Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who led Mauritania from 2009 to 2019, has lost his final appeal and will serve 15 years in prison. The Supreme Court of Mauritania upheld his conviction for illicit enrichment and money laundering, following a years-long legal process that saw...
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Sahel: Community Mourns Mariam Cissé, Killed by Militants in Northern Mali
Mariam Cissé, a well-known content creator from the town of Tonka in northern Mali, was abducted on November 6, 2025, at a weekly fair in Echel, roughly twenty kilometers northwest of her hometown. The following day, she was executed in public in an area under the...
Sahel: Foreign Workers Targeted in New Mali Kidnappings
A series of recent kidnappings in western and northern Mali have reinforced growing concerns for foreign workers and business interests operating in the region, amid ongoing insecurity, targeted attacks, and evolving hostage negotiations. On November 6, five Indian...
Spain Faces Scrutiny Over Migrant Centers in Mauritania
Debate in Spain has increased over government funding for migrant centers in Mauritania, with some critics arguing these sites operate more like detention centers than shelters. The controversy is drawing attention to broader questions about European border security,...
Crisis in Sudan: Meet the Ruthless Warlord Hemedti
Libya has Khalifa Haftar, Sudan has its own ruthless warlord, Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo—better known as Hemedti. Like Haftar, Hemedti rose to power through brutal tactics, commanding paramilitary forces responsible for atrocities and exerting fierce control over...
French Nationals Urged to Leave Mali as Insurgent Attacks Intensify in the Sahel
Faced with a surge of Islamist insurgency and increased boldness, the Defense Ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger met on November 7 in Niamey to accelerate the joint military structure of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a 6,000-man initiative that has been...
West Africa’s New Rulers Use the Same Same Old Playbook of Their Predecessors
Cameroon’s election aftermath is fueling more street violence, Côte d’Ivoire’s political prospects remain stuck in...
Madagascar: “Mamy” Ravatomanga, billionaire, vice-king, and protester target
A profile by Olivier Vallée and Nicolas Beau [MondAfrique]: Maminiaina Ravatomanga, “Mamy,” is a wealthy businessman...
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...
Ivory Coast Edges Toward Political Flashpoint Ahead of 2025 Election
Rising tensions, legacy rivalries, and fears of renewed violence loom over a fragile democracy. With just months to go...
Sahel: Russia Replaces Wagner in Mali Under Pressure from Algeria, Touaregs Brace
As Wagner withdraws from Mali, Russia is not stepping away, but it’s reshaping its presence there. Under quiet...
Mauritania: Ex-President Verdict Puts Mauritania’s Legal System Under Spotlight
Mauritania’s high-profile corruption trial of former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has sparked a bigger...
Guinea’s Mining Purge Echoes Mali’s Playbook, With Different Goals
Guinea’s junta has launched a sweeping crackdown on mining permits, abruptly revoking over 100 licenses for bauxite,...
West Africa: ECOWAS in turmoil
West Africa's economic grouping, ECOWAS, faces a new crisis as former chairman and Guinea-Bissau President Umaro...
Sahel: Terror Groups Gain Ground as Armies Struggle to Contain Them
Al-Qaeda’s Sahel branch, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM or GNIM in French) is now emerging as the region’s...
While the Sahel Faces Worsening Security Climate, Juntas Leverage Regional Integration to Consolidate Power
The demise of the Bachar Al-Assad regime in Syria is giving the Sahelian juntas of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso second...
Mining Standoffs in the Sahel: Two Companies in the Midst of a Foreign Investor Crisis
By Arezki Daoud - Foreign mining companies in the #Sahel are experiencing a nightmare scenario. Escalating tensions in...
Burkina Faso: Junta Chief Dismisses Prime Minister, Replaces him with Loyalist ex-Journalist
Photo of Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo Burkina Faso has a new Prime Minister, after the December 6, 2024, ousting by junta...
Sahel: Inside Chad’s Risky Alliance in Sudan’s Conflict
Chadian President Mahamat Déby’s support for Sudan’s Hemedti amid the Sudanese conflict has sparked tension at home,...
Sahel: Foreign Mining Firms Face Growing Risks as Juntas Assert Control Over Resources
Mining companies that have been operating in the Sahel for a long time are now experiencing a tectonic shift in their...
The US Africa Policy: Don’t Expect Anything New
Africa has been a low priority for virtually all US administrations, be they republicans or democrats. It is true that...
Sahel: A Primer on the Northern Mali Crisis
Northern Mali has always been a region of turmoil, and the responsibility for the misery there starts with the central...
Mali: The Failing Campaign of Wagner in Mali Presages Trouble for the Junta in Bamako
There have been more chatter and speculations about the activities of Russia’s mercenaries, formerly known as the...
Sahel: Wagner Lost Men in Tinzouatin, but Russia Sees Real ROI in the Sahel. It May Now Make a Move on Nigeria
Russia is seeing a good "return on its investment" in the Sahel. Both Mali and Niger have cut their ties with Ukraine...
Sahel: Tension over unfulfilled Niger fuel delivery to Mali
Niger is the new energy producing hub in the Sahel and as such, it is providing hope for other nations in the region...
Brief: Sahel Juntas Confirm their Rejection of ECOWAS
Niger just hosted a summit of the leaders of three Sahel nations, an event that was used to confirm their rejection of...
Africa’s Defense Shifting from Western to Russian Influence
By Arezki Daooud: A lot of military-related events are taking place in the Sahel and other parts of Africa. First, a...
Burkina Faso Junta Faces Governance Challenges Amid Controversies and Rumors
Recently, there were shooting incidents in Ouagadougou and the absence of junta chief Captain Traore was interpreted...
Niger: More Russian Weapons and Military Instructors Land in Niamey
The departure of the French and American troops from Niger created an opportunity for the Russians to replace them....
Senegal at the Center of Another Geopolitical Fight
By Arezki Daoud: France is experiencing an unprecedented backlash in the Sahel and in West Africa. Disastrous...
Senegal: Disgraced President leaves office to find shelter in Marrakesh
By MondAfrique: A short video circulating on social media shows outgoing Senegalese President Macky Sall's departure...
Senegal’s outgoing president prepares for disgraced exit
By Francis Sahel, Mondafrique: In the absence of any other alternative, Senegalese President Mack Sall announced last...
Africa’s 2024 Elections Off to a Bad Start
By Arezki Daoud: It’s an election year in Africa and it already started badly. The East African island of Comoros in...
Senegal President Suspends Presidential Election, Pushes Country into Chaos
By Nicolas Beau | MondAfrique: The specter of an unprecedented political crisis looms over Senegal with President...
Podcast: The Sahel is the Next Big Geopolitical Crisis where Foreign Meddlers are Congregating
Transcript: The Sahel is now clearly the next big event in Africa's geopolitics. After the complete destruction of...
Mali junta ends Algiers Agreement
The ruling junta in Mali announced, on Thursday 25 January, the "end, with immediate effect", of the Algiers agreement...
Sahel: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Announce Withdrawal from ECOWAS Bloc
In a significant development, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have decided to withdraw from the Economic Community of...
Sahel: Russia to experience boost of its influence in the Sahel
By Arezki Daoud: Russia’s influence in the Sahel is about to expand further with more cooperation deals announced by...
How Sahel populations reject ECOWAS ($)
The West African group of ECOWAS is supposed to play the role of mediator in regional crises, with a combination of a...
Sahel: Niger looking for alternative partners to France and the west
A major Nigerian delegation traveled to Moscow on Monday, 15 January 2024, in a tour that will visit Serbia, Turkey...
Sahel: Qatar helps dissipate diplomatic tensions between Mali and Algeria
The North Africa Journal - Qatar has demonstrated its diplomatic skills in the Middle East crisis but it has also been...
Rising Storms: The Pact Uniting Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Against Jihadists and Isolation
The military rulers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have banded together in a joint defence pact to fight jihadists...
Sahel: Mauritania sends ex-president Ould Abdelaziz to prison for corruption
A court in Mauritania's capital Nouakchott on Monday sentenced former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to five years...
Niger ditches security arrangements with EU, engages more with Russia
Niger's military leaders said Monday that they were ending two European Union security and defence missions in the...
Mali: The taking of Kidal: Why the town in north Mali is so important
Mali's army has retaken the town of Kidal from Tuareg-dominated rebels. Here we look at the significance of the place...
Niger: UN resumes humanitarian flights in Niger
The United Nations said it resumed humanitarian flights in Niger on Wednesday, suspended after a July coup in the...
Sahel: Impoverished Niger now has oil but it needs to build a pipeline and circumvent sanctions to export it
The military leaders who took power in Niger this year have commissioned a giant pipeline that will carry crude oil to...
Niger braces for fresh EU sanctions
The European Union on Monday took a legal step towards imposing sanctions on Niger's new military rulers, who...
Niger ups pressure on UN to vacate the country
Niger's military leaders have ordered the United Nations coordinator to leave the country within 72 hours, blaming the...