Since late December 2025, US Africa Command has been conducting airstrikes in northern Nigeria alongside the Nigerian military, targeting ISWAP and Boko Haram fighters. The campaign escalated in May 2026 into a joint offensive combining special forces raids with...
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Sahel: How Gold and Jihadist Violence Are Redrawing the Guinea-Mali Border
Along the border between Guinea and Mali, two forces are reshaping the landscape: armed jihadist groups pushing south from the Sahel, and a rapidly expanding gold economy that reaches from small riverside pits to industrial mines. Together, they are transforming...
Behind the Algeria-Mali Rapprochement: Security, Trade and a Sahel Reorder
For 15 months, Algeria and Mali were locked in a diplomatic standoff that froze airspace, stalled ambassadorial contacts, and deepened mistrust over how to handle the war in the Sahel. In early July, Bamako and Algiers jointly moved to restore relations, with the...
North Africa and the Sahel on Alert Over Locust Upsurge
An upsurge of desert locusts is taking shape in Northwest Africa, with Morocco currently facing the highest pressure while Algeria, Mauritania, and Sahel countries prepare for possible summer migrations. Recent reports from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization...
Mali’s Jihadist-Separatist Alliance Pushes Toward Anéfis as Fighting Enters Its Sixth Day
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,...
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...
Sahel: How Gold and Jihadist Violence Are Redrawing the Guinea-Mali Border
Along the border between Guinea and Mali, two forces are reshaping the landscape: armed jihadist groups pushing south...
Behind the Algeria-Mali Rapprochement: Security, Trade and a Sahel Reorder
For 15 months, Algeria and Mali were locked in a diplomatic standoff that froze airspace, stalled ambassadorial...
Mali’s Jihadist-Separatist Alliance Pushes Toward Anéfis as Fighting Enters Its Sixth Day
A jihadist-separatist alliance has opened a new front in northern Mali, ambushing a Malian-Russian convoy near Anéfis...
Mali: Bamako Under Siege
For years, Mali's conflict has been defined by territorial control, military offensives, and shifting alliances among...
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...
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...
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...
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...
West Africa: Jihadist Attacks Intensify in Northern Benin Amid Cross-Border Insurgency Pressure
Armed attacks attributed to Sahel-based jihadist groups have intensified in northern Benin in recent weeks,...
Mali Army, Russian Allies Accused of Executing Civilians Near Mauritania Border
Malian troops and their Russian allies are accused of executing refugees and civilians near the Mauritanian border,...
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...
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...
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...
Niger Airport Attack Deepens Sahel’s Security and Diplomatic Strains
An overnight assault on Niger’s main international airport has prompted a partial drawdown of U.S. diplomatic staff...
Defense: Mauritania and Spain Use Naval Exercises to Bolster Atlantic Maritime Security
Mauritanian and Spanish naval forces have conducted joint exercises off the coast of Nouadhibou, underscoring a...
Mali: Gold Mining Site in Sikasso Region Hit by Armed Group
Armed attackers struck the Morila gold mine in southern Mali during the night of January 4 to January 5, 2026, causing...
Sahel: Jihadist Attack Kills Local Prefect in Southwestern Niger
A jihadist attack in Niger targeted the residence of the prefect (governor) of Torodi during the night of Sunday,...
Flashpoints: How Emirati and Qatari Competition Is Redrawing the Red Sea Map
Charlotte Touati - Mondafrique: Two competing poles are now clearly taking shape in the contest for control over...
Flashpoints: Benin-Niger Tensions Deepen as Diplomatic Relations Deteriorate
Relations between Benin and Niger have entered a new period of strain following reciprocal diplomatic expulsions. In...
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...
Nigeria: Questions Mount Over U.S. Airstrikes in Northern Nigeria
By Leslie Varenne, MondAfrique: The American strikes carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day raise serious questions....
Sahel: Rising Attacks on Military and Economic Targets Deepen Mali’s Instability
As the year closes, Mali’s security environment shows no sign of improvement , marked by coordinated jihadist...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Niger Moves Uranium From SOMAÏR Mine Despite Arbitration Ruling
Niger’s decision to move uranium from a disputed mine in the country’s north is deepening its confrontation with...
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...
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...
Mali’s Energy Collapse Deepens as Fuel Blockade and Infrastructure Decay Converge
Mali’s capital has grown quieter in the dark. Across Bamako and beyond, entire neighborhoods now spend long nights...
Mali: Bamako Strikes Back as JNIM Expands Its Rule
Over one turbulent weekend in mid‑October 2025, Mali’s army announced a series of airstrikes against jihadist...
Sahel: Three Sahel States Join Forces in Northern Mali Offensive
Joint counterterrorism forces from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) have carried out a precision operation in...
Africa: New Warning of Evolving Hybrid Threats Linking Terrorism, Crime, and Climate Pressures Across Africa
At a recent Mediterranean Dialogues Forum in Naples, Mauritania’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug...
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: Surging Jihadist Violence Batters the Sahel, Exposing Government Weakness
By Arezki Daoud: A surge in jihadist violence has rocked the Sahel region through late September and early October...
Mali: Ongoing Attacks Prompt Longer Curfew in Western Mali
Authorities in Mali have extended the curfew in Kayes for another month, following a series of violent attacks...
Niger Dissolves Hundreds of Private Security Firms in Major Industry Overhaul
Niger’s government has shuttered 400 private security companies by ministerial decree, implementing a sweeping...
Sahel: Drone Incident Escalates Diplomatic Rift on Algeria–Mali Border
The diplomatic crisis between Algeria and Mali, long simmering over border security and regional influence, escalated...
Niger Deepens Strategic Ties with Russia After Break from France
Civil nuclear cooperation and uranium development signal a shift in Niamey's global posture In a development that...
Jihadist Expansion Threatens Coastal West Africa
The Sahel is confronting an intensifying insurgency that continues to evolve in scale and complexity. Armed groups...
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...
Sahel: Russia Reorganizes in Mali: Wagner Withdraws, Africa Corps Moves In
After months of behind-the-scenes talks, Russia has managed to phase out the Wagner Group in Mali and replace it with...
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...