Security

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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...

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 from Niamey and renewed scrutiny of the country’s security trajectory and external partnerships. Shortly before midnight on January 29, 2026, armed...

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 growing security partnership in a stretch of Atlantic waters that has become central to migration control and maritime surveillance. The drills show how...

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 material damage to the site, according to multiple sources. The mine is located in the Sikasso region, near Mali’s border with neighboring countries....

Burkina Faso: Deep Supply Weaknesses in Ouagadougou Amid Seasonal Butane Shortages$

Gas shortages in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, have become a recurring issue at the end of each year. The problem now appears regularly between December and January, when demand for butane rises with year-end festivities and cooler harmattan, a dry, dusty...

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, January 4, into Monday, January 5. Torodi, the last major town before the border with Burkina Faso, lies roughly 30 miles south of Niamey. At least seven...

Africa’s Defense Shifting from Western to Russian InfluenceF

There are some 600 US troops left in Niger, whose withdrawal is set to no later than September 2024. Meanwhile the French are expected to continue to withdraw more of their troops from Africa, and we could see the Russians move in.

Niger: Rebel group attacks pipeline, warns Chinese contractor to stay clearF

The Patriotic Front of Liberation (FPL), a rebel group based between northern Niger and southern Libya, claims to have destroyed a section of Niger’s pipeline, and issued threats against the Chinese firm managing the project.

Burkina Faso Junta Faces Governance Challenges Amid Controversies and RumorsF

The military junta in Burkina Faso is not governing at ease. The country is struggling with repressive actions from the junta, with opposition figures, lawyers and activities feeling the brunt of the regime.

Niger: More Russian Weapons and Military Instructors Land in NiameyF

The departure of the French and American troops from Niger created an opportunity for the Russians to replace them. The Russians’ objective is to clearly counter the west and reduce its influence in the Sahel, West Africa and elsewhere on the African continent. The...