Security

MEA RISK’s SHIELD & ALERT notifications: Access requires installing Shield & Alert mobile application. More info on S&A here or click here to signup and install

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...

Sahel: Ukraine invites itself in the Sahel crisisF

Ukraine has a good reason to sabotage Russia’s operations around the world. They are at war. And so it is no surprise that they both undermine each other wherever they are around the world. While the Ukrainians have been battling a Russian onslaught on their own...

Update: Dozens of Russian Militiamen Killed by Tuareg Rebels in MaliF

Our colleagues of Mondafrique have released the following update. With its unmatched connections in the Sahel and West Africa, Mondafrique is one of the best sources of information on the region. Mondafrique: Fierce fighting that raged until Saturday at the...

Sahel: Clashes in northern Mali, a confusing communications war. More questions than answersF

There is a raw communications war taking place between the government of Mali and its foes in the north, namely the Touaregs. Ongoing clashed between Malian troops, allegedly aided by their hired Russian mercenaries on the one hand, and separatist Touareg groups in...

Brief: Sahel Juntas Confirm their Rejection of ECOWASF

Niger just hosted a summit of the leaders of three Sahel nations, an event that was used to confirm their rejection of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The West African grouping has sided against the coups that brought to power the military...