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 18
Mali: Slums and Guns in Bamako - What's Driving the Illegal Weapon Trade in Mali's Capital City
As west Africa urbanises, many cities have become interconnected through trade, travel and technology, and crime has increased in complexity and scope. The proliferation of arms in… 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 »
September 28, 2023
Mali: Salif Keïta, the Defiant Malian Football Legend Who Created History On and Off the Field
Former Malian footballer Salif "Domingo" Këita, who passed away on 2 September in Bamako, embodied a crucial moment in the history of African football, helping shape its… Read more »
July 26, 2023
Mali: Mali Crisis - UN Peacekeepers Are Leaving After 10 Years - What's Needed for a Smooth Transition
The UN Security Council voted on 30 June 2023 to end its peacekeeping mission in Mali, Minusma, after Mali officially requested its complete withdrawal. Over 11,000 military… Read more »
July 17, 2023
Mali: UN Troops to Withdraw From Mali - What Will Change in Terms of Security
On 30 June 2023, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to end the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (Minusma). 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 »
August 23, 2022
Mali: Amid Popular Opposition, Is The UN's Peacekeeping Mission in Mali Doomed?
On 29 June, the UN Security Council decided to renew the mandate of the United Nations' peacekeeping initiative, the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali… Read more »
May 21, 2022
West Africa: Togo - Region's New Frontier of Violent Extremism?
The threat of violent extremism across West Africa has been on the rise in recent times. Read more »
August 28, 2020
Mali: One Coup Leads to Another, History Shows
Immediately after Mali's unpopular president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, was removed on Aug. 18 by the military in a swift and bloodless coup, many Malians celebrated. Read more »