March 22
Burkina Faso: Bird Flu - What Is It, How Does It Spread and How Can We Protect Ourselves From It?
There has been an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital. The viral disease, also called avian influenza, killed 441 chickens out of a flock of 641 on a… Read more »
March 14
Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Hint At a New West African Currency - What It'll Take for It to Succeed
On 11 February 2024, the head of Niger's ruling military junta, General Abdourahmane Tiani, spoke of the possible creation of a common currency with Burkina Faso and Mali. "The… Read more »
February 22
Africa: Learning in Two Languages - Lessons From Francophone Africa On What Works Best
Children living in multilingual communities often learn in a language at school that does not match the language they speak at home. This mismatch makes it challenging for them to… Read more »
February 14
West Africa: West Africa Trade Will Take a Hit As Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso Leave Ecowas
The membership of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has been whittled down from 15 to 12 following the unilateral withdrawal of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso in… Read more »
Africa: Wagner Group Is Now Africa Corps. What This Means for Russia's Operations On the Continent
In August 2023, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died after his private jet crashed about an hour after taking off in Moscow. He had been Russia's pointman in Africa since the… Read more »
February 07
West Africa: Why Withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso Signals Trouble for the Sahel
On 27 January 2024, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger announced their plan to withdraw from membership of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), despite repeated… Read more »
February 05
West Africa: Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Want to Leave Ecowas. a Political Scientist Explains the Fallout
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have sent Ecowas, west Africa's main political union of 15 countries, a formal notice of their withdrawal from the bloc. The three countries are… Read more »
October 19, 2023
Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Have a New Defence Alliance - an Expert View of Its Chances of Success
On 16 September 2023 in Bamako, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger established the Alliance of Sahel States, a mutual defence pact. The agreement was signed against the backdrop of an… Read more »
May 28, 2023
Africa: What Makes Peace Talks Successful? The 4 Factors That Matter
Peace talks that seek to end armed conflicts are underway in several African countries. Because very few conflicts are resolved on the battlefield, negotiations are fundamental.… Read more »
May 17, 2023
Burkina Faso: Teen Mothers and Depression - Lack of Support From Partners and Violence Are Big Drivers in Malawi and Burkina Faso
Up to one in four African girls have their first child before the age of 18. Becoming a mother at such a young age can lead to mental health problems like depression. Research… Read more »
November 08, 2022
West Africa: Jihadism and Military Takeovers in West Africa - Burkina Faso Coup Highlights the Links
The West African sub-region at the southern edge of the Sahara Desert has recently attracted significant attention. The main reasons have been an increase in violent extremism and… Read more »
November 02, 2022
Nigeria: Nigeria's Deadly Conflicts Over Water and Grazing Pasture Are Escalating - Here's Why
Violence in the Sahel is escalating, killing more than 11,000 people in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso since 2012. Such conflict has emerged for a number of reasons, including… Read more »
October 11, 2022
West Africa: Burkina Faso Coup Raises Questions About Growing Russian Involvement in West Africa
As if fighting in what - for now, at least - appears to be a losing battle in Ukraine weren't enough, the Wagner Group, a private army of Russian mercenaries commanded by Yevgeny… Read more »