First Independent Mena Newspaper
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 […]
Mali’s Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga publicly accused Algeria of supporting and exporting terrorism during his address to the 80th United Nations General Assembly, drawing sharp international attention to Algeria’s hostile acts towards its neighbors. Addressing world leaders, Maïga denounced Algeria as a “champion of the promotion of terrorism and an exporter of terrorism,” saying that […]
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” […]
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on Friday that Mali’s application to launch proceedings against Algeria over the downing of a Malian military drone can only move forward if Algeria consents to the court’s jurisdiction. The case stems from an incident between March 31 and April 1, when Mali accused Algeria of deliberately shooting […]
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 […]
Mali has filed a case against Algeria at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing its northern neighbor of violating international law by shooting down a Malian military drone near the border town of Tinzaouaten. According to Mali, the incident occurred earlier this year, between 31 March and 1 April, when Algerian forces deliberately downed […]
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 […]
A new report by war crimes watchdog The Sentry exposes the Wagner Group’s deeply destabilizing three-year presence in Mali, revealing a record of military failure, civilian massacres, and political fractures rather than security gains. Deployed in 2022 under a $10 million/month deal with Mali’s junta, the Russian paramilitary force claimed its “mission was accomplished” upon […]
Tensions within Mali’s military have intensified following revelations that Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group — and their successor, the Africa Corps — have disrupted military cohesion, undermined counterterrorism efforts, and fostered deep resentment among Malian forces. A new investigative report by The Sentry, an investigative research group, reveals that Wagner, which arrived after Mali’s […]
A diplomatic crisis has erupted between France and Mali following the arrest of Yann Vezilier, a French embassy employee accused by Mali’s military government of plotting to “destabilize” the Sahel country. Malian authorities allege Vezilier, whom they claim is linked to French intelligence, was recruiting military and civil society figures to orchestrate a coup. The […]