Politics

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Niger: Armed Attacks Target Military Bases in Tahoua$

In the early hours of March 9, 2026, armed militants launched coordinated assaults on military facilities in Tahoua, a city in northwestern Niger located about 500 kilometers east of Niamey. The attacks targeted both the local airport and nearby military...

Trump Sends Controversial Envoy to South Africa at a Diplomatic Low Point$

The arrival of Leo Brent Bozell III as the new U.S. ambassador to South Africa comes at a moment of visible diplomatic tension between Washington and Pretoria. Appointed in March 2025 by President Donald Trump and arriving in Pretoria on February 17, 2026, Bozell...

Algeria and Niger Relaunch Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline After Diplomatic Freeze$

Algeria and Niger have formally reset strained bilateral relations and announced the operational relaunch of the long-delayed Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project, signaling a significant geopolitical and energy shift across North and West Africa. During an official...

Niger: Roadside Bomb Kills Civilians Near Baroua in Diffa Region$

An improvised explosive device struck a mixed transport vehicle near Baroua in Niger’s Diffa region at around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 10, killing at least eight people at the scene and injuring others, according to local accounts. The blast destroyed the...

Flashpoints: In Southern Chad, A Local Clash Reveals Deeper Fragility$

Clashes in southern Chad between government forces and a little‑known rebel movement offer a window into how local conflicts feed into the continent’s broader instability, far from the headlines that dominate global coverage. On January 13, 2026, at least six people...

Local Conflicts: State-Imposed Land Pact Struggles to Calm Tensions in Brakna, Mauritania$

Authorities in Mauritania’s Brakna region have brokered a fragile peace deal aimed at ending a violent land dispute between neighboring farming communities, but deep political mistrust and unresolved questions about land rights suggest the crisis is far from over. The...

Mali: The taking of Kidal: Why the town in north Mali is so importantF

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...

Niger: UN resumes humanitarian flights in NigerF

The United Nations said it resumed humanitarian flights in Niger on Wednesday, suspended after a July coup in the country where more than four million people are in need of aid. "The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) resumes domestic flights on Wednesday," the UN...

Sahel: Impoverished Niger now has oil but it needs to build a pipeline and circumvent sanctions to export itF

The military leaders who took power in Niger this year have commissioned a giant pipeline that will carry crude oil to neighbouring Benin, public television said Wednesday. The nearly 2,000-kilometre-long oil pipeline will allow Niger -- one of the world's poorest...

Niger braces for fresh EU sanctionsF

The European Union on Monday took a legal step towards imposing sanctions on Niger's new military rulers, who overthrew the democratically elected leader in July. The 27-nation bloc has condemned the ouster of Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, which toppled a key...