused of hoarding land without development or violating Guinea’s mining code.

Sahel: Russia Reorganizes in Mali: Wagner Withdraws, Africa Corps Moves InF

Russia has replaced the Wagner Group in Mali with its new Africa Corps, signaling a shift toward a more controlled and official military presence focused on training and intelligence. While the tactics may look different, Moscow’s long-term ambitions in the region remain very much the same—just better dressed.