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Sahara: Burkina Faso, Niger welcome adoption of UNSC Resolution 2797 as historic

Burkina Faso and Niger have welcomed the adoption by the historic UN Security Council of Resolution 2797, which enshrines, within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty, the Morocco-proposed autonomy plan as a serious, credible, and lasting basis for achieving a solution to the Sahara issue. This welcome was expressed by the two countries’ Foreign Ministers, Karamoko […]

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Trio of Sahel states move to expose Nigerian politicians sponsoring terrorism

Intelligence agencies from Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are reportedly set to release names of senior Nigerian political figures allegedly financing terrorism and aiding arms trafficking in West Africa, according to multiple regional sources. The unprecedented move follows coordinated security operations under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a bloc formed by the three countries […]

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Niger’s PM at UNGA accuses France of ‘sponsoring terrorism’ to sabotage nation’s sovereignty

Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine delivered a scathing address at the United Nations General Assembly, accusing France of actively undermining his country’s sovereignty through what he called a “sneaky and subversive destabilization plan.” Zeine alleged that since French troops were expelled from Niger in 2023, Paris has been “training, financing, and equipping terrorists” […]

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Islamic State resurgence in Niger exposes civilian vulnerability — HRW report

A recent surge in attacks by the Islamic State in the Sahel Province (IS Sahel) has left more than 127 civilians dead in Niger’s Tillabéri region, according to a latest report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The watchdog group described the killings — carried out in at least five separate incidents since March — as […]

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Sahel crisis spillover strains Gulf of Guinea as insecurity, disease, and displacement surge

West Africa faces a deepening humanitarian crisis as the fallout from armed conflict in the Central Sahel region continues to spill into neighboring Gulf of Guinea countries, according to a new UNICEF report. In the first half of 2025, escalating violence in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger has displaced more than 515,000 people into coastal […]

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Burkina Faso grounds Gates-backed mosquito project amid sovereignty, ethics row

Burkina Faso’s military-led government has suspended the controversial Target Malaria initiative, a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation–funded project aimed at combating malaria through the release of genetically modified mosquitoes. Announced Friday (22 August) by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the decision halts all activities and orders the destruction of remaining mosquito samples. Project […]

Africa International

Burkina Faso: UN representative declared persona non grata over child rights report

Burkina Faso’s government has expelled the United Nations’ top official in the country, Carol Flore-Smereczniak, following the publication of a report detailing grave violations against children amid the ongoing jihadist conflict. The country declared Flore-Smereczniak “persona non grata,” citing her involvement in the preparation of the UN report released in March. The document, which covered […]

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Togo on the brink: jihadist advance from Burkina Faso exposes fragile security

Northern Togo is facing a mounting threat from jihadist militants infiltrating from neighboring Burkina Faso, with the Togolese government maintaining strict silence as the situation deteriorates. Foreign Minister Robert Dussey recently acknowledged that over 62 people have been killed by militants since January — more than double last year’s toll — in one of the […]

Europe Features Headlines International

From Paris to Moscow: Sahel juntas cement military ties with Russia

In a landmark move to boost its influence in Africa, Russia last week hosted its first official military consultations with the defense chiefs of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — members of the recently formalized Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The high-level talks in Moscow, led by Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, concluded with the […]

Asia Features Headlines International

Burkina Faso deepens military ties with China in major defense upgrade

Burkina Faso has received a significant shipment of Chinese-manufactured military equipment, marking a notable step in its armed forces’ modernization and further consolidating Beijing’s growing defense footprint across Africa. The delivery, unveiled via social media and confirmed by defense analysts, includes VN22B wheeled fire support vehicles, PLL-05 120mm self-propelled gun-mortars, and SR5 multiple rocket launch […]