A Russian scale-back would create new a power vacuum in a region that’s already seen one major shift from French-backed military interventions to countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger favouring Russia, Turkey and China in the past two years
Without a reliable air bridge, Russia’s ability to project power in Africa diminishes, forcing of to seek other options. It might be pushed to scale back in some countries, particularly Mali, Burkina Faso or CAR where its military operations rely on access its Syrian bases
The swift collapse of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in Syria threatens a key Russian airbase in the country that Moscow has depended on to project influence throughout Africa www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Chadians mean business (on paper) creating a committee to monitor France’s troop withdrawal
French miner Orano says Niger has taken control of operations at its Somair mine. It comes as Mali’s stripped mining permits from western firms after military power grabs, followed by strengthened relations with Russia and a retreat by former colonial power France www.orano.group/fr/actus/act...
Ousmane Sonko resigns from Senegal’s parliament after the ruling coalition secured 130 seats in the new legislature. Ex-president Macky Sall over the weekend announced his intention to give up his spot after his coalition secured 16 seats x.com/rts1_senegal...
#Mali Diphtheria, Malaria, the aftermath of horrendous flooding, drone strikes by government forces, and control by Tuareg rebels, Tinzaouaten near the Algerian border is in a dire state. www.reuters.com/world/africa...
Mali's military leader makes a rare reference to elections that would put an end to over four years of military rule. Goita on Wednesday asked his ministers to prepare for “transparent and peaceful” polls without setting a date or timeline.
Interesting to see how #Russia is going to support a severely delegitimised #ECOWAS while also maintaining support for one of the reasons for its falling apart: #AES
Senegal’s new president follows 12 people on X. True the list doesn’t exactly look well curated and probably reflect his social media team’s interests rather than the president’s
How the EU systematically underestimates the Sahelian regimes' ability and willingness to make up stories to undermine the EU and any Western org (notably INGOs) operating in the region is killing me
Another beautiful own goal by the EU in Niger, after remaining silent when accused of storing weapons to destabilise Niger a few months ago
Senegal’s Faye and Vladimir Putin agree to work together to strengthen “peace and stability in the Sahel, including the preservation of Ecowas”. Wondering if Faye’s hoping Putin will help persuade Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to reconsider their exit from the regional bloc x.com/pr_diomaye/s...
That guy kneeling hopefully still has a family that doesn’t want be reminded who he died
someone needs to put this in a development economics lecture
"#Niger ’s military junta has banned the French aid group Acted, from working in the country amid tensions with #France...Acted had been active since 2010, mainly helping people displaced by jihadist violence and natural disasters"
#Sahel #military
apnews.com/article/nige...
Exclusive: President-elect Donald Trump’s team is holding discussions with the digital asset industry about whether to create a new White House post solely dedicated to cryptocurrency policy, according to people familiar with the transition efforts
Choguel Maiga is gone as PM of Mali. As with others (notably Ben le Cerveau) the red line for the government seems to be a push for elections, though to be fair people have speculated about Choguel being fired for years.
Mali’s junta leader sacks Prime Minister Choguel Maiga and his cabinet. Maiga last week criticised the country’s military leadership for failing to set a date for elections that should restore civilian rule after military power grabs in 2020 and 2021
Breaking news: Trial Chamber IX of the ICC sentences Al Hassan to 10 years' imprisonment for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Mali in 2012-2013.
Mali’s junta have turned to an old playbook, strong arming a large payment from one of its few remaining investors. Resolute's CEO was detained after traveling there to solve a $160 million tax claim. Barrick was forced into talks after the junta arrested its staff www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
However the decision was followed by a second ruling from the top court setting the date for the polls to March 31. Some confusion still remains over whether the court will consider the 18 days from now until the vote too short and insist on the later date
Senegal's government has set March 24 for the delayed presidential elections ending weeks of uncertainty over whether a first round of votes would be held before Sall's due to step down on April 2 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
🇺🇳 Au moins 8.565 personnes sont mortes sur les routes de la migration dans le monde en 2023, ce qui en fait l'année la plus meurtrière de la décennie, selon l'Organisation internationale pour les migrations (OIM).
More people died in violent conflict in the Sahel last year than in any year since jihadist violence began over a decade ago. Burkina Faso accounted for one in four terrorism deaths in 2023 pushing the epicenter of terrorism to Africa www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Straight out of Dips
www.dn.se/sverige/bile...
Ghana risks $3.8 billion in financing from the World Bank should the country sign a recent anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law. The lender suspended funding to Uganda last year after the country adopted a harsh anti-LGBTQ bill that the bank concluded violated its values www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
