Burkina Faso: Prime Minister Rules Out Any Deal With Jihadists, Boosts Civil Militias

Burkina Faso's prime minister on Tuesday ruled out any negotiations with jihadist insurgents that have taken control of swathes of the West African country since 2015. Read more »

Senegal: Opposition Leader Sonko Arrested and Escorted to Dakar

Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was arrested on Sunday while leading a convoy of supporters from his native Zighinchor, in Casamance, towards the capital, Dakar. Read more »

Mali: Six Months After Mali Banned French Funding for NGOs, How Are Aid Groups Coping?

Six months after Mali's interim authorities decided to block all French public funding for non-governmental organisations operating in the country, RFI spoke to workers on the… Read more »

Cameroon: Women Kidnapped By Separatists in Anglophone Cameroon Released

Thirty women kidnapped by pro-independence rebels in western Cameroon earlier this week have been released, some with serious injuries. Read more »

Senegal: Prosecutor Demands 10-Year Jail Term for Opposition Leader Sonko

A prosecutor in Senegal on Wednesday called for a 10-year prison sentence in the rape case against opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. Read more »

West Africa: Macron's Visit to Mongolia Was Focused On Ensuring Uranium Supply Amid Conflict in West Africa

Access to rare earth minerals and Russia's war against Ukraine topped the agenda on French President Emmanuel Macron's historic visit to Mongolia. But the joint declaration signed… Read more »

Mauritania: Ruling Party Wins Parliamentary Election

The ruling party in Mauritania has won a landslide victory in last week's legislative and local elections, according to official results on Sunday Read more »

Senegal: Senegal Begins Appeal Trial for Trio Sentenced to Life Over Casamance Killings

Three men sentenced to life in prison over the 2018 massacre of 14 wood workers in Senegal's troubled Casamance region on Friday began a trial to appeal their convictions, which… Read more »

Mali: French Army Failed to Stop Journalist's Kidnapping in Mali - Investigation

French forces tried to use a journalist's visit to northern Mali to track a jihadist leader but failed to prevent the reporter from being kidnapped by the militants, a joint… Read more »

West Africa: Conflict-Ridden Sahel Region Needs Help to Fight Extremists, UN Says

Africa's Sahel has become a hotbed of violence following the failure of a joint force to fight terrorist groups - with instability now at risk of spreading to West Africa, a UN… Read more »

Senegal: Trial of Opposition Leader Postponed As Protests Continue

The trial of Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko opened Tuesday and was immediately postponed to next week as lawyers asked for more time to prepare. Read more »

Nigeria: Leading Nigerian Bank Opens French Subsidiary in Paris

Access Bank, one of Nigeria's top financial institutions, has opened a subsidiary in Paris as it seeks to extend its foothold in French-speaking Africa. Read more »

Burkina Faso: Junta Breaks Silence Over Massacre By Men 'In Army Uniform'

Burkina Faso's military-run government on Thursday broke its silence over a massacre carried out by men in army uniform, issuing a statement condemning "barbaric acts" and urging a… Read more »

Guinea Bissau: Guinea-Bissau, First Non-European Country to Sign Environmental Democracy Treaty

Guinea-Bissau has become the first country outside Europe to join an international agreement on environmental democracy that holds governments accountable for environmental and… Read more »

Burkina Faso: Sixty Civilians Murdered By Men in Army Uniform in the North

At least 60 civilians were killed in a village in northern Burkina Faso by men wearing military uniforms, the local prosecutor said late on Sunday, announcing an investigation into… Read more »

Rwanda: Rwanda Promises Military Assistance to Benin to Combat Sahel Conflict

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame met his Benin counterpart Patrice Talon at the weekend, promising military support to help the west African nation contain a spillover from jihadist… Read more »

Mali: UN Chief Guterres Pressures Mali's Junta On Return to Constitutional Rule

In a report presented to the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Mali's ruling junta to "accelerate" the pace of the handover,… Read more »

Cote d'Ivoire: Study Says Unregulated Cocoa Production Behind Deforestation in Côte d'Ivoire

Belgian researchers report that 45 percent of deforestation in Côte d'Ivoire in the past decade is the result of unregulated cocoa production. Read more »

Mali: Malian Director to Be Awarded Carrosse d'Or At Cannes

The Carrosse d'Or will be awarded to Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé on 17 May in Cannes, at the opening of the Directors' Fortnight, the Society of Film Directors… Read more »

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone Bans Political Street Rallies Ahead of Elections

Sierra Leone has banned political street rallies, a tradition that has for decades characterised electoral campaigns, less than three months before the presidential election, the… Read more »

West Africa: Sahel Region Increasingly Difficult Work Area for Journalists - Report

Paris-based media watchdog Reporters without Borders (RSF) says in its latest report that journalists are facing growing difficulties to freely cover events in the Sahel region,… Read more »

Senegal: Senegal Braces for Fresh Protests Ahead of Opposition Leader's Trial

Senegal's opposition coalition maintained its call for demonstrations on Wednesday and Thursday during leader Ousmane Sonko's defamation trial despite a ban on protests by police… Read more »

Senegal: President Sall Calls On Govt to Halt Unrest

Senegal's President Macky Sall has told the government to take measures to preserve public order after protests over the trial of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko left at least one… Read more »

Senegal: Opposition Leader Alleges Assassination Attempt As Protests Flare

Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko claimed Monday to have survived an assassination attempt during his appearance at a politically charged trial that has sparked unrest.… Read more »

West Africa: U.S. Dubs Niger a Beacon of Democracy in Fight Against Sahel Terrorism

Visiting Niger this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hailed the Western military partner as a model of democracy in a region battling jihadist insurgencies. He also… Read more »