First Independent Mena Newspaper
China’s long-held strategy of “regime-agnostic” engagement in Africa is under strain as mounting instability in Niger threatens billions in Chinese investments, says a new study. A new report by the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies warns that China’s transactional diplomacy — prioritizing control over constitutional legitimacy — has left its state-owned enterprises (SOEs) vulnerable […]
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, has emerged as the most powerful militant force in West Africa, now commanding up to 6,000 fighters and staging coordinated, high-impact attacks across the Sahel, experts warn. According new analysis titled ‘JNIM Expanding Geographic Reach and Staging Coordinated Attacks in the Sahel’, JNIM’s recent assaults in Timbuktu […]
In a dramatic pivot away from traditional regional alliances, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have deepened their collaboration under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), aiming to reclaim sovereignty and reshape their economic future, including through the planned launch of common currency. Born out of frustration with ECOWAS and external pressures, the AES is fast-tracking […]
As jihadist attacks escalate across West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is fast-tracking plans for a regional counter-terrorism force to confront the mounting security crisis. According to ECOWAS Commission president Omar Alieu Touray, preparations for the long-anticipated force are “in full gear,” with member countries ready to contribute troops. Finance and […]
In a historic shift for West Africa’s political landscape, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has begun relocating key institutions from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger — nations that formally withdrew from the bloc earlier this year to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). During an extraordinary session in Accra, ECOWAS Council […]
President of Ghana, John Mahama has expressed on April 22 disappointment at the decision by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), calling the move “regrettable.” Speaking at the launch of ECOWAS’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Accra on Tuesday, Mahama emphasized that diplomacy should focus on […]
The foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are set to visit Moscow this week to deepen their strategic partnership with Russia, marking a significant shift in the region’s diplomatic and security landscape. The visit, scheduled for 3-4 April, represents the first-ever AES-Russia consultations following the establishment of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) […]
Abdourahamane Tchiani, the leader of Niger’s military junta, has been officially sworn in as the Sahel country’s transitional president, marking the beginning of a five-year rule under a new charter that replaces the constitution. The ceremony took place in Niamey on Wednesday (26 March), and Tchiani, who led the July 2023 coup that ousted democratically […]
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called for immediate action to combat a worsening food crisis affecting millions across West Africa and the Sahel. Speaking at the third meeting of the Regional Food Security Reserve Management Committee, which opened in Nigeria’s capital Abuja on Tuesday, ECOWAS officials warned that without proactive measures, […]
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched a 5,000-member counterterrorism force in response to the escalating security crisis in the Sahel and wider West Africa. Announced during the 43rd meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja, this force is designed to confront the growing influence of jihadist […]